lowed them. As before by means of the magical tree, he reached the environs of his own capital; and with the utmost Speed, having gained his palace before the arrival of the lightly-minded cats, affected to flumber upon his bed; on which the queen, foon after, alfo lay down toward the edge. In the morning, the vicious wife employed herself in the ufual household aftairs; but fleep overpowered the king, as the fatigue of being awake all night, and the ftretch of watchfulness on the proceeding of the cats, had wearied him out. From the neglect of precaution and forefight, the chain of pearls remained upon his arm. Accidentally, the queen's eye fell upon it, and the gueff:s of the night were changed into certainty. His having been at the affembly appeared beyond a doubt; the became furious, and faid to the king, What means this bracelet of jewels on thy arm? Perhaps thou haft, unknown to me, afcended the marriage throne with a new bride? The imprudent prince inftantly lighted up his countenance with wrath, and faid, A truce with affected forrows. Whine not; fwallow thy grief; and, preparing for hell, expect the recompence of thy actions." The infamous woman, when he heard thefe exclamations, becoming thoughtful on her own condition, and imagining delay in this matter would be the caufe of her own deftruction, breathed a charm over a handful of pebbles, and with haftinefs threw them into the king's face. Immediately upon this tranfaction, becoming deprived of human form, he was changed into the fhape of a peacock with golden wings. When those who were entrusted with the offices of ftate were not for two or three days honoured with an audience, they made a remonftrance on the fubject by means of the confidential perfons admitted to the Haram. The queen, as from the king, pleaded his majesty's in, difpofition, and requested their prayers for his recovery. The loyal fubjects and well-withers to the king, on hearing this event, becoming involved in forrow, res turned home; but the vizier, faithful and attached, was grieved above all. As he intimately knew the difpolition of the king, he by his penetration divined, that the king had been deprived of underflanding. At all events, having return-' ed home, out of policy, he flattered his Ed. Mag. Jan. 1800. I wife with foft fpeeches, and prevailed upon her that fe fhould go to the Haram, obtain a knowledge of the king's fituation, and inform him of it without difguiling any particular. The vizier's lady inftantly repairing to the palace on account of the confidence he held in the elteem of the queen, was informed of the myflery, and acquainted her husband. The minifler was much afflicted, and determined to release the king; and having, by the guidance of inftructive policy, procured a peacock, went to the palace-gate, and fent in this petition: The "At this time, when the enemies of this profperous houfe are afflicted with bodily ficknefs *, I have heard, that a peacock is the meaus of amufing the auguft mind of the king, &c." Then the vizier prays that he may kifs the foot of that peacock, which is the caufe of recreation to the exalted mind, if for an inftant they would fend it out. queen paying refpect to the rank and high office of the vizier, at the infligation of weak policy, and without forefight and caution, fent the peacock to the vizier. He inftantly fent in that he had brought with him, and conducted the transformed king to his houfe, intreated his wife, with large promifes, to reftore him to his fhape. The wife, though tempted by fuch promifes, yet as he was a confident in the fecrets of the queen, wifhed not to give up the claims of friendship. She therefore said to her husband, "I will undertake this affair, on condition that, after the attainment of thy object, having again clothed the king in the likeness of a peacock, I may deliver him back to the queen." The vizier, rejoiced at thefe tidings, apparently confented to the terms of his wife, but within himfelf refolved to feat the king on the throne of fafety, when once delivered from the defert of enchantment. Accordingly, at the inftant when the fovereign was freed from such a calamity, he, with the utmost celerity, having drawn his keen fabre, feparated the head of his wicked wife from her body, and struck her dead on the ground. The king, who, like one afflicted with a fit, had recovered, having opened his eyes, gazed round on all fides, and flood aftonithed. The wife vizier informed him of the circumstances of affairs from beginning to conclufion, and advised him to *The Orientals, in enquiries after a fick friend, do not fay, "I am forry you are ill," as we would do, but I hear his enemies are afflicted." to retire to a place of fafety to prevent coming again into the queen's power. Travelling, accordingly, by night, accompanied by the vizier, he paffed his own dominions, and fixed his abode in a certain capital, and clothed himfelf in the habit of a devotee. After fome time, the ruler of the country having learnt his rank and condition, fought his aliance, and gave him his daughter in marriage. Though the king had a great diflike to a fresh connection with women, yet from the impulfe of divine will and the eternal decree, the affair was completed. Some time after the marriage, the king was fitting with his princefs in a court of the palace, playing at dice, when fuddenly a kite hovering in the air began to defcend directly over his head, and fluttering its wings, began to fcream. The new wife having looked at the bird, faid, "Ought knowest thou, O king, who this kite is, and what is her meaning in this fluttering?" The king replied, "I know nothing, but that it flies as birds ufually do in the air." The lady exclaimed, "This is not a kite, but thy former queen, who, having difguifed herself as a bird, is come with defign to kill thee, nor is there any how an efcape for thee, but by my means." The king at this event becoming overwhelmed in the abyss of aftonishment, trembled with fear, and calling his vizier, acquainted him with the circumftance. The vizier faid, "Do not in the leaft, O my fovereign, admit alarm o dread into thy mind; but afk the princefs' aid to destroy the kite." The queen now faid, "O wife vizier, it is incumbent upon me to accomplish this bufi nefe, for the who defigneth the king's death is alfo my most inveterate enemy. Speedily, I alto having afcended in the form of a kite, will convey myself to her, when, after contending with our beaks and talons, we fhall fall to the ground close to the king, who then exercifing the utmoft agility, muft beat her to death with a club; but that he may not through miftake injure me, know that the diftinction between us will be a difference of colour in our wings and feathers. She is all black, and I shall be mottled with black and white." The king efteeming this as an unexpected bleffing, feized a club, and flood in ambush waiting the opportunity. At length, the queen, being transformed, attacked the kite, and, in the manner above mentioned, fell with her to the earth. The king with great joy arose, and said to the vizier, “ Muft I strike the black or the mottled?" The vizier replied, "Haft thou not heard, that the fandy-haired cur is brother to the jackall? Though thou haft escaped the jaws of the crocodile, ftill thou haft fallen into the fangs of the wolf. The. wifeft measure is to kill them both, in order that thou mayeft be wholly fecure from the villany of a race more revengeful than the wolf or the ferpent." The king, accordingly, from the hint of the minifter, dispatched both the impure wretches to the lower regions; and having escaped fuch dangers, for the future refrained from the fociety of women. He fat down in the cell of refignation, and the recess of abftinence; and, during the remainder of life, having employed himfelf folely in the worship of the moft high, by means of pennance gained future felicity, and true glory. POETRY. For fay, though Providence indeed is kind, And oft to ficknefs fuits the pliant mind, Can youth life's gay and glitt'ring scene refign, Nor once look back, and leaving it repine? No, no; too plain the speaking eye reveals, The keen regret the dying fuff'rer feels. Wait not for death in home's endearing shade, Where oft, ere while, in happiness he stray'd, For change of scene will raife the languid fye, And ftilla while life'squiv'ring flame supply: Then Then take him not to where the gay refort, Where mirth and pleasure hold their feftive court; For he no more will join the giddy throng, Heedlefs, to found the well-known plain- For that with magic power will quickly Full many a fcene of far, far happier days. The pleafing poem, or eventful tale, When the low temple and the hollow eye' Let not your fond, your overflowing heart, 12 (4) I wander where Tefina madly flows, From cliff to cliff, in foaming eddies toft; On (1) We quitted Italy in August 1793, and paffed into Swifferland over the mountain of St Gothard.-The third crop of corn was already ftanding in Lombardy. (2) We left Lady Spencer and lady Beisborough at the baths of Lucca, intending to pafs the winter at Naples. (3) The contrast between Swifferland and the Milanefe appeared very striking. The Milanefe were infested with a band of robbers that caufed us fome alarm, and obliged us to use fome precautions; but from the moment we entered the mountains of Swifferland, we travelled without fear, and felt perfectly fecure. Death is the punishment of robbery; this punishment, however, very rarely occurs; at Lausanne there had been but one execution in fifteen years. (4) On the 9th we embarked upon the Laggo Maggiore, at the little town of Sifto, fituate where the Tefmo runs out of the lake. In the courfe of two days navigation we particularly admired the striking and coloffal ftatue of St Charles Boromeo (with its pedeftal 100 feet from the ground.) The beautiful Boromean iflands, and the shores of the lake, are interfperfed with towns and woods, and crowned with a diflant view of the Alps. On the evening of the 10th we landed at Magadino, one of the three Cifalpine bailiages belonging to Swifferland; and as the air was too for us to venture to in the midst of fleep there, we fent our horfes to conduct us to Belinzona, a tow high mountains, under the jurifdiction of three of the Swifs cantons, Switz, Underwald, and Uri. From hence (after having prepared horses, chairs, and guides, and having our 3 carriagecs On the rude mountain's barren breast he His humble board the holy man prepares, rofe, In Po's broad wave now hurries to be loft. His fhores, neat huts and verdant pastures fill, And hills, where woods of pine the ftorm And fimple food, and wholesome lore carriages taken in pieces) we fet out in the evening of the 12th to enter the mountain, and afcended gradually by a road which nearly followed the course of the Tefino.-The Tefino takes its rife not far from the fummit of St Gothard, and joins the Po near Pavia. (5) St Gothard itself arifes from the top of feveral other high mountains. Some have given 17,800 feet of perpendicular height from the level of the fea; but general Plyffer, who completed the celebrated model of that part of Swifferland furrounding Lucerne, makes it only 9075 feet above the Mediterranean. (6) There is a fmall convent at the top of the mountain, where two monks refide: and who are obliged to receive and entertain the poor traveller that paffes this way. Padre Lorenzo had lived there for 20 years, and feemed a fenfible and benevolent man. They have a large diary and make excellent cheese; five fmall lakes, which are at the top of the mountain fupply them with fish. The monks are capuchins, and belong to a convent at Milan. .(7) When any lives have been loft by the falls of fnow, a fmall crofs is erected. (8) The Reufs unites with the Aar, beyond the lake of Conftance, and with them falls into the Rhine. (9) The Rhine, the Rhone, the Aar, the Tefino, and the Reufs, all rife in the mountain of St Gothard. (10) The valley of Urfera is celebrated for its fertility and verdure, and the placid nanner Fair runs the ftrcamlet o'er the pasture green, Its margin gay, with flocks and cattle fpread; Embowering trees the peaceful village fcreen, And guard from fnow each dwelling's jutting fhed. Sweet vale! whofe bofom, waftes and cliffs furround, Let me awhile thy friendly fhelter fhare, Emblem of life! where fome bright hours are found Amid the darkest, drearieft years of care. Delv'd thro' the rock, the facred paffage bends; And beauteous horror ftrikes the dazzled fight; Beneath the pendent bridge the stream defcends, Calm- 'till it rumbles o'er the frowning manner in which the Reufs runs through it. It was formerly woody, but the peafants believe that their forefts were deftroyed by a magician. The green paflures and placid appearance of the valley form a beautiful contraft with the rocks and precipices which furround it. (11) The circunftance alluded to pleafed me very much, though I'faw it not in St Gothard, but in the mountains of Bern. At evening, a flock of goats returned to the market place of the little town of Interlacken; immediately cach goat went to its peculiar cottage, the children of which came out to welcome and carefs their little comrade. The Rems des Vaches, fung by the Swifs cowherds, is a fimple melody, intermixed with the cry which they ufe to call the cows together. (12) The domeftic fociety and fimple gaiety of moft parts of Swifferland, exift in fpite of the inroads of ftrangers; indeed it Teems impoffible not to feek rather to join in their happy amufements than to wish to introduce the diffipation of other countries among them |