Marcus Aurelius were to them.-Ia the midst of this diabolical, this mad career, I was arrested by that hand whofe fuperintending providence I denied. My wife was fuddenly feized with all the fymptoms of approaching diffolution. She informed me that he had fallen a prey to corroding care and filent grief-that a confcioufnefs of the heinoufnefs of my conduct before God and man, toge. ther with the cold neglect and frequent cruelty with which I treated her, preyed upon her mind, and rendered her the most unhappy being in exiftence. Although I ftill continued to treat her with inattention, yet did the pious faint, in her laft moments, unfolicited, pronounce my pardon; and, with ftreaming eyes and uplifted hands, implore heaven for that forgiveness for my crimes, which I was too proud and too ftubborn to afk for myself. Oh! fhe faid, what will thy fufferings be ere thou art purified equal to thy original diftinction-Alas! fhall we not meet in thofe regions, where the principles which impel humanity to actions fhall cease to operate, or rather to be abufed?-The vital principle faded faft away, the funk into the arms of death, and departed with a heartrending figh!For the first time I experienced an impulfe of humanity. In this ftate, while my foul was fof. tened by grief, calm reflection ftole infenfibly on my mind--I faw myfelf as I really was-Lucifer never appeared more hedious or morally de. formed to the holiest angel, than I appeared to myself. I now knew that I had a confcience." What must thy fufferings be ere thou art purified equal to thy original deftination ?"Oh! how have I felt the truth of thefe emphatic words!-My intellect was difordered by unceafing reflections on the paft, the prefent, and the future. I imagined that I faw the diftreffed and wronged calling upon VOL. III. No. 7.

righteous heaven to avenge their caufe.-While I was in this flate of mind, fome wicked fchemes which I had concerted, for want of my attention fell through: the confequence was, my conduct was detected, and my character painted to the world in its proper colours. I was detefted and abhorred by the good, and feared by the wicked-In the midst of fociety I was an outcaft; wallowing in riches I was poor, and miferable in the poffeffion of what I esteemed the fupreme good. I was refolved to withdraw from the intercourfe of men-1 fold my poffeffions, rettored five fold to thofe whom I had wronged; and, with the remainder of my money, eftablished a fund for the elief of the age, the widow, and the fatherless. I now enjoy the bleflings of heavenly peace-my days glide fweetly cn-I live in the pleafing. anticipation of thofe unpolluted joys which are extatic and incorruptible. Yond limpid ftream fupplies me with the most pure and healthy drinkmy food the fpontaneous productions of nature. Beneath this beautiful row of elms I spend the hours dedicated to mufic and to contemplation. In the midst of yonder cleft of rocks, where Echo reverberates the refponfive founds, I offer up the fong of praife and the fupplicating prayer.Iam regaled by the exhilirating odour of plants-The fongilers of the grove delight me with their mufic-The variegated fcenes and productions of nature afford me the most pleafing profpects. These things, by the aids of religion and philofophy, tranquilize my mind, and have enabled me to fubdue every evil propenfity of my nature. With the eye of faith I look forward thro' the dark veil of death, to thofe celeftial regions where the moft perfect harmony, love and joy prevail. Even there my profpects do not end: my thirst for being and for knowledge carries me forward thro

C

infinite

infiuite existence; and with pleafing hopes I foretade thofe promotions from excellence to excellence, which the jeft fhall experience, till I have arrived, by the moil pleafing gradations, to the ftature of a Cherub.This fate is but the infancy of our exiflence. The mind of man was formed to progrefs in improvement Its union to an organized body of inert matter, limits the exertions and extent of its faculties. But in thofe immortal regions, celeftial bodies will be given us, and new fenfes added. Then fhall our increase in wifdem be as boundless as our defires, and the field of knowledge as unlimited as our existence. Infinite wifdom has thus confined our views of eternal things, that our attention should not be entirely withdrawn from temporal; but he has given us fuch views as are fuficient to animate our hopes and induce us to rife to excellence. He has likewife made our duty perfectly to harmonize; our attention to the one not being incompatible with the other. Dear youth, are not thefe things more worthy of an immortal mind than the grovelling purfuits of the things of time and fenfe? I have purfaed happiness in every form in which it could be fuppofed to exift. In riches I found it not: when I arrived at grandeur and at power, it fled from me; and in honour and fame it will elude the grafp. Thefe are paffions implanted in the human mind by the wife and benevolent Creator, to stimulate to action; they are neceflary ingredients in it while it continues in the prefent ftate of things but like every thing that is good and excellent, they may be a

AT

bufed. They ought always to be kept within the boundaries preferibed by reafon and the law of God.'

The morning arrived, and Lifander was about to depart. The venerable man recollected that he had omitted ore circumftance in the relation of his hiftory- When I quitted fociety (faid he) I left under the protection of a relation of my wife's, an infant fon, my only furviving child, with a fufficiency to educate and establifh him in the world-If he is ftill living, you will find him by the directions in this letter, which you will pleafe to deliver, promifing that you will not difcover to him the place of my fequeftration.'-Oh! my father-I am that fon-I will live with thee the remainder of thy days

I will receive thy dying bieffing, and clofe thy eyes in peace.'- My fon, it would be criminal in thee to feclude thy felf from thy fpecies:Man was formed for focial intercourfe; nor would it be justifiable for him, under every circumftance, to live reclufe: but to me it was the only alternative. Return, and act the part affigned thee on the theatre of life. May heaven's most felect bleffings reft upon thee-May thou always enjoy the pleafores derived from a mind poffcffing internal peace -May thy life be spent in love to God and benevolence to man: and when the hour of thy appointed reft fhall come, may the hand of death fall gently on thee, and the welcome. meffenger open to thee the everlafting doors of a boundless eternity! There we fhall meet again, and tune our harps in unifon, to the fang of Creative Power and Redeeming Love.'

to flip unobferved into a paffage, the, door of which was open. It was the house of his miftrefs. Conceive her transport to find her lover in her arms, at the moment the was bewailing his death!

One victim, at the place of execution, was found wanting to the number. Search was every where made for the fugitive, but in vain. It was renewed with all the keennefs and all the fagacity of bloodhounds; but the destined object of vengeance eluded the utmott penetration and diligence of his purfuers. Ile was all this while concealed in a corn-loft, where he had been fecreted by his miftrefs, and where the found means to nourish him for three months, unknown to her parents.

A rich farmer of Baffe, who had heard nothing of his fon fince the carnage of Nancy, and the horrible execution of the Swifs, could no lenger refift his uneafinefs, and the defire he felt to be afcertained of his fate. For this purpose he undertook a journey to Nancy; but though his concern excited pity, and his inquiries interested all to whom they were addrefled, there were none who could

afford him the defired information, At last he learned with transport, that his fon had escaped the fate of his companions, and was directed by a foldier to the houfe of his mistress, as a place where it was probable he might obtain farther intelligence.

He repaired immediately to the houfe; but the mitrels of his fon pretended an entire ignorance; and notwithstanding the particulars of his family, which he mentioned in their converfation, preferved the moll cautious filence. She promifed, however, to make inquiry, and defired him to return in an hour. The fol dier immediately recognized his father, from the defcription given by his miltrefs. The farmer returned to a minute. The father and fon flew into the arms of each other, with all the ardor which fuch a meeting might be fuppofed to produce. Asioon as the first tranfport was over, the father joined the hands of his fon and his miftrefs, and pronouncing over them a paternal benediction You have preferved his life,' faid he to her, ' the only recompençe I can offer you is himself.'

K

ASHAN is the first city we meet with on the road from If pahan to Cafbin. I found the heat extremely great there on the 16th of June: the water is difagreeable; and the air, to judge from the pale and fallow countenances of the inhabitants, is far from healthy. This city is no longer what it was in Chardin's time; though it is ftill a confiderable place. Its bazars are beautiful, and of great length. No place in Perfia, I believe, has fo many braziers; or can be compared with it

for the beauty of its culinary utenfils. I went through ore very long, wellarched, and well-lighted bazar, confilling entirely of braziers fhops. In Turkey and Perfia all metals are hammered cold, even for horfe-faces. This is far more laborious; but then the work is ftronger. Kafhan is four days journey due north of Ipahan.

FromKafhan I procceded toKoum. This city is half ruined, and no way refembles the defcription given of it by Chardin, except for its famous mofques and tombs, of which at pre

fent

fent little care is taken. Quitting this city, we croffed the Valley of Salt, mentioned by Chardin. In many places the falt is an inch thick, and well chryftalized. Here we faw Mount Telefin, or the enchanted Mountain, which has nothing remarkable but the puerile tales related of it by the Perfians. Near it runs a fmall river, the water of which is very falt and heavy.

From Koum travelling ftill weftward, I arrived at Cafbin, where I obferved the end of the eclipfe of the moon, June 30, 1787. Hence I was preparing to proceed to Refcht, on the borders of the Cafpian Sea, little expecting that my defign would be fo Aongly oppofed. The chief of the caravan who conducted me from Ipahan to Cafbin, and had forefeen the difficulties to which I fhould be expofed, had, unknown to me, made me pafs for a Mufiulman. To fupport this part was too difficult and dangerous. It was the month of Ramazan, which to the Mahomedans is a faft. I ate as ufual, and thus by my actions declared that I was not a Muffulman, which gave rife to fufpicions. It was noifed about the city that a stranger was arrived. The magiftracy charged the mafter of the caravanfary where' I laid, to learn who I was. I knew that there was not a good understand ing between the Perfians and the Ruffians fettled at Ainzeli near Refcht, and that they were at prefent on board their veffel. I thought it beft, therefore, 'not to own myself an European, and gave out that I was an Arab. On fearching my papers fome French books were found. I faid they were Greek, and that I had learnt that language at Conftantinople, where I had longiefided. They then brought me the Koran, to know whether I could read it, and whether the Arabic was my native language.

This I got over with more cafe, as most of the Perfians read it with difficulty. Still doubts remained concerning my papers, which were all in French: and it was fufpected that I was conveying packets to the Ruffians. From this I fhould likewife have extricated myself, but for the perfidy of my conductor, who declared that I was a Frenchman fettled at Bagdad. I had already advanced him a confiderable fum of money, and I urged him to conduct me to Refcht, or to leave me at liberty to take the firft caravan that should fet off; but the villain, who fuppofed me rich, would not quit his prey, and this induced him to betray me.

The maler of the caravanfary found on me fome drugs, and this, which might have ruined me, proved my fecurity. He fancied I was a phyfician. I told him that I had picked up a few notions with refpc&t to preferving my health, and that it would be abfurd to refufe me what would be allowed any old woman. This, however, did not fatisfy him; be perfifted in believing me a phyfician, brought me his child who was ill, and begged me to prefcribe for him, promifing in return to render me every fervice in his power. I embraced this method of extricating myself from my difficulties; and from that time he did me many good offices. On my prefling him to let me go to Refcht, he confented, on condition I would tell him my bufinefs there. I explained to him as well as I was able the purpose of my journey; but he could not conceive, that I should travel fo far to obferve the ftars in a place where it almost always rained; and told me that it would be confidered as a pretext, and I fhould experience many difficulties there. Finding this did not take, I added that I had fome buf

nefs

nefs with an Armenian merchant, who, as I was informed, was at Refcht, and on his departure for Altracan; but I perceived that I could not thus impofe upon the Perfian, who was more cunning than I. He told me, however, that if I made a prefent to the Lieutenant of the Khan of Cafbin, I might go to Refcht, but that I must expect to be strictly watched. The Khan of Refcht, I knew was even more defpotic than the Khan of Cafbin: I antwered, therefore, that I had imagined in Perfia any one might go where he pleafed; that fortune had certainly thrown me into the hands of a rafcal, who firft extorted money from me, and then fought to ruin me; and that if there were any difficulty in my going to Refcht, I would give up my defign. I perceived this language pleafed him; and he propofed to me to follow a caravan going to Hamadan and Kermounfha; but I told him that I meant to return to Ifpahan, where I had bufinefs. I was led to adopt this plan for the following reafons: I was informed that it rained every day at Refcht during that feafon; and that the humidity of the air impreffed on metals a corrolive ruft, fo that in two or three days any feel implement is fpoiled. My telescope and pendulum muft, therefore, have been left at Cabin, and all the advantage of my journey would have been to have laid down my courfe by the compafs, or by the ftars when travelling by night. For this it was not worth while to pay the Khan of Cafbin a round fum to obtain permiffion to go thither, which would have given my journey an air of confequence; and I had nothing to do there, as I could not carry my inftruments. The air of the country is pernicious to ftrangers, particularly in the month of July. The regimen prefcribed me was to abitain from bread, butter, and flesh,

and to eat only rice dreffed with water; and my health was already impaired; fo much fo, that on my return to Ifpahan I was attacked with a malignant fever. Thefe confiderations, united with all the other obftacles, induced me to renounce my journey. The object of my voyage too was accomplished; for the queftion refpecting the pofition of the Cafpian Sea was decided. At Cafbin I had obtained accurate information of the distance of Refcht; it is four days journey of feven or eight leagues each, or a horfeman wellmounted travels thither in two: I may reckon it, therefore, at about 30 leagues N. N. E. This appears to me fufficient to decide the fituation of the fouthern part of the Cafpian Sea: for having determined that of Cabin by direct obfervation, as well as by the courfe from Ifpahan taken by the compafs, I must have had still 100 leagues E. N. E. to travel to arrive at Refcht, had that port been five degrees farther north, as has been afferted. This question has already been difcuffed by M. de la Lande, in the Memoirs of the French Academy for 1781, where he cited my obfervation; and by M. Buache, in thofe for 1787, on other grounds.

I had not much lefs trouble to quit Cafbin than I fhould have had to vifit Refcht. It was neceffary to gain by prefents a charvadar, or master of a caravan, to take charge of me; I was allo obliged to pay the good offices of the matter of the caravanfary, with whom I agreed that the gates of it fhould be open before day-break on the day of Beyram, or grand fefival of the Muffalmen. On that day I fled with my fervant, and went to join the caravan, which was encamped four leagues from Cabin.

That city, celebrated for having been the refidence of fovereigns, is not now what it was in Chardin's time. It is almoft in ruins, and in

my