himself with sleep till the close of day. As he resolved to enter no more of those dangerous houses of entertainment on the road, he prevailed on one of the domestics by a present of a piece of a gold, to get him a bag filled with refreshment, which he slung across his shoulders, and marched off under cover of the night. When day broke, he avoided The Temple of Delight, and taking the covert of the wood, slept under a tree, and he continued this mode of travelling till he reached the portal, which he passed without annoyance under the friendly cover of the night.

THE STORY OF

PRINCE GEORGISHKAN,

AND

THE FAIRY PRUDENTIA.

CONTINUED.

THE prince had no sooner quitted this decoy than he sunk down on the ground exhausted with fatigue. He was awoke from a sound sleep by the grim keeper of the right-hand portal, who, notwithstanding his severe looks, was not without humanity. When he rose at daybreak to attend to his daily duty, he was struck with the sight of a man extended on the ground; and approached him, doubtful whether he was alive or not. Perceiving that he was only asleep, he awoke him, and began to remonstrate with him on his imprudence in sleeping in such a

place. The prince told him that he had been accustomed for several nights past to such a couch, and perceiving that the curiosity of the gate-keeper was awakened, he related to him all his adventures on the road to The Temple of false Pleasure. The gate-keeper smiled, and told him that he was a happy man under all his sufferings, as, during the forty years that he had held his present situation, he had never seen half a dozen persons who, like himself, had made a successful attempt to retrieve their errors. The doorkeeper then offered the prince his own couch, which though not very soft, was much better than the bare ground, and where he would not be exposed to the derision of the noisy rabble who would soon be at the other portal to decoy more unwary victims. The prince thankfully accepted the offer, and the gate-keeper opened the portal and pointed to a hut on one side, which the prince entered and found a couch of dried moss, leaves, and rushes, on which he threw himself and slept soundly till mid-day.

He then awoke, and found himself hungry, as the last meal had emptied his wallet. He took ten sequins of gold out of his purse, and pre

senting them to his host, requested some provisions-it mattered not how coarse. The old man turned out his own wallet which contained some rye-bread, camel's milk, cheese, and a few dates by way of dessert.

From his late adventures, however, disagreeable they had proved, the prince had imbibed a spirit of seeking further ones, and, whilst he was taking his repast, he asked the old man, who was become very civil, several questions, concerning the Temple of Pleasure, to which his portal marked the entrance. The old man assured him that he had never seen it; but that from the different aspects of the entrances, he might reasonably expect that he would find it quite the reverse of that, which he had encountered so much danger to behold. The prince was of the same opinion, and he determined to sce the end of this wonderful adventure. He would have delayed his departure in hopes of a companion, however mean in his appearance, if the old man had not informed him that of the hundred who daily arrived before the two portals, there was not one in a month that entered that which he kept. The prince asked

about the accommodations on the road, and the old man informed him that he had it in charge to acquaint all comers that they need not trouble themselves about accommodations, as there were sufficient to be found on the road. The prince then took leave of the old man, and began to make his way through the thorns and briars over the most rugged road he had ever travelled. He was, however, inured to fatigue, and pushed on so stoutly, that he reached the usual resting place before night, notwithstanding the late hour at which he set out. It was simply a cave by the side of a brook, and in front of it, were inscribed on a fragment of a rock these words: "ASYLUM FOR THE MEEK IN SPIRIT." In the centre of the cave was a large stone, on which stood some dried roots, some cakes of rye-bread, and an empty jug.-The prince filled the jug from the brook, and began to cat the roots and cakes; but he found the water as well as the victuals to have a bitter taste. Hunger, however, made them palateable, and fatigue soon overpowered him on a couch similar to that which he had slept on at the gate-keeper's hut.