ready, when occafion offered, to make free with other people's. At his return, without fuccefs, from the fiege of Mouful, in Syria, he feized into his hands the whole lordship of Emeffa, in prejudice to the right of Nafir Eddin, the young Prince who claimed it. And this he did upon pretence, that the father of the youth had forfeited it, by giving countenance to confederacies against the Soldan's intereft. Saladan, however, ordered that proper care should be taken of the injured Prince's education: and being defirous to obferve what progrefs he made in his ftudies, he was brought one day before the Soldan; who asked him, with much gravity, in what part of the Alcoran he was reading? I am come, replied the young Prince, (to the furprize of all who were near him) to that verfe which informs me, that he who devours the eftates of orphans, is not a King, but a Tyrant. The Soldan was much ftartled at the turn and fpirit of his repartee; but, after fome paufe and recollection, returned the youth this generous anfwer: He who fpeaks with fuch refolution, would act with fo much courage, that I restore you to your father's poffeffions, left I fhould be thought to ftand in fear of a virtue which I only reverence.

THE

THE DREAM.

IR WILLIAM COURTNEY met the ele

SIR

gant Mifs Bendifh at the Opera; Sir William was a man of family, but his paternal estate was fmall-fo fmall, indeed, that he did not think it would entitle him to a kind reception from the lady in question, a rich heirefs, with a large fortune in her own power, in confequence of which she had a train of admirers, apparently admirers of her perfon; but the majority of them would not, probably, have given themselves any trouble about her, beautiful as fhe was, had fhe not poffeffed an eftate which brought her in a neat fifteen hundred a year. Sir William, however, did not follow Miss Bendish merely with lucrative views; he was ftruck with her personal charms, and was convinced, in his converfations with her, that fhe had a bright understanding, improved by cultivation, knowledge of the world, and connections with the beft bred people in it. She was alfo of a mild and benevolent difpofition. The only failing with which fhe could have been juftly charged, was a tendency to caprice; a failing for which fome excufes might have been framed, as fhe had in the bloom of youth, fo much beauty and wealth at her command. Upon the firft acquaintance with Sir William Courtney, the thought him a very amiable.

man; but, as she had, from the great fuperiority of her fortune, reafon to fuppofe every man actuated by mercenary motives, who with an income much inferior to her own, ventured to pay his addreffes to her, fhe had made a refolution never to marry. She had not yet, indeed, met with an admirer who was, at the fame time, richer than herfelf, and fufficiently agreeable to move her heart in his favour. She therefore gave no direct encouragement to any man, though fhe treated all with politeness, and might very well have been diftinguished by the following lines:

"Favours to none, to all fhe fmiles extends; "Oft fhe rejects, but never once offends."

By a behaviour quite enchanting, and by the numberless graces which fhe difcovered, upon a nearer acquaintance with Sir William, fhe captivated his heart; but, at the fame time that behaviour, and those graces, almost made him refolve never to fue for a bleffing, the dreadful denial of which would give him, he felt, the fevereft difquiet. However, fome favourable glances which she now and then directed to him; her foftened tones, whenever the happened to speak to him; and the readinefs with which the offered him her hand, to conduct her to her coach or chair to or from any public places, joined to the affected indifference with

which the beheld him fometimes paying attentions to other females, induced him at length to imagine that the had no averfion to him, and that fhe might be brought, by a proper train of affiduities, to liften to his fuit.

Sir William was not more vain than other handfome young fellows generally are, yet he had no mean opinion of his perfon or manners: he really thought he was very capable of making any woman happy, who could like him; he therefore determined to make a trial of his parts: but as he also had judgment enough to know that a man is often more likely to gain a victory by fap than by ftorm, he began to difcover more folicitude about Mifs Bendifh than ufual. Whenever fhe went abroad, he followed her he flew to obey her commands, -a look, a nod, was fufficient to make him undertake and execute any thing for her; every thing, indeed, with whatever difficulties the execution of it might be attended. He was deterred by no difficulties of any kind. Animated with the hopes of making himself an object of importance in her eyes, and of giving her pleafure, he exerted all his powers, in order to arrive at the confummation of his defires.

Thefe ftriking marks of attention in Sir William's behaviour to Mifs Bendifh, had the intended

effe&t.

effect. She was charmed with his affiduities,→→ they made the wished for impreffion on her heart; yet, upon a moment's confideration, fhe began to reflect, that if fhe did confcnt to Sir William's wifhes, and threw her perfon and fortune into his power, fhe should not know whether fhe was not obliged to the latter alone, for the preference he gave her. She could not bear the idea of being folicited by a needy man, ftudious only of enabling himself to fupport his rank in life at her expence. -And though fhe really, at that time, loved Sir William well enough to accept of him, though he had neither birth nor riches to recommend him, fhe refolved to put a flat negative upon his folicitations, if they amounted to any overtures of the matrimonial kind. She determined, indeed, to let him fee (fuppofing him adventurous enough to act in the manner fhe expected)-to let him fee fhe believed that he fighed for her fortune alone; and that any woman, poffeffed of the fame qualifications for the marriage ftate, would be equally defirable in his eyes. Agreeably to this refolution fhe acted. Sir William imagining, from the attractions, in her carriage, that there was room for him to hope for fuccefs, made the long delayed difelofure. He fpoke, and was rejected—he fighed, bowed, and retired. However, though he could not, rationally, raife new expectations,

he