virtue and merit wherever it be found; then fhall happiness dwell in thy palace, treachery shall be banished from the empire of Indoftan, and rebellion feek refuge in the dark caverns of the mountains. The tongue of the hoary fage fhall blefs thee, and the shepherd, as he tends his flocks in the pastures of the Ganges, rehearse the glories of thy reign.

Thus fhall thy life glide on ferenely; and when the angel of death receives his commiffion to put a period to thy existence, thou fhalt receive the fummons with tranquility, and pass, without fear, the gloomy valley that separates time from eternity: for remember, my son, this life is nothing more than a short portion of duration, a prelude to another that will never have an end; it is a ftate of trial, and a period of probations; and as we spend it either in the service of virtue or vice, our flate in the regions of eternity will be happy or miferable. Fare

D &

well, my fon, I am arrived at the brink of the precipice that divides the regions of fpirits from those inhabited by mortals; treafure the inftructions of thy dying father in thy breaft; practise them, and be happy."

At these words the great Kalahad embraced his fon, and clofed his eyes for ever. A torrent of tears burft from the eyes of his attendants, and the whole empire of Indoftan was filled with fighs and lamentations for the lofs of a prince, who might be justly stiled the father of his people.

The young monarch of Indoftan followed for fome time the footsteps of his royal father, whofe virtues feemed again to be revived in him. But his paffions foon awoke, and the dangerous abuse of power, so fatal to the monarchs of the east, completed his irregularities. He collected into his Seraglio the most celebrated beauties of the eaft, and spent his whole time in their company. Juftice was no longer adminiftered,

and

and virtue was banifhed from the court of Indoflan.

So amazing a change, alarmed the whole kingdom. The vizirs and cadis assembled, and prevailed on the wife Chimas to undertake the difficult tafk of roufing the prince from that lethargy in which he lay, and drive the monfter vice, with all her hateful train from the palace. Chimas well knew the danger that attended fo daring an experiment, but his love for his country, and his deteftation of vice though dreffed in the robes of royalty, prevailed on him to undertake the tafk.

Accordingly the next morning, as foon as the early meffenger of the day had withdrawn the curtains of the eaft, and adorned the blue mountains with rays of gold, Chimas repaired to the palace, and after great difficulties obtained admittance, and was introduced to the young monarch, who trembled at the fight of this faithful counD 3 fellor.

fellor. Such power has virtue over the mind of the profligate, even when feated on an eastern throne! Chimas addreffed himfelf to the monarch with that confident freedom, for which he was always remarkable, but took care to intersperse his discourse with fables, the only veil under which truth could find a paffage thro' a herd of fycophant courtiers. He painted in the most glaring colours the diftreffes of the people, and the confufion that reigned through the whole empire of Indoftan, and concluded in the following

manner.

66

O youthful monarch, liften to the advice of one who is more defirous of thy happinefs than his own. Leave for a moment these debilitating scenes of pleasure, to behold the miseries of thy people. When the great Kalahad, thy father, fwayed the sceptre of this extenfive empire, fatisfaction smiled

in

every countenance, and the fongs of rejoicing refounded in all parts of his dominions,

But

But now a gloom hath covered the face of thy people, and nothing is heard but forrow and lamentation. The lawless fons of riot commit every diforder with impunity, and vice triumphs in all parts of the empire. Remember the inftructions given thee by thy father, when he left the regions of mortality; follow his precepts, and joy and happiness fhall again return, and thy people be delivered from every diftrefs."

The King promised Chimas that he would no longer confine himself within his palace, but applyhimself to the offices of government, labour to reform the abuses of which the people complained, and the next day administer justice in person. These resolutions spread a general joy; but it proved of short duration. His bafe counfellors, on the departure of Chimas obliterated the good impreffions his advice had made on the heart of the monarch; fo that the next day, when the people affembled before the palace, they found it fhut as ufual. D 4 Two