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These he piled up in a large open basket and having made choice of a very little shop, placed the basket at his feet, and leaned his back against the wall, in expectation of customers. As he sat in this posture, with his eyes upon the basket, he fell into a most amusing train of thought, and was overheard by one of the neighbours, as he talked to himself, in the following manner: « This Basket, says he, costs me at >> the wholesale merchant's an hundred » drachmas, which is all I have in the » world. I shall quickly make two hundred » of it, by selling it in retail. These two » hundred drachmas will in a very little >> while rise to four hundred, which of » course will amount in time to four thou» sand. Four thousand drachmas cannot fail » of making eight thousand. As soon as by » this means I am master of ten thousand, » I will lay aside my trade as a glassman, >> and turn Jeweller. I shall then deal in » diamonds, pearls, and all sorts of rich >> stones. When I have got together as much > wealth as I can well desire, I will make » a purchase of the finest house I can find, » with lands, slaves, eunuchs, and horses. » I shall then begin to enjoy myself, and

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» make a noise in the world. I will not, » however, stop there, but continue my » traffic till I have got together an hundred » thousand drachmas. When I have thus » made myself master of an hundred thou» sand drachmas, I shall naturally set my» self on the foot of a prince, and will de» mand the grand Visir's daughter in marriage, after having represented to that >> minister the information which I have > received of the beauty, wit, discretion, » and other high qualities which his daugh» ter possesses. I will let him know, at the » same time, that it is my intention to » make him a present of a thousand pieces >> of gold on our marriage day. As soon as » I have married the grand Visir's daugh» ter, I will buy her ten black eunuchs >> the youngest and the best that can be got » for money. I must afterwards make my » father-in-law a visit with a great train » and equipage. And when I am placed at » his right-hand, which he will do in. >> course, if it be only to honour his daugh» ter, I will give him the thousand pieces » of gold, which I promised him; and af» terwards to his great surprise, I will pre« sent him with another purse of the same » value,

» value, with some short speech; as, Sir, » you see I am a man of my word: I always give more than 1 promise.

» When I have brought the princess to » my house, I shall take párticular care to » breed in her a due respect for me, before >> I give the reins to love and dalliance. To » this end I shall confine her to her own >> apartment, make her a short visit, and » talk but little to her. Her women will re» present to me, that she is inconsolable by >> reason of my unkindness, and beg me >> with tears to caress her, and let her sit * down by me; but I will still remain in>> exorable. Her mother will then come >> and bring her daughter to me >> I am seated on my sofa. The daughter » with tears in her eyes, will fling herself >> at my feet, and beg of me to receive her >> into my favour. Then will I, to imprint » in her a thorough veneration for my per» son, draw up my leg, and spurn her >> from me with foot in such a manner my » that she shall fall down several paces » from the sofa. »

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Alnaschar was entirely swallowed up in this chimerical vision, and could not forbear acting with his foot what he had in his K

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thoughts so that unluckily striking his basket of brittle ware which was the foundation of all his grandeur, he kicked his glasses to a great distance from him into the street, and broke them into ten thousand pieces.

This is a humorous ridicule upon the foolish vanity of building castles in the air; and idly wasting that time, in empty flattering schemes, which might have been usefully employed in attending our proper business.

GUARDIAN.

THE MOUNTAIN OF MISERIES.

A vision.

Ir is a celebrated thought of Socrates, that if all the misfortunes of mankind were cast into a public stock, in order to be equally distributed among the whole species; those who now think themselves the most unhappy, would prefer the share they are already possessed of, before that which would fall to them by such a division.

Horace has carried this thought a great deal further, which implies, that the hardships or misfortunes we lie under, are more easy to us than those of any other person would be, in case we could change condition with him.

As I was ruminating on these two remarks, and seated in my elbow chair, I insensibly fell asleep; when, on a sudden, methought, there was a proclamation made by Jupiter, that every mortal should bring in his griefs and calamities, and throw them together in a heap. There was a large plain appointed for this purpose. I took my stand in the centre of it, and saw with a great deal of pleasure the whole human species marching one after another, and throwing down their several loads, which immedia→ tely grew into a prodigious mountain, that seemed to rise above the clouds.

There was a certain lady of a thin airy shape, who was very active in this solemnity. She carried a magnifying glass in one of her hands, and was clothed in a loose flowing robe embroidered with several figures of fiends and spectres that discovered themselves in a thousand chimerical shapes, as her garment hovered in the wind. There

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