what it has. For which reafon, he who talks of engaging in a war, ought to know the forces on both fides; that, if he finds his own party strongest, he may boldly advise the war; and if weakeft, diffuade the people from undertaking it. Now, do you know the strength of our republic, and that of our enemies, by fea and land? Have you a ftate of them in writing? Be fo kind as to let me fee it." "I have it not at prefent," faid Glauco. "I fee, then," faid Socrates, "that we fhall not presently enter into a war, if you are charged with the government; for you have abundance of enquiries to make, and much pains to go through, before you will refolve upon it." He ran over feveral other articles, no lefs important, with which Glauco was equally unacquainted; till he brought him to confefs, how ridiculous those people are, who have the rashness to intrude into government, without any other preparation for the service of the public, that an high esteem for themfelves, and an immoderate ambition of rifing to the first places and dignities. "Have a care, dear Glauco," faid Socrates," left a too warm defire of honours, fhould deceive you into pursuits, that may cover you with fhame, by fetting your incapacity and flender abilities in full light.' Glauco improved from the wife admonitions of Socrates; and took time to inform himself in private, before he ventured to appear in public. This is a leffon for all ages, and may be very useful to persons in all stations and conditions in life. XIV. XIV. PROVIDENCE VINDICATE D. BOZALDAB, caliph of Egypt, had dwelt fe curely, for many years, in the filken pavilions of pleasure; and had, every morning, anointed his head with the oil of gladnets; when his only fon, Aboram, for whom he had crouded his treasures with gold, extended his dominions with conquefts, and fecured them with impregnable fortreffes, was fuddenly wounded, as he was hunting, with an arrow, from an unknown hand, and expired in the field. BOZALDAB, in the distraction of grief and despair, refused to return to his palace; and retired to the gloomieft grotto in the neighbouring mountain. He, there, rolled himself in the duft, tore away the hairs of his hoary head, and dashed the cup of confolation, that patience offered him, to the ground. He fuffered not his minstrels to approach his prefence; but liftened to the screams of the melancholy birds of midnight, that flit through the folitary vaults, and echoing chambers of the pyramids. "Can that God be benevolent," he cried," who thus wounds the foul as from an ambush, with unexpected forrows; and crushes his creatures in a moment, with irremediable calamity? Ye lying Imans! prate to us no more of the juftice and the kindness of an all-directing, and all-loving Providence. He, who ye pretend reigns in heaven, is so far from protecting the miserable fons of men, that he perpetually delights to blast the sweetest flowret in the garden of hope; and, like a malignant giant, to beat down the strongest towers towers of happiness, with the iron mace of his anger. If this being poffeffed the goodness and the power, with which flattering priefts have invefted him, he would, doubtlefs, be inclined, and able, to banish those evils, which render the world a dungeon of diftress, a vale of vanity and woe.-I will continue in it no longer." AT that moment he furiously raised his hand, which despair had armed with a dagger, to strike deep into his bofom when, fuddenly, thick flashes of lightning fhot through the cavern, and a being, of more than human beauty and magnitude, arrayed in azure robes, crowned with amaranth, and waving a branch of palm in his right hand, arrefted the arm of the trembling and astonished caliph, and faid, with a majestic fmile, "Follow me to the top of this mountain. "Look from hence, faid the awful conductor; "I am Caloc, the angel of peace; look from hence, "into the valley.". BOZALDAB looked, and beheld a barren, a fultry, and folitary island; in the midst of which, fat a pale, meagre, and ghaftly figure: it was a merchant, juft perithing with famine, and lamenting that he could find neither wild berries, nor a fingle spring, in this forlorn uninhabited defert; and begging the protec tion of heaven against the tigers, that would now certainly deftroy him, fince he had confumed the last fuel he had collected, to make nightly fires to affright them. He, then, caft a cafket of jewels on the fand, as trifles of no ufe; and crept, feeble and trembling, to an eminence, where he was accustomed to fit every evening, to watch the fetting fun, and to give a fignal to any fhip that might haply approach the ifland. "INHA "INHABITANT of heaven!" cried Bozaldab, "fuffer not this wretch to perish by the fury of wild "beafts." "Peace," faid the angel, "and obferve." He looked again; and, behold! a vessel arrived at the defolate ifle. What words can paint the rapture of the ftarving merchant, when the captain offered to transport him to his native country, if he would reward him with half the jewels of his cafket. No fooner had this pitiless commander received the ftipulated fum, than he held a confultation with his crew; and they agreed to feize the remaining jewels, and leave the unhappy exile in the fame helpless and lamentable condition, in which they discovered him. He wept and trembled, intreated and implored, in vain. <<< WILL heaven permit fuch injuftice to be practifed?" exclaimed Bozaldab.-" Look again," faid the angel," and behold the very fhip, in which, fhort-fighted as thou art, thou wifhedst the merchant might embark, dafhed in pieces on a rock: doft thou not hear the cries of the finking failors? Presume not to direct the Governor of the univerfe, in his difpofal of events. The man, whom thou haft pitied, fhall be taken from this dreary folitude; but not by the method thou wouldst prefcribe. His vice was avarice; by which he became, not only abominable, but wretched: he fancied fome mighty charm in wealth, which, like the wand of Abdiel, would gratify every wish, and obviate every fear. This wealth, he has now been taught, not only to defpife, but to abhor. He caft his jewels upon the fand, and confeffed them to be ufelefs: he offered part of them to the mariners, and perceived them to be nicious. He has now learned, that they are rendered useful or vain, good or evil, only by the fituation and temper temper of the poffeffor. Happy is he, whom diftrefs has taught wifdom!-But turn thine eyes to another, and more interesting scene." THE caliph instantly beheld a magnificent palace, adorned with the statues of his ancestors, wrought in jafper; the ivory doors of which, turning on hinges of the gold of Golconda, difcovered a throne of diamonds, furrounded with the rajas of fifty nations, and with ambaffadors in various habits, and of different complexions; on which fat Aboram, the much lamented fon of Bozaldab, and, by his fide, a princefs, fairer than a Houri. GRACIOUS Alla! it is my fon," cried the caliph. "O let me hold him to my heart!" "Thou canst not grasp an unfubftantial vifion," replied the angel: "I am now fhewing thee, what would have been the destiny of thy fon, had he continued longer on the earth." "And why," returned Bozaldab, "6 was he not perm tted to continue? Why was I not fuffered to be a witnefs of fo much felicity and power?" Confider the fequel," replied he that dwells in the fifth heaven. Bozaldab looked earnestly, and faw the countenance of his fon (on which he had been used to behold the placid fmile of fimplicity, and the vivid blushes of health) now distorted with rage; and, now, fixed in the infenfibility of drunkennefs it was, again, animated with difdain: it became pale, with apprehenfion; and appeared to be withered, by intemperance: his hands were stained with blood; and he trembled, by turns, with fury, and terror the palace, fo lately fhining with oriental pomp, changed, fuddenly, into the cell of a dun- ́ geon; where his fon lay, ftretched out on the cold pavement, gagged and bound, with his eyes put out. E Soon |