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ciffitudes, I am Barmecide." At the found of this great and celebrated name, the Knights of the Swan rofe up. A fentiment of profound veneration and refpect rendered them motionless for fome minutes: to great minds profcription and misfortune tend to increate the intereft which genius and virtue never fail to infpire! The two friends confidered Barmecide with an eagernels of curiofity as if they beheld him now for the first time. The emotion and fympathy which they felt was expreffive a character, that Barmepainted on their countenances in fo cide was very ftrongly affected by it. "O! my friends," cried he, " you restore me to my existence." In faying these words, he threw himfelf into their arms; and having received their affectionate embraces, thus refumed his narration.

"My father, born in the dominions of Gerold, had a paffion for travelling. He infpired my mother with the fame inclination, who was always his infeparable companion. I drew my first breath in Perfia; my father was my only inftructor, and he taught me by facts and obfervations founded on experience, and not by leffons derived from books. I had the misforture to lofe this excellent parent when I was twenty years of age; my mother had been dead fome time be fore. I had three brothers. had always lived together in the most perfect union, and were determined not to feparate. having often heard of the extreme magnificence of the Court of Aaron Rafchid, we determined to vifit Bagdat. Arrived at this fuperb capital, we became acquainted with feveral Europeans of our own age, and we I i2

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bufinefs. I am entirely of their opinion, that it would complete the bufinefs; and have therefore taken the liberty of laying my cafe before you; and am, fir,

Your's &c.

HENRY HOMELOVE.

The Invention of Organs. From Madame de Genlis' Knights of the Swan. The imprifon'd winds, released with - joyful found,

Proclaim their liberty to all around.

ANONYMOUS.

Il n'eft ame fi revéche qui ne fe jente touchée de quelque reverence, à confiderer cette vaftité fombre de nos églifes ouir le fon devotieux de nos orgues.

MONTAIGNE.

THE two friends having made the promife which he required of inviolable fecrefy, Giaffar thus entered upon his wonderful story.

"I am thirty-fix years old, and my career is completed. I have paffed through it with honour, perhaps with glory; both love and fortune frewed it with flowers, till the fatal inftant which difcovered the abyfs in which I was nearly overwhelmed. I have loft every thing, even to my very name; the inhabitants of the Eaft mention it ftill with benedictions; the affection of a grateful people perpetuates the remembrance of it, and yet it must not be borne by me! Condemned to obfcurity, I am become a stranger to my own fame, am unable to enjoy it, and dead to all the world; it is in the eternal filence of the tomb that I receive the approbation and the eulogies of my contemporaries! The unfortunate victim of defpotifm, and the fatal example of human vi

lodged

traband, was in reality the home-
bred manufacture of Spital-fields.

My family used to be remarkable for regularity in their attendance on public worthip; but that too here is numbered amongst the amusements of the place. Lady Huntingdon has a chapel, which fometimes attracts us; and whe nothing promises us any particr entertainment, a tea-drinkin

confefs, I c
out refle
amufen

to the

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hftanding the bition, had be ligious concerts, adacity than ever. aed his orders in and one morning, s playing on my organ sual hour, I heard a viomocking at my door. I shut My organ, and rose to enquire to the cause; when at the fame came into my room, and teftified inftant a number of armed men, aho- the greatest aftonishment at finding armed; me alone. The captain of the comfence or our present as published accomplices. I replied, that I had the pany asked me, where were my alf, prohibiting none. He paid no attention to this

the rooms, or a concert of of
is called facred music, is
to draw us from a chur

no one will remark ei

daily become more duct, for want

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traint impofender pain of death, answer, and fought in vain in all confciousness They lebrate their They were allowed, to as an ex privilege of perform

-fon

paf

the

He passed several times in the front of my organ, without imagining it to be a musical instrument;

In this ndividually. deal os prohibition offended me which was in some measure owing I am that I confidered what to my having given it the appear

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could be devised to elude
ance of a cheft of drawers. At
had always a genius for length, not being able to compre.
and, after fome re- hend how my companions had

machanics;

contructing an inftrument which him. I defired to be conducted into I conceived the idea of escaped, he ordered me to follow might imitate all those with which the prefence of the Caliph. He I was acquainted, and even the replied, that he was conveying haman voice. I endeavoured to me thither. In fact, the prince fupply it at the fame time with so had resolved to see me, and to prodigious a volume of found, that interrogate me himself. He reit might produce to the ear the ceived me with effect of a concert. I worked at vere air, confidering me sometime a gloomy and femy invention night and day, and in filence; and struck with the sein less than fix months produced renity of my countenance, an instrument of an enormous fize, discreet young man," said he, to which I gave the name of Organ, and which perfectly answered my much audacity, and so much con"what could inspire thee with fo intentions. I then placed myself tempt for life?" " near my window, and played on reply, "nothing so effectually enSir," said I in it every morning and night, chant- courages innocence as the aspect of ing the service at the fame time, an equitable judge." - "Thou canst At the end of fome days, informa- not," answered he, "deny thy diftion was fent to the Caliph, that obedience. I myself have been under

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I myself his fifter, gave her an account of
inftru- our conversation, and returned
one along with her. The princess, co-
y vered with a long veil, which con-
apa- cealed entirely her shape and her
none." face, placed herself on one of the
Caliph; cushions by the fide of her brother
at a little distance from, and in front
of the organ. Then I asked per-
miffion of the Caliph to feat myself
oppofite my chest of drawers; and,
at the fame inftant, I began to play,
and to fing. The Caliph imme-
diately heard those powerful and
harmonious founds imitating fo
completely flutes, horns, hautboys,
and the human voice; when start-
ing from his feat with wonder
and delight, "Is it possible," faid
he, that these drawers are an
instrument of mufic?" Yes, my
lord," replied I, and I invented
it to foften the feverity of your
prohibition."
In prohibiting
these affemblies," said the Caliph,
"I wished principally to prevent
the celebrity and folemnity which
the union of different instruments
and feveral voices give to your ce-
remonies, I did not foresee that
there could be fuch an ingenious
contrivance to abrogate my edict;
but it is but juft," added he, "that
those who are compelled to obe-
dience should be more inventive
than their governors." Saying
these words, he turned towards
Abaffa, to ask her what the thought
of this adventure: Immediately
the most foothing and delightful
voice which had ever yet attracted
my ear, requested him in
pressions the most flattering for
me, to recompense the author of so
wonderful an invention." " Young
man," said the Caliph, who then
approached me, I admire the
arts and every species of talents;
thy perfon also pleases me.
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anterests and y youth excites willing to pardon expect a fincere conNo, my lord," answered you will not pardon a man shall be mean enough to inform against his companions and friends." Well!" exclaimed the Caliph with violence, "all the Christians at present in Bagdat shall be this day put in irons." "They will be in that fituation only a few hours," faid I in a tranquil tone; " and who shall set them free?" "I, my lord." At this answer the Caliph became mute with aftonishment, and doubted whether he should pronounce my fentence, 'or dismiss me as a perfon infane. I began therefore again thus to address him. "Sir, I can venture to protest to you, that I have not disobeyed your orders, and that I was alone, of which it will be very easy to convince you, if you will deign to fend for the chefst of draw ers, which is in my chamber. I will open in your prefence this mysterious article of furniture, and you will find in it a complete evidence of my innocence." The Caliph, whose aftonishment was augmented by this discourse, issued immediately the order for which I folicited, and my organ was conveyed into his apartment. While I employed myself in putting it into order, the Caliph, who waited with as much curiofity as impatience for the catastrophe of this fingular scene,

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the Chriftians, notwithstanding the rigour of his prohibition, had be"My brothers played on feveral gun again their religious concerts, mufical inftruments, fome of our new and with more audacity than ever. acquaintance had the fame talents, The Caliph iffued his orders in and as we could not enjoy at Bag- confequence; and one morning, dat the free exercife of our religion, while I was playing on my organ we agreed, that on the folemn at the ufual hour, I heard a vio feftivals we should meet in a room, lent knocking at my door. I fhut and chant the mafs. Our apart up my organ, and rofe to enquire ment was towards the fireet, and into the caufe; when at the fame the people, stopping to liften to inftant a number of armed men, us, foon difcovered the motive of came into my room, and teftified thefe religious exercises. Maho- the greatest astonishment at finding metan intolerance was alarmed; me alone. The captain of the comand obtained an edict from the pany asked me, where were my Caliph, which was published accomplices. I replied, that I had throughout the city, prohibiting none. He paid no attention to this the Christians, under pain of death, anfwer, and fought in vain in all from affembling to celebrate their my closets for the other muficians. religious rites. They were allowed, He paffed several times in the front however, the privilege of perform of my organ, without imagining ing them individually. it to be a mufical inftrument; which was in fome measure owing to my having given it the appearance of a cheft of drawers. At length, not being able to comprehend how my companions had efcaped, he ordered me to follow him. I defired to be conducted into the prefence of the Caliph. He replied, that he was conveying me thither. In fact, the prince had refolved to fee me, and to interrogate me himself. He received me with a gloomy and fevere air, confidering me fometime in filence; and ftruck with the ferenity of my countenance, "Indifcreet young man," faid he, "what could infpire thee with so much audacity, and fo much con. tempt for life?" "Sir," faid I in reply, "nothing fo effectually encourages innocence as the afpect of an equitable judge."—"Thou canst not," anfwered he, "deny thy difobedience. I myself have been

"This prohibition offended me fo highly, that I confidered what means could be devifed to elude it. I had always a genius for machanics; and, after fome reflection, I conceived the idea of conftructing an inftrument which might imitate all thofe with which I was acquainted, and even the human voice. I endeavoured to fupply it at the fame time with fo prodigious a volume of found, that it might produce to the ear the effect of a concert. I worked at my invention night and day, and in less than fix months produced an inftrument of an enormous fize, to which I gave the name of Organ, and which perfectly anfwered my intentions. I then placed myfelf near my window, and played on it every morning and night, chanting the fervice at the fame time. At the end of fome days, information was fent to the Caliph, that

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under thy window; I myfelf his fifter, gave her an account of have heard the found of inftru- our converfation, and returned ments and voices; and yet none but thyself has been found in thy chamber. Where are thy companions?" "I have," said I, "none." "Liften," replied the Caliph; thy phyfiognomy interefts and pleases me, and thy youth excites my pity. I am willing to pardon thee, but I expect a fincere confeffion." No, my lord," anfwered I, " you will not pardon a man who fhall be mean enough to inform against his companions and friends.' "Well!" exclaimed the Caliph with violence, "all the Chriftians at present in Bagdat shall be this day put in irons." "They will be in that fituation only a few hours," faid I in a tranquil tone; "and who fhall fet them free?" "I, my lord." At this anfwer the Caliph became mute with aftonishment, and doubted whether he fhould pronounce my fentence, or difmifs me as a perfon infane. I began therefore again thus to addrefs him. "Sir, I can venture to protest to y o you, that I have not difobeyed your orders, and that I was alone, of which it will be very eafy to convince you, if you will deign to fend for the cheft of drawers, which is in my chamber. I will open in your prefence this myfterious article of furniture, and you will find in it a complete evidence of my innocence." The Caliph, whofe aftonishment was augmented by this difcourfe, iffued immediately the order for which I folicited, and my organ was conveyed into his apartment. While I employed myfelf in putting it into order, the Caliph, who waited with as much curiofity as impatience for the cataftrophe of this fingular fcene, went out for the princefs Abalfa

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along with her. The princefs, covered with a long veil, which concealed entirely her fhape and her face, placed herself on one of the cushions by the fide of her brother at a little diftance from, and in front of the organ. Then I afked permiffion of the Caliph to feat my felf oppofite my chest of drawers; and, at the fame inftant, I began to play, and to fing. The Caliph immediately heard thofe powerful and harmonious founds imitating fo completely flutes, horns, hautboys, and the human voice; when starting from his feat with wonder and delight, "Is it poffible," faid he," that thefe drawers are an inftrument of mufic" Yes, my lord," replied I," and I invented it to foften the feverity of your prohibition." In prohibiting thefe affemblies," faid the Caliph, I wifhed principally to prevent the celebrity and folemnity which the union of different inftruments and feveral voices give to your ceremonies, I did not forefee that there could be fuch an ingenious contrivance to abrogate my edict; but it is but juft," added he, "that thofe who are compelled to obedience fhould be more inventive than their governors." Saying thefe words, he turned towards Abaffa, to afk her what the thought of this adventure. Immediately the moft foothing and delightful voice which had ever yet attracted my ear, requefted him in expreflions the most flattering for me, to recompenfe the author of fo wonderful an invention." "Young man," faid the Caliph, who then approached me, "I admire the arts and every fpecies of talents; thy perfon alfo pleafes me. I de

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