by hunger and fatigue, compelled to crave your affiftance.' By Ali replied he, thou art moft heartily welcome; the fages were never unhofpitable. The charity, I fhew you, will ferve as a new inftruction for my daughter. Go, refresh yourself in our retreat, we will join you in an hour.' He fhewed me, at the fame time, a little path, which, following, conducted me, after feveral turnings, into a grotto. Tho the entrance was very narrow and obfcure, yet it was fufficiently light within, and contained feveral apartments. A flave, to whom I declared my diftrefs, and the charitable intentions of his master, fet before me raifins, piftachoes, fresh dates, white bread, and an excellent liquor from the palm tree. Whilft I was employed in fatisfying the cravings of nature, I defired him to go in fearch of my horfe, defcribing, as well as I could, the place where I left it. The flave accordingly departed; and, after I had eaten and drank fufficiently, my curiofity prompted me to vifit every corner of fo romantic a habitation. The moft remote cavity of the grotto formed a cabinet, filled with books, talifmans, and figures of all kinds of plants and animals. Here I amufed myfelf for fome time, and cafting my eyes towards the farther part of the cavity, I faw, against the rock, the following infcription, in letters of gold: Reader, whoever thou art, that haft been favoured to approach this fecret recefs of the fages, ponder this, and be wife. Reverence the moft High, feek wisdom, love mercy, and be a fhield of defence to the innocent. Then fhall thy years be prolonged, unaffifted by the waters of Borico; nor fhall any plagues or misfortunes approach thine habitation. While I was attentively perufing this infcription, the old man approached me, faying, Son, let the precepts of that writing be engraven, in living characters, on the table of 6 thy memory.' I thanked him for his kind advice, and defired him to explain what was meant by the wa ters of Borico. My fon, said he, in the kingdom of Sofala, in Africa, is a large lake, in the midst of which are feveral iflands, and particularly one much larger than the reft, called Borico. In this ifland, is a fountain, whofe nature is endued with the amazing property of reftoring youth. to those who drink of it. On the borders of this fountain grow many beautiful trees, which fill the air with a delightful fragrance, and are always. loaded with the most delicious fruits. But the paffage to this fountain is guarded by leopards, fo that it is almoft impoffible to approach it.'— The old man having finished his explanation of this mystery, after returning him my thanks for his kindnefs and hofpitality, I took my leave of him, mounted my horse, which the flave had brought to the entrance of the grotto, and, after wandering a long time through unknown parts, I had the good fortune to join this caravan, and find in it a companion in misfortunes. Azibah liftened with. the utmost attention to Seba's narrative, being agreeably furprised at fo unexpected a discovery, and determined to direct his courfe to Africa, in fearch of the fountain of Borico. At their arrival at Cambaye, Seba was informed, that the Bafhaw's fon was not only recovered from his wounds, but also become his friend. On hearing this agreeable news, Seba fet out on his return to Sciras, and Azibah, having procured a ship, failed for the coast of Africa. After a long and tedious fearch through uninhabited deferts, he had the good fortune to difcover the lake, in the midft of which the island Borico was fituated. Being arrived at the fide of the lake, he prevailed on fome fishermen to carry him to the island. They did all in their power to diffuade him from fuch a rash attempt, by affuring him that it was only inhabited by wild beafts, from which it would be impoffible for him to efcape. These reafons were loft on Azibah, he perfifted in his refolution; and the fifhermen, finding it in vain to oppofe him, landed him on the island. He wandered over a great part of the island, feeking in vain the falutiferous fountain; and, defpairing of fuccefs, fet himself down in a valley, and fell afleep. When he awaked, he beheld a beautiful Lady dreffed in the habit of the country approaching him; who, with a great deal of fweetnefs, asked him what he fought. He acquainted her with the commands of the Sultan, and the reasons which induced him to come thither in fearch of the fountain. Since you apply to me, answered fhe, it will be your own fault, if you do not fucceed. As you go out of this valley, you will find a cryftal ftream flowing from a beautiful fountain, and difcharging itself into a large river not far diftant from its fource. At the bottom of the fountain you will find a little blue pebble, which you must not fail to take up; then follow the ftream, till you arrive at the river, and direct your courfe along the bank of the river, till it divides itself into two branches, and forms an island, or rather garden, in the middle of which is the falutiferous fountain. Over the arm of the river next to us, there is a fine marble bridge, whofe paffage is defended by twenty-feven leopards. Before you come in fight of them, put the little blue pebble in your mouth, and pafs boldly over the bridge, for the pebble will render you invifible. When you approach the fountain, take up what water you intend, and return imme, diately. But be careful not to eat of the fruits of luxuriant trees growing on the margin of the fountain.' The Lady, after uttering these words, difappeared; and Azibah took the path the directed. The fountain, the pebble, the river, the bridge, and the leopards prefented themselves fucceffively to his view. As he entered the garden, he was fa luted with an odour inexpreffibly ravifhing, proceeding from the flowers. and fruits, which it produced in the greatest profufion. Near the margin of the falutiferous fountain was a tree eminently taller than the rest, loaded with fruit of fo enchanting an afpect, that even imagination itself can hardly paint any thing fo beautiful. Azibah, unable to withstand the temptation, took the pebble out of his mouth, plucked off the fruit, and began to eat. The tafte was delicious and enchanting; but, alas! the pleasure was but of fhort duration. The leopards now caft their furious eyes upon him, made towards him with incredible fwiftnefs, and were juft on the point of tearing him to pieces, when the Lady, who had before directed him, fuddenly appeared. At her prefence, these fierce creatures returned to their ftation, and Azibah proftrated himself at her feet, endeavouring to exprefs his repentance and gratitude. You are now, faid fhe, loft to all hopes of fuccefs; acknowledge your fault, and fpend the remainder of life in folitude.' Having faid this, fhe took him by the hand, and, after conducting him beyond the bridge, charged him to return the fame way that he came, and to put the pebble in its place, as he paffed by the fountain; which he had no fooner done, than the whole vanished from his fight; neither bridge, river, nor fountain were any longer vifible; and, to add to his aftonishment, he found himself on the top of the mountain of Arafat. Thus was the unfortunate Azibah, through his own folly, difappointed, when he thought the object, he had purfued through fo many difficulties, within his reach. And hence we should learn to govern our paffions and appetites; for, if we fuffer them to prevail, all our refolution, affiduity, and perfeverance, in any undertaking, will be rendered abortive. Health, honour, and reputa P 2 tion tion will be facrificed to the gratification of some mean and unworthy paffian; and, like Azibah, for the mo mentary pleasure of tafting one deli- The History of England (Page 65, Vol. XVI.) continued. Some time after, he fent a letter to the Duke of Hamilton (who was now retired, finding the King immoveable) telling him, that the two Houfes thought of getting him into their hands, by faying they did not intend to make him a prifoner, but only to give him an honourable guard; but, for his part, he would not be left in England, when the Scotch army retired, without a visible force upon his perfon. Probably, therefore, when he demanded leave to come to Lon-, don, to treat in perfon with both Houses, he meant, that he fhould remain at perfect liberty. Perhaps, he intended to escape into France, or elsewhere. But how could he imagine he should be left at perfect liberty, on a bare prefumption that a negotiation with him would be fuccefsful? At last, on the 18th of September, it was voted, that the King's perfon fhould be difpofed of as both Houfes of Parliament fhould think fit. But, as he was not properly in their power, they appointed a Committee to confer with the Commiffioners of Scotland upon that head. In one of thefe conferences, the Lord Loudon, Chancellor of Scotland, endeavoured to fhew, that one of the two Kingdoms had no more right, than the other, to difpofe of the King's perfon, because he was equally King of both, and that, befides, they were united in the fame in tereft by their covenant. The English Commiffioners anfwered, That, the King being in England, it belonged to the English to difpofe of his perfon; and, though he had retired to the Scotch army, this army being only auxiliaries, and in the pay of Eng land, it was the fame as if he had re tired to the Parliament's army, whereof the Scotch forces were a part. In another conference, the fame Lord ftrenuously continued to prove the principle advanced by him in the former, namely, That the difpofing of his Majefty's perfon did belong to both Kingdoms, and, therefore, that he ought not to be difpofed of by any one of the Kingdoms, but by joint advice of both. He explained the word difpofe,' which was liable to be misunderftood: And faid, he meant thereby, either that his Majefty should be put under reftraint, or be at freedom with honour and safety. As for the way of reftraint, he faid, he looked upon it as a remedy more dangerous than the disease, and as a means to draw the war of foreign Kings upon the nation (efpecially the Prince being in other Kingdoms) rather than to quiet the troubles at home. And therefore he concluded, that he would lay afide the way of reftraint, and speak of the way which might be with freedom, honour, and fafety; and that could be no other but that his Majefty should go into Scotland, or come to his Parliament, or fome of his houses about London. His going into Scotland, he obferved, was full of dangers and inconvenience to both Kingdoms; for the Irish, banded with a crew of malignants, poffeffed the mountains and highlands, which were the ftrong-holds and never-conquered parts of that Kingdom. That they had not laid down their arms, but kept in a body together; and they were fo near Ireland, that the forces of the rebels there might, in two or three hours space, come over and join with them; and, Scotland not being able to keep and entertain armies |