Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

Outvenoms all the worms of Nile; whofe breath

Rides on the pofting winds, and doth belie

All corners of the world. Kings, queens, and ftates,,
Maids, matrons, nay the fecrets of the grave,
This viperous flander enters.

THERE is a tide in the affairs of men, Which taken at the flood leads on to fortune : Omitted, all the voyage of their life

Is bound in fhallows, and in miferies.

TO MORROW, and to morrow, and to morrow,
Creeps in this petty space from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time,

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusky death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking fhadow, a poor player,
That ftruts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more!. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of found and fury
Signifying nothing.

BOOK II.

NARRATIVE PIECES...

CHAP. I.

THE DERVISE.

A DERVISE, travelling through Tartary, being arrived

at the town of Balk, went into the king's palace by miftake, as thinking it to be a public inn or caravansary. Having looked about him for fome time, he entered into a long gallery, where he laid down his wallet, and spread his carpet, in order to repofe himself upon it after the manner of the eastern nations. He had not been long in this pofture, before he was difcovered by fome of the guards, who asked him what was his bufinefs in that place? The Dervife told them he intended to take up his night's lodging in that caravanfary. The guards let him know, in a very angry manner, that the house he was in was not a caravanfary, but the king's palace. It happened that the king himfelf paffed through the gallery during this debate, and fmiling at the mistake of the Dervife, asked him how he could poffibly be fo dull as not to diftinguish a palace from a caravanfary? Sir, fays the Dervife, give me leave to ask your majesty a queftion or two. Who were the perfons that lodged in this house when it was firft built? The king replied, his Ancestors. And who, fays the Dervife, was. the latt perfon that lodged here? The king replied, his Father. And who is it, fays the Dervife, that lodges here

at

[ocr errors]

at prefent? The king told him, that it was he himself. And who, fays the Dervise, will be here after you? The king answered, the young prince his fon. Ah, Sir! faid the Dervife, a house that changes its inhabitants fo often, and receives fuch a perpetual fuccession of guests, is not a palace, but a caravanfary.

CHAP. II.

A TURKISH TALE.

SPECTATOR,

W E are told that the Sultan Mahmoud, by his perpetual wars abroad, and his tyranny at home, had filled his dominions with ruin and defolation, and half unpeopled the Perfian empire. The vifier to this great fultan (whether an humorist or an enthufiaft, we are not informed) pretended to have learned of a certain dervise to understand the language of birds, fo that there was not a bird that could open his mouth, but the vifier knew what it was he said. As he was one evening with the emperor, in their return' from hunting, they faw a couple of owls upon a tree that grew near an old wall out of a heap of rubbish. I would fain know, fays the fultan, what thofe two owls are faying to one another-liften to their discourse, and give me an account of it. The vifter approached the tree, pretending to be very attentive to the two owls. Upon his return to the fultan; Sir, fays he, I have heard part of their converfation. but dare not tell you what it is The fultan would not be fatisfied with fuch an anfwer, but forced him to repeaty word for word, every thing the owls had faid. You must know, then, faid the vifier, that one of thefe owls has a fon, and the other a daughter, between whom they are now upon a treaty of marriage. The father of the fon faid to the father of the daughter, in my hearing, Brother, I confen to this. marriage, provided you will fettle upon your daughter fifty

ruined villages for her portion. To which the father of the daughter replied, instead of fifty I will give her five hundred, if you pleafe. God grant a long life to Sultan Mahmoud; whilit he reigns over us, we fhall never want ruined villages.

THE ftory fays, the fultan was fo touched with the fable, that he rebuilt the towns and villages which had been defroyed, and from that time forward confulted the good of his people. SPECTATOR.

CHAP. III.

AVARICE AND LUXURY.

THERE were two very powerful tyrants engaged in a perpetual war against each other: the name of the first was Luxury, and of the fecond Avarice. The aim of each of them was no less than univerfal monarchy over the hearts. of mankind. Luxury had many generals under him, who did him great fervice, as Pleasure, Mirth, Pomp, and Fafhion. Avarice was likewife very strong in his officers, being faithfully ferved by Hunger, Industry, Care, and Watchfulnefs: he had likewife a privy-counfellor who was always at his elbow, and whispering fomething or other in his ear. the name of this privy-counsellor was Poverty As Avarice conducted himself by the counfels of Poverty, his antagonist was entirely guided by the dictates and advice of Plenty, who was his first counsellor and minister of fate, that concerted all his meafures for him, and never departed out of his fight. While thefe two great rivals were thus contending for empire, their conquefts were very various. Luxury got poffeffion of one heart, and Avarice of another. The father of a family would often range himfelf under the banners of Avarice, and the fon under thofe of Luxury. The wife and husband would often declare themfelves on the two different parties; nay, the fame perfon would very often fide with one in his youth,

and

and revolt to the other in his old age. Indeed the wife men of the world stood neuter; but, alas! their numbers were not confiderable. At length, when these two potentates had wearied themfelves with waging war upon one another, they agreed upon an interview, at which neither of their counfellors were to be prefent. It is faid that Luxury began the parley, and after having reprefented the endless state of war in which they were engaged, told his enemy, with a franknefs of heart which is natural to him, that he believed they two should be very good friends, were it not for the inftigations of Poverty, that pernicious counfellor, who made an ill ufe of his ear, and filled him with groundless apprehenfions and prejudices. To this Avarice replied, that he looked upon Plenty (the first minister of his antagonist) to be a much more destructive counsellor than Po verty, for that he was perpetually fuggefting pleafures, banishing all the neceffary cautions against want, and confequently undermining thofe principles on which the government of Avarice was found.d. At laft, in order to an accommodation, they agreed upon this preliminary, that each of them fhould immediately difinifs his privy-counfellor. When things were thus far adjufted towards a peace, all other differences were foon accommodated, infomuch that for the future they refolved to live as good friends and confederates, and to fhare between them whatever conquests were made on either fide. For this reafon we now find Luxury and Avarice taking poffeffion of the fame heart, and dividing the fame perfon between them. To which I fhall only add, that fince the difcarding of the counfellors above mentioned, Avarice fupplies Luxury in the room of Plenty, as Luxury prompts Avarice in the place of Poverty.

SPECTATOR.

« ПредишнаНапред »