ture of Human Life.

N the fifth day of the moon, which, according to the cuftom of my forefathers, I always keep holy, after having washed myself, and offered up my morning devotions, I afcended the high hills of Bagdat, in order to pass the reft of the day in meditation and prayer. As I was here airing myfelf on the tops of the mountains, I fell into a profound contemplation on the vanity of human life; and pating from one thought to another, Sarely, faid I, man is but a fhadow, and life a dream. Whilft I was thus mufing, I caf my eyes towards the fummit of a rock that was not far from me, where I difcovered one in the habit of a fhepherd, with a little mufical inftrument in his hand. As I locked upon him, he applied it to his lips, and began to play upon it. The found of it was exceeding fweet, and wrought into a variety of tunes that were inexpreffibly melodious, and altogether different from any thing I had ever heard: they put me in ird of those heavenly airs that are played to the departed fouls of good men upon their first arrival in Paradife, to wear out the imprefions of the last agonies, and qualify them for the pleasures of that happy place. My heart melted away in fecret raptures.

I had been often told, that the rock before me was the haunt of a genius; and that feveral had been entertained with that Duic, who had passed by it, but never beard that the musician had before made himself vifible. When he had raifed my thoughts, by thofe tranfporting airs which

verfation, as I looked upon him like one aftonished, he beckoned to me, and, by the waving of his hand, directed me to approach the place where he fat. I drew near with that reverence which is due to a superior nature; and as my heart was entirely fubdued by the captivating ftrains I had heard, I fell down at his feet, and wept. The genius fmiled upon me with a look of compaffion and affability that familiarized him to my imagination, and at once difpelled all the fears and apprehenfions with which I approached him. He lifted me from the ground, and taking me by the hand, Mirza, faid he, I have heard thee in thy foliloquies; follow me.

He then led me to the higheft pinnacle of the rock, and placing me on the top of it, Caft thy eyes eastward, faid he, and teil we what thou fecft. I fee, faid I, a huge valley, and a prodigious tide of water rolling through it. The valley that thou feeft, faid he, is the vale of milery; and the tide of water that thou feeft, is part of the great tide of eternity. What is the reason, faid I, that the tide I fee rifes out of a thick mift at one end, and again lofes itself in a thick mit at the other? What thou feeft, faid he, is that portion of eternity which is called Time, menfured out by the fun, and reaching from the beginning of the world to its confummation. Examine now, faid he, this fea, that is bounded with darkness at both ends, and tell me what thou difcovere in it. I fee a bridge, faid 1, standing in the midst of the tide. The bridge thou feeft, faid he, is human life; confider it attentively. Upon a more leifurely fur

vey of it, I found that it confifted of threefcore and ten entire arches, with feveral broken arches, which, added to thofe that were entire, made up the number about an hundred. As I was counting the arches, the genius told me that this bridge confifted at first of a thoufand arckes; but that a great flood fwept away the reft, and left the bridge in the ruinous condition I now be held it: but tell me further, faid he, what thou discoverett on it. I fee multitudes of people paffing over it, faid I, and a black cloud hanging on each end of it. As I looked more attentively, I faw feveral of the paffengers dropping through the bridge into the great tide that flowed underneath it; and upon further examination, perceived there were innumerable trap-doors that lay concealed in the bridge, which the paffengers no fooner trod upon, but they fell through them into the tide, and immediately difappeared. Thefe hidden pit-falls were fet very thick at the entrance of the bridge, fo that throngs of people no fooner broke through the cloud, but many of them fell into them. They grew thinner towards the middle, but multiplied and lay clofer together towards the end of the arches that were entire.

There were indeed fome perfons, but their number was very fmall, that continued a kind of hobbling march on the broken arches, but fell through one after another, being quite tired and spent with fo long a walk.

I pafled fome time in the contemplation of this wonderful ftructure, and the great variety of objects which it prefented. My heart was filled with a deep melancholy, to fee feveral dropping unexpectedly in the midst of mirth and jollity, and catch ing at every thing that ftood by them, to fave themfelves. Some were looking up towards the heavens in a thoughtful pofture, and, in the midst of a fpeculation, ftumbled and fell out of fight. Multitudes vere very bufy in the purfuit of bubbles, that glittered in their eyes, and danced before them; but often, when they thought themselves within the reach of them, their footing failed, and down they funk. In this confufion of objects, I obferved fome with fcimitars in their hands, and others with urinals, who ran to and fro upon the bridge, thrusting feveral perfons on trapdoors which did not feem to lie in their way, and which they might have efcaped had they not been thus forced upon them.

The genius feeing me indulge myfelf in this melancholy profpect, told me I had dwelt long enough upon it: Take thine eyes off the bridge, faid he, and tell me if thou feeft any thing thou dost not comprehend. Upon looking up, What mean, faid I, thofe great flights of birds that are perpetually hovering about the bridge, and fettling upon it from time to time? I fee vultures, harpies, ravens, cormorants, and, among many other feathered creatures, feveral little winged boys, that perch in great numbers upon the middle arches. Thefe, faid the genius, are envy, avarice, fuperftition, defpair, love, with the like cares and paffions that infeft human life.

I here fetched a deep figh: Alas, faid I, man was made in vain! how is he given away to mifery and mortality! tortured in life, and fwallowed up in death! The genius being moved with compaffion towards me, bid me quit fo uncomfortable a profpect. Look no more, faid he, on man in the firft ftage of his exiflence, in his fetting out for eternity; but caft thine eye on that thick mift into which the tide bears the feveral generations of mortals that fall into it. I directed my fight as I was or dered, and (whether or no the good genius ftrengthened it with any fupernatural force, or diffipated part of the mift that was before too thick for the eye to penetrate) I faw the valley opening at the farther end, and fpreading forth into an immense ocean, that had a huge rock of adamant running through the midst of it, and dividing it into two equal parts. The clouds ftill refted on one half of it, infomuch that I could difcover nothing in it: but the other appeared to me a vaft ocean, planted with innumerable iflands, that were covered with fruits and flowers, and interwoven with a thousand little fhining feas that ran among them. I could fee perfons dreffed in glorious habits, with garlands upon their heads, paffing among the trees, lying down by the fides of fountains, or welling on beds of flowers; and could hear a confufed harmony of finging birds, falling waters, human voices, and mufical inftruments. Gladness grew in me at the dif covery of fo delightful a fcene. I wished for the wings of an eagle, that I might fly away to thofe happy feats; but the genius told me there was no paffage to them, except through the gates of death that I faw opening every moment upon the bridge. The islands, faid he, that lie

fo

fo fresh and green before thee, and with which the whole face of the ocean appears fpotted as far as thou canst fee, are more in number than the fands on the fea-fhore; there are myriads of islands behind thofe which thou here difcovereft, reaching further than thine eye, or even thine imagination, can extend itfelf. These are the manfions of good men after death, who, according to the degree and kinds of virtue in which they excelled, are diftributed among these feveral islands, which abound with pleasures of different kinds and degrees, fuitable to the relishes and perfections of thofe who are fettled in them; every island is a paradise accommodated to its refpective inhabitants. Are not thefe, O Mirza, habitations worth contending for? Does life appear miferable, that gives thee opportunities of earning fuch a reward? Is death to be feared, that will convey thee to fo happy an existence? Think not man was made in vain, who has fuch an eternity reserved for him.-I gazed with inexpreffible pleasure on these happy islands. At length, faid I, Shew me now, I beseech thee, the fecrets that lie hid under those dark clouds, which cover the ocean on the other fide of the rock of adamant. The genius making me no an fwer, I turned about to addrefs myfelf to him a fecond time, but I found that he had left me: I then turned again to the vifion which I had been fo long contemplating; but instead of the rolling tide, the arched bridge, and the happy islands, I faw nothing but the long hollow valley of Bagdat, with oxen, fheep, and camels, grazing upon the fides of it. Spectator.

2. The Voyage of Life; an Allegory. 'Life,' fays Seneca, is a voyage, in the progrefs of which we are perpetually changing our fcenes: we first leave childhood behind us, then youth, then the years of ripened manhood, then the better or more pleafing part of old age.'-The peJufal of this paffage having excited in me a train of reflections on the state of man, the inceffant fluctuation of his wishes, the gradual change of his difpofition to all external objects, and the thoughtlessness with which he floats along the ftream of time, I funk into a flumber amidst my meditations, and, on a fudden, found my ears filled with the tumalt of labour, the fhouts of alacrity, the fhrieks of alarm, the whistle of winds, and the dash of waters.

My aftonishment for a time repreffed

my curiofity; but foon recovering myself fo far as to enquire whither we were going, and what was the cause of such clamour and confufion; I was told that they were launching out into the ocean of Life; that we had already passed the ftreights of Infancy, in which multitudes had perished, fome by the weakness and fragility of their veffels, and more by the folly, perverseness, or negligence of thofe who undertook to fteer them; and that we were now on the main fea, abandoned to the winds and billows, without any other means of security than the care of the pilot, whom it was always in our power to chufe, among great numbers that offered their direction and affistance.

I then looked round with anxious eagernefs; and, firft turning my eyes behind me, faw a ftream flowing through flowery islands, which every one that failed along feemed to behold with pleasure; but no fooner touched, than the current, which, though not noify or turbulent, was yet irrefiftible, bore him away. Beyond these iflands, all was darkness; nor could any of the paffengers describe the fhore at which he first embarked.

Before me, and on either fide was an expanfe of waters violently agitated, and covered with fo thick a mift, that the most perfpicacious eyes could fee but a little way. It

appeared to be full of rocks and whirlpools, for many funk unexpectedly while they were courting the gale with full fails, and infulting those whom they had left be hind. So numerous, indeed, were the dangers, and fo thick the darkness, that no caution could confer fecurity. Yet there were many, who, by falfe intelligence, betrayed their followers into whirlpools, or by violence pushed those whom they found in their way against the rocks.

The current was invariable and infurmountable; but though it was impoffible to fail against it, or to return to the place that was once paffed, yet it was no: fo violent as to allow no opportunities for dexterity or courage, fince, though none could retreat back from danger, yet they might often avoid it by oblique direction.

It was, however, not very common to fteer with much care or prudence; for, by fome univerfal infatuation, every man appeared to think himself fafe, though he faw his conforts every moment finking round him; and no fooner had the waves closed over them, than their fate and their mifconduct were forgotten; the voyage was

B 2

pursued

fmking, who had received only a fingle blow; but I remarked, that few veffels alted long which had been much repaired, nor was it found that the artifts themfelves continued afloat longer than those who had leaft of their affistance.

The only advantage which, in the voyage of Life, the cautions had above the negligent, was, that they funk later, and more fuddenly; for they paffed forward till they had fometimes feen all those in whofe company they had ilued from the ftreights of Infancy, perith in the way, and at laft were overiet by a cross breeze, without the toil of refiitance, or the anguish of expectation. But fuch as had often fallen against the rocks of Pleasure, commonly fubfided by sensible degrees, contended long with the encroaching waters, and haraffed themselves by labours that fcarce Hope herfelf could flatter with fuccefs.

As I was looking upon the various fate of the multitude about me, I was fuddenly alarmed with an admonition from fome unknown power, Gaze not idly upon others when thou thyfelf art finking, Whence is this thoughtless tranquillity, when thou and they are equally endangered?' I looked, and feeing the gulph of Intemperance before me, ftarted and Rambler.

awaked.

3. The Journey of a Day, a Picture of Human Life; the Story of Obidah. Obidah, the fon of Abenfina, left the caravanfera early in the morning, and purfued his journey through the plains of Indolan. He was fresh and vigorous with ret; he was animated with hope; he was incited by defire; he walked fwiftly forward over the vallies, and faw the hills gradually rifing before him. As he paffed along, his ears were delighted with the morning fong of the bird of paradife, he was fanned by the laft flutters of the finking breeze, and fprinkled with dew by groves of fpices; he fometimes contemplated the towering height of the oak, monarch of the hills; and fometimes caught the gentle fragrance of the primrofe, eldest daughter of the fpring: all his fenfes were gratified, and all care was banifhed from the heart.

Thus he went on till the fun approached his meridian, and the increafing heat preyed upon his ftrength; he then looked round about him for fome more commodious path. He faw, on his right hand, a grove that feemed to wave its fhades as

a fign of invitation; he entered it, and found the coolness and verdure irresistibly pleafant. He did not, however, forget whither he was travelling, but found a narrow way bordered with flowers, which appeared to have the fame direction with the main road, and was pleased that, by this happy experiment, he had found means to unite pleasure with bufinefs, and to gain the rewards of diligence, without fuffering its fatigues. He, therefore, still continued to walk for a time, without the least remiffion of his ardour, except that he was fometimes tempted to stop by the mufic of the birds, whom the heat had affembled in the fhade, and fometimes amufed himself with plucking the flowers that covered the banks on either fide, or the fruits that hung upon the branches. At laft the green path began to decline from its first tendency, and to wind among hills and thickets, cooled with fountains, and murmuring with water-falls. Here Obidah paufed for a time, and began to confider whether it were longer fafe to forfake the known and common track; but remembering that the heat was now in its greatest violence, and that the plain was duly and uneven, he refolved to pursue the new path, which he fuppofed only to make a few meanders, in compliance with the varieties of the ground, and to end at laft in the common road.

Having thus calmed his folicitude, he renewed his pace, though he suspected that he was not gaining ground. This uneafinefs of his mind inclined him to lay hold on every new object, and give way to every fenfation that might footh or divert him. He liftened to every echo; he mounted every hill for a freth profpect; he turn. ed afide to every cafcade, and pleased himfelf with tracing the courfe of a gentle river that rolled among the trees, and watered a large region with innumerable circumvolutions. In thefe amufements the hours paffed away uncounted, his deviations had perplexed his memory, and he knew not towards what point to travel. He flood penfive and confused, afraid to go forward left he fhould go wrong, yet confcious that the time of loitering was now past. While he was thus tortured with uncertainty, the fky was overspread with. clouds, the day vanifhed from before him, and a fudden tempeft gathered round his head. He was now roufed by his danger, to a quick and painful remembrance of his folly; he now faw how happiness is loft, when cafe is confulted; he lamented the