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Call not the afflictive turns of life evil, till thou art able to comprehend the intention for which they were sent; and the good which for ought thou knowest, may arise from them. View thyself with care and sincerity, and take a true list of all thy vices; remember the Allwise Being is better acquainted with thy frame, and considers thou art but a child of dust.-Blame not the Governor of the Universe, because thou can'st not search the profundity of his measures, nor find out the depth of his judgments; consider thy sight at present is very imperfect, and confined within very narrow bounds.-But, thou shalt soon put off the veil of mortality, and thou shalt then be capable of surveying things which are now invisible.--The clouds of misfortune and vapours of affliction shall be then dispersed the billows of grief which now rage, shall sink into a calm.---Then shall the system of Providence be revealed, and L 3

the

the ways of heaven made known to the children of men. Learn therefore, Selim,

to govern the unruly passions of thy repining soul, and reign emperor over thyself. Remember that the things thou hast lost, were only lent thee by that being who formed the universe, and who hath not wrested them from thee by a tyrant's arm; but for what purpose is impossible to be known, nor should wretched mortals dare to enquire. Submit thyself therefore to his pleasure, and bear thy misfortunes with constancy and resignation."

These reflections revived the heart of Selim, and his countenance became tranquil and serene. He thanked the generous Barcas for friendly advice, and departed from his hospitable tents in peace,

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As Omar, the hoary and the wise, was

sitting at the door of his cell, he looked toward the desart, and saw a cloud of dust that ascended from earth to heaven; the caravan was returning from Cairo with merchandize and treasure. He heard a confused murmur of many sounds, and at length the camels and multitude appeared. When they came up, Omar beckoned with his hand, and cried out, "Hear me, ye sons of traffic--ye labourers for anxiety and gain,---Gold is bright as the morning, but

fatal

fatal as the storm at midnight-beware of the fatal approach of the serpent—beware of the beauty of women--but chiefly beware of the power of gold; it is produced among poisons in the bowels of the earth, and its fruits are calamity and guilt." The caravans stopped, for every one reverenced the virtue and wisdom of Omar. "I will tell you," said Omar, "the adventures of Sadir, Haran, and Zimur.-Sadir, Haran, and Zimur, were friends: they were amiable, they were young, and their feet had not yet deviated from the path of virtue: they set out together on a journey, and as they were travelling along the plains of Indostan, it happened they found a treasure: this was at once the test of virtue and friendship.

Every heart throbbed, and every breast was opened to permitted pleasure; to divide it would have been an outrage on the delicacy and confidence of their amity. "Let the bounty of heaven," said they,

"be

❝be the common blessing of us all---mutually to share it without division will at once gratify and increase our confidence and love."

As they had now the means of enjoyment, they determined to enjoy. They travelled by shorter stages, and they procured every accommodation that wealth could buy. When they reached the next town, Zimur was deputed by Sadar and Haran to procure them provisions; an office that suited his taste, his knowledge, and his activity. As soon as he was gone, Sadir and Haran fixed their eyes upon the treasure, and sat some time silent; at length they stole a glance at each other; each was conscious to his own wish, and thought he saw it reflected from the countenance of his friend. They began a conversation, in which this wish was mutually disclosed by almost imperceptible degrees. "If we should secure this gold, and de

part,

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