THE Lady's Magazine; For AUGUST, 1796. THE FAVOURITE DISGRACED; An EASTERN TALE. (Embellished with an elegant En graving.) HAH HUSSEIN reigned on the throne of Perfia. He was young, graceful in his perfon, and his heart fwelled with the emotions of penevolence. His fubjects honouted his name, and bowed before his power. He was in himself good and generous; but the country was governed by the ambition and arts of the minifter Amru. Amru had directed the councils of his father, whofe paffions he had ferved, and whofe eager defire of power he had gratified. The people had groaned beneath oppreffion and extortion; but profufion reigned at court, and riches filled the coffers of the favourites of the prince. At court the country was declared wealthy and flourishing beyond example, by the wife counfels of Amu; while in the provinces anxiety and fear prevailed, and induftry fank into liftleffnefs, from the uncertainty of enjoying the benefit of its labours. But near the throne all was fplendor and enjoyment; nothing was heard but the fhout of approbation, and the fong of apparent delight. It was in the midst of this full tide of profperity and glory that Shah Huffein fucceeded to the fceptre of power. Amru continued his minifter, and perfuaded him that, when he faw the banquets and caroufals of his palace, he faw the whole of his empire. He affured him that the luxury of the court was the only true proof of the happiness of the fubject, who exifted only for the fervice and glory of the monarch. Huffein had not reigned two years, when a dangerous illness attacked him, by which he was confined to his chamber. The knowledge and care of his physician Ibrahim at length reftored him to health. Ibrahim was a wife and good man, and Huffein greatly confided in his understanding and fidelity. He had frequent converfations with the moharch, and, in them, endeavoured to infpire him with ideas which were the reverfe of thofe 'he received from Amru. He infinuated to him that the life of royalty was not without its defects, that to be perpetually furrounded with à crowd of flatterers, whofe whole business it is to conceal the truth, and invent agreeable falfehoods, was a grievance from which no arts nor ability could preferve a prince,-that truth could only be obtained by a fovereign by the most X X 2 difficult difficult and laborious, inquiry,-and that even fuch an inquiry would frequently prove in vain. He ftimulated him, if poffible, to fee with his own eyes, and exercife his own judgment, that he might not incur the cenfure of acts of which he was ignorant, or which he believed to be the abfolute reverfe of what they really were. Thefe fuggeftions had fuch an effect on Huffein that he determined to make an effort to pierce the clouds of royal ignorance in which he was involved. He communicated his intentions to Ibrahim. His plan was to go out in difguife among his people, while it fhould be fuppofed he was dangerously ill in his feraglio; and thus inform himfelf of the real public opinion relative to his government and the state of his kingdom. know not how far your appearance and open manner may betray me; we live furrounded by fpies, and foarcely know how to truft our neareft relations or moft confidential friends. Amru is confcious of his exactions, and unjust practices, and dreads we should obtain access to the fovereign, or, perhaps, dreads fill more that the fubjects fhould have access to each other, compare their grievances, and concert the means of redrefs." "Surely (faid Huffein) you would not have them have recourse to violent means? rebellion rarely procures redress of grievances." "I am not fpeaking of what I with, or what is beneficial; I fpeak only of what might happen, were not all the vigilant cunning of Amru exerted to prevent it." "But is there no poffibility of approaching the fovereign, and lay; ing before him the exactions and oppreffions of which you complain?" Ibrahim acceded to this propofal; and it was determined that the phyfician fhould declare that the king had fuffered a dangerous relapfe, which would unavoidably confine "Every avenue to the throne is him a confiderable time. Two carefully guarded; they are pofts of faithful attendants were alone admit- which the enemy is in poffeffion, and ted into the fecret, and, by their on the defence of which he knows affiftance, the monarch was enabled his fafety to depend. Yet, perhaps, to leave his palace in difguife, and after all, the idea that the fovereign return, when he pleased, without the is better than his minifter may be a obfervation of any perfon. mere courly flattery without founThe fovereign, no longer fur-dation. We fee no effect of his rounded by his courtiers, now enter- goodness: it is with us a mere object ed what appeared to him a new of faith; and I affure you I know world. He paffed through the many freethinkers who dare to crowd: no man flattered him, nor doubt of the exalted attributes of did any regard him. He faw that this, to us, almost unknown divinity. dejection and difcontent prevailed They are certainly incommunicable among his people; and his heart was to his minifter, and ufelefs to his filled with forrow." people." In the courfe of his fecret excurfions, he one day faw agrave elderly man, walking under a pleafant fhade of trees. He accofted him, and endeavoured to enter into converfation with him. The old man appeared by, and furveyed him fufpiciously. By degrees, however, they -became more familiar; till at last his companion faid to him" I "Oh, fate of royalty! (exclaimed Huffein, with a figh) which has no means of diftinguishing the flattery of its courtiers from deferved praise, or the juft complaints of its fubjects from the reftlefs murmurs of fac tion!" "Faction (faid the aged Perfian) never feizes a whole nation, or the majority of a nation. When com plaints plaints echo through a country, the fovereign may be affured they have foundation. Go where you will, if you meet with those who dare to fpeak, you will hear the fame expreffions of difcontent, mixed frequently with execrations." But, wherever he went; he continually met either with open cenfure and reviling of his minifter and favourite, or with a fufpicious fullennefs, which spoke full as forcibly the condemnation of his tyranny. Some he had ruined by legal oppreffions, others by exactions contrary to law; from fome he had torn their children to adminifter to his bafe pleasures; and of others he had procured the death, when he could in no other manner filence their clamours. Much was Shah Huffein both furprised and grieved that fuch fhould be the general character of the man who fo entirely enjoyed his favour, and in whom he fo implicitly confided. He would have wished to have found that every thing alleged against him was falfehood and calumny; and frequently had he recourfe to his former doctrine, that the governed are the natural enemies of their governors; in confequence of which he endeavoured still to hope that his favourite was at leaft comparatively innocent. "Is it not true (faid Huffein)-I have been taught that it is that the lower claffes of fociety conftantly look with envy on those above them, that they wish to fhare the fame advantages,-and that they continually murmur and are diffatisfiéd becaufe they are born to labour? though fociety cannot be fupported unless a very confiderable majority of its members be doomed to labour. -But is it not this common lot of humanity of which they in reality complain? and do they not attribute this their misfortune, as they account it, to the pampered luxury of kings, and the extortions of their minifters?" "Such (faid the old man) is certainly the doctrine of courts; and perhaps you may have had the misfortune to have received your education within their contaminating One day, while he continued these sphere. But enter into the world, excurfions in difguife, he met with a and obferve with an impartial eye perfon who accofted him with freewhat paffes there. I will franklydom, and entered into a conversa. confefs, that, in all the converfation Ition with him, in which he seemed have had with thefe inferior claffes of a total stranger to every kind of mankind, I have admired nothing fo referve. He was a loud applauder much as the patience and good- of the exifting government, which, humour with which they bear their it appeared, had proved very profitburdens, their reverence for their able to him. Huffein was rather fuperiors, and their full conviction pleafed to have at last found one that it is right they fhould labour, who would fpeak well of Amru; and wrong that, they fhould enjoy for Mafouf (fuch was the ftranger's much of the fruit their labour pro- name) had extolled him, his conduces, When they loudly complain, duct, and generofity to the skies. it is probable, therefore, that they "My friend, (faid Mafouf, at have much reafon for complaint; length, to the difguifed monarch) and ill will it fare with the govern-you appear to me a very ingenuous ment which too long neglects to redress their fufferings.' Huffein found himself but little fatisfied with this doctrine: he left the old man and proceeded to feek other adventures. and docile youth: if you are willing to ferve the generous Amru in an affair of importance we have now in hand, and are found faithful, your fortune will be made. It is a bufinefs of that confequence that too much |