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to one of fellow flaves, Orramel came by; he passed beyond me, but instantly returning, looked on me with great attention, till fome melting forrow dropped from his eyes. When making enquiry of fome that were near to whom I belonged, without speaking a word to me, he flew to my new master, paid his demand for my ransom, and immediately conducted me to his house, where he welcomed me with the warmest marks of affection. He fpoke-he paufed -and was in the greatest perplexity to find language fuitable to the fentiments of his foul." My brother!"faid he," my friend -or if there are more facred ties in nature and virtue, let me call you by fome gentler appellation: We are now united by the bands of celestial amity, one in the fame holy faith, and hopes of a glorious immortality. Your charity rescued me from a worse than Spanish flavery; from the bondage of vice and fuperftition; your conduct banished my prejudices

prejudices to the chriftian name, and made

way

for the entrance of those heavenly truths to which I now affent. But this is a fecret even to my own domeftics, and whether fuch a caution is criminal I am not able to determine,

With what rapture, with what attention did I listen to this language! I blessed the accents that told me my friend, my Orramel, had embraced the Christian faith: an Angel's fong would have been lefs melodious; I looked upward, and with a grateful elevation of mind, gave the glory to the fupreme difpofer of all human events. The illuftrious Orramel made it his joy, his study, to evidence his affection; he told me his father died fince we parted in Spain, and that he had left five daughters, which he had by feveral of his wives; he offered me the choice of his fifters, if I had any thoughts of marriage, and promised a dowry with her to my own content. One of them, he faid,

was

was privately bred a Christian by her mother, a woman of Armenia; I was pleased with the proposal, and impatient to see my fair miftrefs. In the mean time he made me a present of several rich habits, and two negroes to attend me. The next day he' conducted me to a fair summer house, whither he fent for his fifters; who were all fo hand fome, that I was diftreffed with my own liberty, nor knew where to chufe, had not a principle of piety determined me to the young Armenian; who was not fuperior in beauty to the reft, but there was a decorum in her behaviour, which the others wanted. She had more of the modesty and politeness of the European women, to whom you know I was always partial. My choice was fixed, and the more I converfed with my fair miftrefs, the more reafon I found to approve it. We were privately married by a chaplain belonging to the British envoy. My generous friend gave her a for

tune

tune, which abundantly repaid all my losses: and after a profperous voyage, I fafely landed in Holland. I have fent you this relation as a memorial of my gratitude to heaven, whose clemency has returned me more than measure for measure, and largely recompensed that liberality it first inspired.

A good action, my dear pupils, feldom gees without a recompenfe, and though it even fhould fail in this tranfitory state, is fure of a permanent reward from that power from whom none of our actions are hidden. -But as it is not yet late, and you have acted with great diligence in your school duties, I will relate to you the Tale, of Haffan, King of Golconda.

HASSAN

HASSAN

KING OF GOLCONDA.

AN EASTERN TALE.

IT is the peculiar province of wisdom to examine with the greatest, attention whatever offers itself, as fit either to be done or to be avoided. Haffan king of Golconda followed this excellent maxim in the moft difficult conjuncture that can employ the thoughts of an earthly monarch.

This king, who was six score years old, was defirous of refigning his empire, and finishing his glorious reign, by the choice of a worthy fucceffor. He had three fons. by three different women, who were all living; each of them pleaded in behalf of

her

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