raife of his future eminence or riches, I can feldom forbear to confider him as a wretch incapable of generofity or benevolence, as a villain, above the need of common opportunities, and gradual temptations. Upon men of this clafs, inftruction and admonition are generally thrown away, because they confider artifice and deceit as proofs of understanding; they are misled at the fame time by the two great feducers of the world, vanity and intereft, and not only look upon thefe, who act with openness and confidence, as condemned by their principles to obfcurity and want, but as contemptible for narrowness of comprehenfion, shortness of views, and flownefs of contrivance. Sufpicion is, indeed, a temper fo uneafy and reftlefs, that it is very jufly appointed the concomitant of guilt. It is faid, that no torture is equal to the inhibition of fleep long continued; a pain, to which the ftate of that man bears a very exact analogy, who dares never remit his vigilance, or give reft to his circumfpection, but confiders himself as furrounded by fecret foes, and fears to entrust to his children, or his friend, the fecret that throbs in his breast, and the anxieties that break into his face. To avoid, at this expence, thofe evils to which eafinefs and fenfibility might have expofed him, is furely to buy fafety at too dear a rate, to-die left he fhould be killed, and, in the language of the Roman fatiriit, to fave life by lofing all for which a wife man would live. Nor is fufpicion lefs an enemy to virtue than to happiness: he that is already corrupt is naturally fufpicious, and he that becomes fufpicious will quickly be corrupt. It is too common for men to learn the frauds by which themfelves have fuffered, and when they are once perfuaded that deceit will be employed against them, they fometimes think the fame arts juftified by the neceffity of defence. Even thofe whofe virtue is too well established to give way to give way to example, or be fhaken by fophiftry, muft yet find their love of mankind diminished with their efteem, and grow less zealous for the fafety and happiness of thofe by whom they fufpe&t theit own fafety or happiness endangered. Thus we find old age, upon which fufpicion has for the most part been, by long intercourfe with the world, inflexible and fevere, not eafily softened by fubmiffion, melted by complaint, or fubdued by fupplication. Frequent experience of counterfeited miferies, and diffembled virtue, have in time overcome that difpofition to tenderness and fympathy, which is fo powerful in our younger years; and thofe that happen to petition late for compaffion or affiftance are fuffered to languish without regard, and perish for the crimes of those who have formerly been found undeferving or ungrateful. Whoever commits a fraud is guilty not only of the particular injury to him whom he deceives, but of the diminution of that confidence which conftitutes not only the eafe but the exiftence of fociety; and he that foffers by impofture has too often his virtue more impaired than his fortune. But as it is neceffary not to invite robbery by fupinenefs, it is our duty not to fupprefs, tenderne fs by fufpicion; for it is better to fuffer wrong than to do it, and happier to be fometimes cheated than not to truft. . ZULIMA : ZULIMA: An ORIENTAL TALE. [Concluded.] WHEN a few moons had paffed away, Hamed, a young man of large poffeffions, and remarkable integrity, demanded Zulima for a wife. His palace dazzled the eye with its magnificence. His drefs was purple enriched with gold, and the jewels in his turban glittered like the rays of the fun. He commanded, by inheritance, an extenfive tract of land, which was cultivated like a garden. Herds innumerable lowed in his fields, and flocks without number bleated in his paftures. Yet in the midst of his riches Hamed was temperate; fifty women only had he in his haram. He had many perfonal perfections, but they were trifling compared to the beauties of his mind, which refembled an emerald of ineftimable value, depofited in a golden casket. The first view of Zulima's uncommon charms ftruck him at once with wonder and delight. She appeared to his ravished eyes as majelic as the cedar of Lebanon, and graceful as the tulip of Candahar. He poured forth his foul before her, called her the light of his life, and fwore he was more lovely than the daughters of paradife. Zulima foon became inebriated with the homage paid to her, and imagining too hastily that he fhould increase his fenfibility by retarding the completion of his wishes, and quicken defire by protracting the moment of poffeffion, urged him, by turns, to hope and to defpair, by every feminine artifice the could think of. But Hamed foen discovered, that the heart of Zulima was as deceitful as the ocean, when it is unruffled by a breeze, and that the was neither charmed by his per fon, nor captivated by his manners. He discovered, that the voice of adulation alone was mufic to her ear, and that the was blind to all beauties but her own. At this difcovery his foul was filled with indignation. Refentment extinguished all emotions of tenderness, and drove him abruptly from her prefence. Zulima, as foon as Hamed had left her, haftened to her, talisman with the rapidity of a roe, to fee in what light fhe had appeared to him, and to embellifh herself with new graces against the next interview; for as he had not mentioned his intention never to return, the hopes of fanning the flames of love with fresh allurements, made her fpirits flow with unufual brifknefs, and her feet bound with unufusl agility. But how great was her furprize, when, instead of eyes fparkling with pleafure, and cheeks glowing with expectation, the beheld in the polished cryftal a mofter of uglinefs. Shocked at the unexpe&ed fight, fhe gazed at her altered image. She gazed and was aftonifhed. Abdaric inftantaneously darted into her mind. She found, on a retrofpect of her conduct, that he had encouraged the addreffes of Hamed not out of a regard for himself; not out of obedience to her father; not from a defire to be happily married; but to hear the fighs of fondnefs, to have her ears regaled with the foothing ftrains of eulogy; to be admired and praifed, to be flattered and adored. Her confcience fimote her. She repented, and at the fame time determined to receive Hamed with more affability, and to liften to him with more attention: to deferve his 3 T2 love love, and to merit his esteem. Thefe Zelis, though not fo ftriking a beauty as Zulima, was not lefs engaging. Zulima fhone like the fun in its meridian fplendor; Zelis like the sky, tinged with its rifing and departing rays. The first refembled a large edifice, full of lofty apartments, decorated with the moft coftly ornaments, and blazing with the united luftre of gems and gold. The laft might be compared to a finall plain building, executed with the utmoft elegance, and adorned with the utmoft fimplicity. Zulima was more admired than Zelis, but Zelis was more beloved than Zulima. Zelis had an expreffiveness in her countenance, which was, like the magnet, irrefiftibly attracting. She was modeft, gentle, affable, and unconfcious of her perfections. Thefe amiable qualities foon bound the heart of Hamed in adamantine chains. He was pleafed with her perfon, but enraptured with her mind, and had foon the fatisfaction to find that Zelis viewed him with equal delight, loved him with equal ardour, and efteemed him with equal fincerity. The news of their intended union flew with the swiftnefs of lightning to the houfe of Abukazan. Zulima felt a diforder the had never known before at the receipt of this intelligence. To think that he had loft her lover was perturbation; but to think that Zelis was in poffefien of him, difraction. British Many hours fhe spent in contriving methods to recall her lover; and, executed immediately with an affurat laft, fixed on a defign which she ance of fuccefs. She prevailed on Cadige, an old nurfe, who had attended her from her infancy, to make herfelf ferviceable to Zelis. Zelis was pleased with her affiduity, and told Zulima fhe was very happy in poffeffing fo ufeful a flave. Zuof a lion when a tender kid lies lima, who beheld Zelis with the eyes bleeding at his feet, was fo delighted to find that he was fallen into the toils which were fpread for her, that fhe intreated her to keep Cadige for her own ufe; telling her, with an air of pleafantry, that he had won her affections, and adding, that she could propriety to any other perfon. not therefore offer her with fo much Cadige, in a fhort time, took advanin her, and endeavoured to make tage of the confidence Zulis placed Hamed, by throwing a veil over her contemptible in the eyes of her virtues, and to weaken his attachment to her, by infinuating, with an anxious concern for his happiness, that the woman he had chofen from the rest of her fex, was of all her fex the most unworthy of his esteem. While Cadige was thus employed, and while Zelis reflected on the coldnefs of her lover with tears and with complainings, Zulima was full of gloomy doubts and alarming fears. The caufe of her firft deviation from re&itude, by attempting to leffen Hamed's affection for Zelis, gave her many uneafy throbs; but thefe were agreeable fenfations, compared to the piercing pangs the felt, when the reflected on the immorality of her actions. Confcious of the mifchiefs fhe was perpetrating, fle was pre-eminently wretched. Thou haft made ufe of the moft criminal methods to render thyfelf an object of horror. I am now come to entice thee to act right, but to condemn thee for having acted wrong. Thy crimes are of fo black a dye, they cannot be punished with too much rigour. I warned thee of thy danger, when thou ftoodst tottering on the brink of a precipice-Why didft thou not follow my counsel ?-Know, inconfiderate Zulima, that a beautiful woman, without innocence and virtue, is like an almond-tree in winter, ftript of its foliage and its fruit." wretched. Her mind was agitated eye. When he had uttered these words, he ftruck the unhappy Zulima with his wand. She inftantly became a fpotted ferpent, and crawled upon the earth before him. Abdaric then. turned to Cadige, who at this juncture arrived with the juice of a plant, which the fages of phyfic always adminifter, when the powers of reafon are fufpended-Behold, faid he, thy wretched child. Seven years fhall fhe thus creep upon the ground, a noifome reptile in the gardens of Hamed, who now revels in his bower, compleatly happy in being united to Zelis, the most amiable woman in the east. When The can take a pleasure in the felicity of others, the fhall re-affume a human form.-Seven years shall she continue in beauty's brightest bloom, but without one lover to footh her pride; one admirer to flatter her vanity. If at the expiration of the laft year, the is convinced of her paft errors, and can render her mind as faultlefs as her perfon; fhe may then, even Zulima may then be happy. At the conclufion of this fpeech he funk into the earth again, which clofed with a noife like the burfting of a cloud impregnated with fulphur, RE. REFLECTIONS on true FRIENDSHIP. Riendship is an union of hearts by the means of virtue and me-rit, confirmed by a certain refemblance and conformity of manners; for as friendship ought to be constant and inviolable, none are quali fied to be friends, but perfons of virtue.-A brilliant wit, folid and agreeable talents, may gain upon our efteem; but they have no right to our friendship, unless they are accompanied with virtue, it is therefore effential that we do not confound the jargon of the world with the language of the heart, nor blend the fuperficial manners of men with their real characters. It is most certain that friendship is a thing not to be known or proved in a day; therefore caution and management are neceffary in the choice of our friends; and we must not deliver ourselves up upon a flight acquaintance. Friendships fuddenly formed, commonly end as foon as they are began. If we would preferve our friends long, we must be long in forming our friendships; this precaution is the more neceffary, becaufe the world will judge of us by our friends: we in fome measure prefent our felves to the world, and give our own pictures, in the choice of our friends. confined to this alone; it confifts alfo in fetting us right in our notions, in correcting our false steps, in favouring our enterprizes, in making us moderate in our fucceffes, and in fupporting us in adverfity. We ought to find, in true friendfhip, the fafety of good council, the emulation of good example, comfort to our griefs, fupport in our neceffities, and a multiplication of all pleasures. We must excuse the faults of our friends; for to expect that our friends fhall have no faults, is as much as to refolve to love no perfon whatfoever. If the reputation of our friends is attacked in their absence, we must engage in their defence. If they are prefent, we ought to have the courage to reprehend them for their faults. We should go fo far, fome. times, as to make ufe of reproaches; for reproaches are a debt which friendship muft fometimes pay; but they must never be made use of but upon very good foundation, and always with moderation.-Pleasantry or raillery fhould never be carried too far with any perfon whatfoever. -To pretend to wit, at the expence of friendship, is pretending to it at the expence of good nature. Amongst true friends there muf be no fuch thing as diftruft; there must be no fecrets, except the which have been confided to you b. a third perfon, which is a facrel trait you are not to make ufe o upon any account whatsoever. One of the chief obligations of friendthip, is, to communicate fome fecret charm to every thing that hap pens in the life of a friend, whether good or bad; fomething that may leffen the fenfe of the bad, and raife the fenfe of the good; fo that no misfortune may be infupportable, It is certain we should be vere nor any pleasure may be loft to frank and open to our friends; t him. the best way is, if potible, to dɔ nThe duties of friendhip are not thing but what you might difco. 5 |