only invite me to have you well beaten. You stand in the 'position of curs, which dare not show their faces out of their own parish; you avow yourselves to be materials for the bastinado sacks to be beaten-old carpets to be dusted. You might have come before me with your five chins in the air, inhaling the breath of heaven, with the independence of men who have nothing to fear. You might have put your hands on your hips and thrown your five fingers into my face, had I exacted anything from you unjustly. But, as it is, I am the aggrieved man', besides being a despotic King. I can make you pluck out each other's beards hair by hair-make you spit in each other's faces. I can set you begging from door to door, making those whom you have before despised turn their backs upon you, and say, 'ha! ha I could render you miserable old men to the end of your days, in consequence of those words of contumely you taunted me with, when I asked you a plain question and made a simple demand. What have you to say for yourselves? Speak first, you youngest old man." said he, addressing himself to the youngest uncle of her whom he sought as a wife; speak, and let me hear what you have to say, "

"What can I say?» said the youngest uncle, stroking down his face with one hand, and keeping his cloak well wrapt over him with the other. I am less than an ounce of dust. The measure of the abomination which I have eaten has long been filled up; whatever your majesty has said—has, mashallah! been well said. True it is, oh King! we are five wretched old men; we have been biting our thumbs ever since that fatal day, and saying from morning to night, 'we have made a mistake.' Forgive us! forgive us! in favour of her whom you once loved-of her who cries day and night that she has lost her apple. »

« What apple? » exclaimed Azbeaz, suddenly softened by hearing his beloved mentioned.

« The apple of her eye to be sure, answered the youngest old man; " whom but your Majesty has she ever loved, or ever

can love?»

At these words, Azbeaz appeared still more touched, and

the remaining four old men, having observed this, corrobora-; ted the assertion of the youngest old man by saying,

Beli! Beli!yes, yes he speaks the truth; the maiden is dying of grief and disappointment. od 9, than 9 of zel Azbeaz here made a solemn pause in his proceedings, be cause the assertion of the old men that he was beloved opened the channels of his former weakness, and the beauty of her whom he had once so ardently admired: flashed before his eyes with a resistless charm. ".".

« If I thought what you now tell me were true," said Azbeaz thoughtfully, whole state of the case would be

altered."

the

་་་ By the Shah's soul by the beard of the centre of the universe-by the crown on his head-by the armlet on his arm,» said the five old men with uplifted voices, «we swear that it is true. »

How am I to know that it is true?» said the King ; «‹a Shah and a shoemaker are two very different persons, although they may still have the same hump, the same monkey face, the same prominent teeth, the same beard little and white. Mark that, old gentlemen-I will not have the finger of derision pointed at me., Recollect, I no longer. wield: the awl; I have sticks and arms at command. » 15. ...

"

See her-see the maiden herself, exclaimed: an uncle, who now saw an escape from his difficulties. Allow her to speak, her own sentiments, and if she does not acknowledge herself to be the devoted slave, the grateful handmaid of her King, then treat us as we deserve; we are your sacrifice, whatsoever your Majesty ordains, we will say, upon our eyes be it...

"

Bring her hither," said Azbeaz, and we will see. But, mark me, I do not intend to force her inclinations, and, should there be any deception, all I say is, open well your eyes,

The five old men then left his presence, and presently two veiled females were introduced, the mother escorting her daughter. As soon as the room had been cleared, Azbeaz réquested the women to unveil, when the well remembered charms of the maiden who had enslaved his heart were revealed to him↓

as well as the less attractive features of her mother. Azbeaz would willingly have given his crown to secure the advantages of beauty to himself, and thereby become acceptable to the lovely creature who stood before him; sorely did he feel how little wealth, power, and greatness of position had to weigh against individual merit, and when he contemplated his ugliness, he felt that it was not in nature that he could be loved.

What is this that I hear? thou pearl of beauty!» said Azbeaz, addressing himself to the maiden; is it true that I have found favour in your sight, and that you are willing to make me happy ? »

We are your slaves, exclaimed the mother, without allowing her daughter to answer; "we have but one wish, and that is to please you. Who is this poor lowly daughter that she should venture to have a will of her own? »

« Allow her to speak," said Azbeaz; "it is not you we want to wed-let the maiden speak. Tell me, sugar-lips,» said he to the daughter, « tell me what are the secrets of your heart, and whatever they be do not conceal the truth.»

«She has no secrets,» again answered the mother, looking towards the daughter, fearful lest this invitation to candour from the King might really impel the daughter to speak the truth. If she has a secret, it is that of loving the King above all things, longing to make the dust of his slippers collyrium for her eyes. »

"

The weak girl feeling the dilemma in which she was placed, having been tutored by her relations to avow her love for Azbeaz, whilst she abhorred the idea of becoming his wife, fell into a nervous state of distressing indecision, the consequence of which proved itself by tears which she could in no wise restrain.

How is this, fair one," said the King; is our love to be requited by tears? If my words be pleasing to you, wherefore cry? if not, why do you not speak? »

Upon this the maiden, falling on her knees in an attitude of supplication, exclaimed, pity, pity; I am a poor weak one know not what to do. Is it a crime to have loved before I was told to love in the proper place ? »

What words are these?» exclaimed the mother in a rage; « loved before, indeed! how dare you love when the centre of the universe commands otherwise?»

Hold your peace, woman!» exclaimed Azbeaz; « I want the truth and nothing but the truth. So you have loved before that is well spoken-if so we have nought to say we are silent we praise Allah that we are not the cause of an in→ justice-no, we have been foolish for in truth love such as mine, out of a hump and a monkey face, is repulsive to beauty, as oil refuses to mix with the limpid stream. d) « Believe her not, asylum of the universe, still vociferated the mother; she is a perverse and wilful girl; she knows that she loves you, and only persists in her obstinacy to refuse a happiness too great for her, because she gets it for nothing."

"

"What she has said, she has said, returned Azbeaz; «we force no one. » Then turning again to the maiden, he continued, « Perhaps you know that Kings are powerful men, and can do mighty things. Now, if we knew who was this happy youth who was beloved by you, we might be of great use. Speak, the Shah is your friend, though you refuse him as a lover.

"

Here the maiden fell on her kness and implored that she might be no more questioned. «Your slave," she said, smiling through her tears, is a speck of dirt as compared to a mountain—she is nothing-she is not worth your notice-allow her to sit in a corner and not be known-who or what she likes or dislikes can be of no consequence to any one. »

Azbeaz, seeing the rage and violence which possessed the mother, insisted upon allowing entire freedom to the maiden. to do whatever she found most agreeable to herself, and threatened if he heard of any violence being offered to her, that he would visit such offence with a serious punishment. He could not refrain, however, from upbraiding the mother with the falsehood of her brothers-in-law, and avowed it his intention to visit them with his displeasure.

"What do they suppose,» said he, that a King is only to sit on his throne in order to be laughed at? No, no! with

VOL. I.

43

out truth nothing is to be done; with it, all is straight forwards, and man lives to good purposes. Tell them to settle their minds into this conviction, that the Shah will burn their fathers. "

Upon hearing these words, both mother and daughter with much wailing and many tears fell to beseeching him to pardon them, requesting him to reflect, that Kings were greater in bestowing mercy than in inflicting punishment. Azbeaz ceded to the prayers of the maiden, for he was softened by her truth and single-heartedness, and promised that, for the present, he would leave her uncles unmolested.

(To be continued.)