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having made a vow never to accept of any "employment, and preferrring a free and independent state of life to all other conditions. "The king was infinitely charmed with so king "great an example of moderation; and though " he could not get him to engage in a life of "business, made him however his chief com"panion and first favourite.

"As they were one day hunting together, " and happened to be separated from the reft of "the company, the Dervis entertained Fadlallah "with an account of his travels and adventures. "After having related to him several curiosities "which he had seen in the Indies, 'It was in this place, says he, that I contracted an acquaintance with an old Brachman, who was skilled in the most hidden powers of nature: ⚫ he died within my arms, and with his parting breath communicated to me one of the most valuable fecrets, on condition I should never reveal it to any man.' "The king imme"diately reflecting on his young favourite's "having refused the late offers of greatness he had made him, told him he presumed it was "the power of making gold. 'No, Sir,' says the Dervis, it is somewhat more wonderful than that; it is the power of re-animating a • dead body, by flinging my own foul into it.'

"While he was yet speaking a doe came " bounding by them, and the king, who had "his bow ready, shot her through the heart; "telling the Dervis, that a fair opportunity now "offered for him to shew his art. The young " man immediately left his own body breath"less on the ground, while at the fame instant "that of the doe was re-animated: she came to "the king, fawned upon him, and after having "played several wanton tricks, fell again upon "the grass; at the same instant the body of the "Dervis recovered its life. The king was in"finitely pleased at so uncommon an operation, " and conjured his friend by every thing that "was sacred to communicate it to him. The "Dervis at first made some scruple of violating "his promise to the dying Brachman; but told "him at last that he found he could conceal "nothing from so excellent a prince; after " having obliged him therefore by an oath to fe"crecy, he taught him to repeat two cabalistic " words, in pronouncing of which the whole " fecret consisted. The king impatient to try "the experiment, immediately repeated them " as he had been taught, and in an instant found "himself in the body of the doe. He had but a "little time to contemplate himself in this new being; for the treacherous Dervis shooting his " own foul into the royal corps, and bending "the prince's own bow against him, had laid " him dead on the spot, had not the hind, who "perceived his intent, fled swiftly to the "woods.

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"The Dervis, now triumphing in his villainy, "returned to Mousel, and filled the throne and " bed of the unhappy Fadlallah.

"The first thing he took care of, in order to " fecure himself in the possession of his new ac"quired kingdom, was to issue out a procla"mation, ordering his subjects to destroy all "the deer in the realm. The king had perished " among the rest, had he not avoided his pur" fuers by re-animating the body of a nigh"tingale which he faw lie dead at the foot of a " tree. In this new shape he winged his way in

"fafety to the palace, where perching on a tree "which stood near his queen's apartment, he " filled the whole place with fo many melodious "and melancholy notes as drew her to the win"dow. He had the mortification to fee that

instead of being pitied, he only moved the " mirth of his princess; and of a young female *" slave who was with her. He continued how"ever to senerade her every morning, until at " last the queen, charmed with his harmony, "sent for the bird-catchers, and ordered them "to employ their utmost skill to put that little "creature in her possession. The king, pleased "with an opportunity of being once more near " his beloved cenfort, eafily suffered himself to " be taken; and when he was presented to her, "though he shewed a fearfulness to be touched " by any of the other ladies, flew of his own "accord, and hid himself in the queen's bosom. "Zemroude was highly pleased at the unexpect"ed fondness of her new favourite, and ordered " him to be kept in an open cage in her own "apartment. He had there an opportunity of " making his court to her every morning, by a "thousand little actions, which his shape al. "lowed him. The queen passed away whole " hours every day in hearing and playing with "him. Fadlallah could even have thought him. "self happy in this state of life, had he not fre"quently endured the inexpressible torment of "seeing the Dervis enter the apartment and "carefs his queen even in his prefence.

"The ufurper, amidst his toying with his " princess, would often endeavour to ingratiate " himself with her nightingale; and while the " enraged Fadlallah pecked at him with his " bill, beat his wings, and shewed all the markə " of an impotent rage, it only afforded his "rival and the queen new matter for their di"verfion.

"Zemroude was likewise fond of a little lap "dog, which she kept in her apartment, and "which one night happened to die.

"The king immediately found himself ins "clined to quit the shape of the nightingale, " and enliven this new body. He did fo, and "the next morning Zemroude saw her favourite " bird lie dead in the cage. It is impoffible to " express her grief on this occafion, and when " she called to mind all its little actions, which " even appeared to have somewhat in them like "reason she was inconfolable for her lofs.

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"Her women immediately fent for the Dervis " to come and comfort her, who after having in " vain reprefented to her the weakness of being bei " grieved at fuch an accident, touched at last by her repeated complaints; Well, Madam, fays he, 'I will exert the utmost of my art to please you. Your nightingale shall again re'vive every morning and ferenade you as before." "The queen beheld him with a look which eafily, "shewed she did not believe him, when laying "himself down on a fofa, he shot his foul into "the nightingale, and Zemroude was amazed "to fee her bird revive.

"The king, who was a spectator of all that "passed, lying under the shape of a lap dog, in "one corner of the room, immediately recovered

his own body, and running to the cage with "the utmost indignation, twisted off the neck "of the false nightingale,

"Zemroude was more than ever amazed and " concerned at this fecond accident, until the TI "king "king intreating her to hear him, related to her "his whole adventure.

at those who were polluted, and never ceased barking at them till they had driven them from the temple.

My manufcript gives the following account of these dogs, and was probably designed as a comment upon this story.

"The body of the Dervis which was found "dead in the wood, and his edict for killing all "the deer, left her no room to doubt of the "truth of it: but the story adds, that out of an "extreme delicacy, peculiar to the oriental "ladies, she was so highly afflicted at the in"nocent adultery in which the had for fome'tity, having bred them out of fome of her

"time lived with the Dervis, that no arguments "even from Fadlallah himself could compose her "mind. She shortly after died with grief, beg"ging his pardon with her last breath for what "the most rigid justicę could not have interpre"ted as a crime.

"The king was so afflicted with her death, "that he left his kingdom to one of his nearest "relations, and passed the rest of his days in "folitude and retirement."

No 579, WEDNESDAY, AUG. II.

IN

Odora canum vis. VIRG. Æn. 4. ver, 132.
Sagacious hounds.

N the reign of King Charles the first, the company of stationers, into whose hands the printing of the Bible is committed by patent, made a very remarkable Erratum or blunder, in one of the editions for instead of "Thou shalt not commit adultery," they printed off several thousands of copies with "Thou shalt commit "adultery." Archbishop Laud, to punish this their negligence, laid a confiderable fine upon that company in the Star-Chamber.

By the practice of the world, which prevails in this degenerate age, I am afraid that very many young profligates, of both sexes, are possessed of this spurious edition of the Bible, and observe the commandment according to that faulty reading.

Adulterers, in the first ages of the church, were excommunicated for ever, and unqualified all their lives for bearing a part in Christian af

These dogs were given to Vulcan by his 'sister Diana, the goddess of hunting and chaf

'hounds, in which she had obferved this natural instinct and sagacity. It was thought the ' did it in spite to Venus, who, upon her return 'home, always found her husband in a good or bad humour, according to the reception which ' she met with from his dogs. They lived in the temple several years, but were such snappish 'curs that they frighted away most of the vo. taries. The women of Sicily made a solemn deputation to the priest, by which they acquainted him, that they would not come up ⚫ to the temple with their annual offerings un⚫ less he muzzled his mastiffs, and at last com

promised the matter with him, that the offering • fhould always be brought by a chorus of young girls, who were none of them above seven years old. It was wonderful, says the author, to fee how different the treatment was ' which the dogs gave to these little misses, ' from that which they had shewn to their mo

thers. It is faid that the prince of Syracuse, ' having married a young lady, and being natu' rally of a jealous temper, made such an interest with the priests of this temple that he procured a whelp from them of this famous breed. The young puppy was very troublesome to the fair lady at first, infomuch that she solicited her • husband to fend him away; but the good man cut her short with the old Sicilian proverb, "Love me, love my dog." From which time she lived very peaceably with both of them. The ladies of Syracuse were very much ' annoyed with him, and several of very good reputation refused to come to court until he was discarded. There were indeed some of them ' that defied his sagacity; but it was observed, 'growl at them most confoundedly. To return ' to the dogs of the temple: after they had lived ' here in great repute for several years, it so happened, that as one of the priests, who had been making a charitable visit to a widow whọ ' lived on the promontory of Lilybeum, re. turned home pretty late in the evening, the dogs 'flew at him with fo much fury, that they ' would have worried him if his brethren had 'not come in to his assistance: upon which, fays my author, the dogs were all of them hanged, as having loft their original in

femblies, notwithstanding they might feek it though he did not actually bite them, he would

with tears, and all the appearances of the most unfeigned repentance.

→ I might here mention some ancientlaws among the heathens which punished this crime with death; and others of the fame kind, which are now in force among several governments that have embraced the reformed religion. But because a fubject of this nature may be too serious for my ordinary readers, who are very apt to threw by my papers, when they are not enlivened with fomething that is diverting or uncommon, I thall here publish the contents of a little manuscript lately fallen into my hands, and which pretends to great antiquity, though by reafon of fome modern phrases and other parti culars in it, I can by no means allow it to be genuine, but rather the production of a modern fophift.

It is well known by the learned, that there was a temple upon mount Etna dedicated to Vuican, which was guarded by dogs of so exquisite a smell, say the historians, that they could difcern whether the persons who came thither were chaste or otherwise. They used to meet and fawn upon such as were chaste, careffing them as the friends of their master Vulcan, but few

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I cannot conclude this paper without wish. ing, that we had fome of this breed of dogs in Great-Britain, which would certainly do justice, I should fay honour, to the ladies of our country, and shew the world the difference between pagan women and those who are instructed in founder principles of virtue and religion,

N° 580. FRIDAY, AUGUST 13.

Si verbo audacia detur,

Nou metuam magni dixisso palatia cæli.

OVID. Met. 1. 1. ver. 175.

This place, the brightest mansion of the sky,
I'll call the Palace of the Deity.

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I

SIR,

DRYDENI

Confidered in my two last letters that awful and tremendous subject, the ubiquity or omnipresence of the Divine Being. I have shewn that he is equally present in all places throughout the whole extent of infinite space. This doctrine is so agreeable to reafon, ' that we meet with it in the writings of the enlightened heathens, as I might shew at large, were it not already done by other hands. But though the Deity be thus essentially present through all the immenfsity of space, there is one part of it in which he discovers himself in a most transcendent and visible glory. This is that place which is marked out in scripture ⚫ under the different appellations of " Paradise, "the third Heaven, the throne of God, and the "habitation of his glory." It is here where the glorified body of our Saviour refides, and where all the celestial hierarchies, and the in* numerable hosts of angels, are represented as perpetually furrounding the seat of God with hallelujahs and hymns of praise. This is that • presence of God which some of the divines call his glorious, and others his majestic presence. * He is indeed as essentially present in all other places as in this; but it is here where he re• fides in a sensible magnificence, and in the • midst of all those splendors which can affect the imagination of created beings.

• It is very remarkable that this opinion of God Almighty's presence in Heaven, whether discovered by the light of nature, or by gene. ral tradition from our first parents, prevails among all the nations of the world, whatsoever different notions they entertain of the • God-head. If you look into Homer, the most ancient of the Greek writers, you see the supreme power seated in the heavens, and encompaffed with inferior deities, among whom the Muses are represented as finging incessantly about his throne. Who does not here fee the • main strokes and outlines of this great truth we are speaking of? The same doctrine is • shadowed out in many other heathen authors, though at the same time, like several other revealed truths, dashed and adulterated with a mixture of fables and human inventions. But

temple, there is in it this holy of holies, into which the high-priest of our salvation entered, ' and took his place among angels and archangels, after having made a propitiation for the fins of mankind.

With how much skill must the throne of God be erected? With what glorious design is 'that habitation beautified, which is contrived and built by him who inspired, Hiram with wisdom? How great must be the majesty of that place, where the whole art of creation has been employed, and where God has chosen to • shew himself in the most magnificent manner? What must be the architecture of infinite ' power under the direction of infinite wisdom? A fpirit cannot but be transported after an ineffable manner with the fight of those objects, ' which were made to affect him by that Being who knows the inward frame of the foul, and how to please and ravish it in all its most se'cret powers atid faculties. It is to this majeftic prefence of God, we may apply those beau tiful expressions in holy writ: Behold even "to the moon, and it shineth not; yea the stars " are not pure in his fight." The light of the fun, and all the glories of the world in which we live, are but as weak and fickly glimmerings, or rather darkness itself, in comparison of those splendors which encompass the throne of • God.

• As the glory of this palace is transcendent beyond imagination, so probably is the extent of it. There is light behind light, and glory ' within glory. How far that space may reach,

in which God thus appears in perfect majesty, • we cannot possibly conceive. Though it is * not infinite, it may be indefinite and though not so immeasurable in itself, it may be fo with regard to any created eye or imagination. If ' he has made these lower regions of matter fo • inconceivably wide and magnificent for the 'habitation of mortal and perishable beings,

how great may we suppose the courts of his • house to be, where he makes his residence in a more especial manner, and displays himself in the fulness of his glory, among an innumerable company of angels and spirits of just men made perfect ?

This is certain, that our imaginations can < not be raised too high, when we think on a place where omnipotence and omniscience have fo fignally exerted themselves, because that they are able to produce a scene infinitely more great and glorious than what we are able to imagine. It is not impoffible but at the confummation of all things, these these outward apart 'ments of nature which are now suited to those beings who inhabit them, may be taken in and added to that glorious place of which I am here

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to pass over the notions of the Greeks and Ro-speaking; and by that means made a proper

habitation for beings who are exempt from mortality, and cleared of their imperfections: for fo the fcripture seems to intimate when it • speaks of new heavens and of a new earth,

mans, those more enlightened parts of the Pa.
gan world, we find there is scarce a people
among the late discovered nations who are not
trained up in an opinion, that Heaven is
the habitation of the divinity whom they wor-wherein dwelleth righteousness.

thip.

As in Solomon's temple there was the • Sanctum Sanctorum, in which a visible glory appeared among the figures of the cherubims, and into which none but the high-priest him. • self was permitted to enter, after having made an atonement for the fins of the people; so if we confider the whole creation as one great

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I have only confidered this glorious place with regard to the fight and imagination, though it is highly probable that our other senses may here likewife enjoy their highest gratifications, There is nothing which more ravishes and transports the foul, than harmony; and we have great reason to believe, from the defcripe tions of this place in holy fcripture, that this

' employ the mind of man, the omnipresence of the Deity; a subject which, if possible, should ' never depart from our meditations. We have • considered the Divine Being, as he inhabits

infinitude, as he dwells among his works, as ' he is present to the mind of man, and as he discovers himself in a more glorious manner

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among the regions of the bleft. Such a confi' deration should be kept awake in us at all ' times, and in all places, and possess our minds

with a perpetual awe and reverence. It should ⚫ be interwoven with all our thoughts and per⚫ceptions, and become one with the confciouf

ness of our own being. It is not to be reflec ⚫ted on in the coldness of philosophy, but ought to fink us into the lowest prostration before him, who is so aftonishingly great, wonder-. ful, and holy.

is one of the entertainments of it. And if the foul of man can be fo wonderfully affected *with those strains of music, which human art is capable of producing, how much more will it be raised and elevated by those, in which is exerted the whole power of harmony! the senses are faculties of the human foul, though they cannot be employed, during this our vital union, without proper instruments in the body.. Why therefore should we exclude the fatisfaction of these faculties, which we find by experience are inlets of great pleasure to the foul, from among those entertainments which are to make up our happiness hereafter? Why should we suppose that our hearing and feeing will not be gratified with those objects which • are most agreeable to them, and which they cannot meet with in these lower regions of nature; objects, "which neither eye hath "seen, nor ear heard, nor can it enter into the "heart of man to conceive? I knew a man in "Chrift" (fays St. Paul, speaking of himself) N° 581. MONDAY, AUGUST 16. "above fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I cannot tell, or whether out of the Sunt bona, funt quædam mediocria, funt mala plura "body, I cannot tell: God knoweth) such a Quæ legis MART. Epig, 17. 1. 1. "one caught up to the third heaven. And I "knew such a man (whether in the body, or "out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth) "how that he was caught up into Patadise, and " heard unspeakable words, which it is not poffi" ble for a man to utter." By this is meant that • what he heard was so infinitely different from any thing which he had heard in this world, that it was impossible to express it in such words, as might convey a notion of it to his • hearers.

It is very natural for us to take delight in ⚫ enquiries concerning any foreign country, where • we are some time or other to make our abode; and as we all hope to be admitted into this glorious place, it is both a laudable and useful • curiofity, to get what informations we can of • it, whilft we make use of revelation for our guide. When these everlasting doors shall be • open to us, we may be sure that the pleasures • and beauties of this place will infinitely tran • scend our present hopes and expectations, and that the glorious appearance of the throne of God, will rife infinitely beyond whatever we are able to conceive of it. We might here entertain ourselves with many other speculations ⚫ on this subject, from those several hints which we find of it in the holy scriptures; as whether there may not be different mansions and apartments of glory, to beings of different natures; • whether as they excel one another in perfection, - they are not admitted nearer to the throne of the Almighty, and enjoy greater manifestations ■ of his presence; whether there are not folemn times and occasions, when all the multitude of Heaven celebrate the presence of their Maker in more extraordinary forms of praise and adoration; as Adam, though he had continued in a state of innocence, would, in the opinion of our divines have kept holy the Sabbath-day, in a more particular manner than any other of the seven. These, and the like speculations, we may very innocently indulge, so long as we make use of them to inspire us with a desire of becoming inhabitants of this delightful place.

I have in this, and in two foregoing letters, • treated on the most serious subject that can

Some good, more bad, fome neither one nor

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t'other.

AM at present fitting with a heap of letters before me, which I have received under the character of Spectator. I have complaints from lovers, schemes from projectors, scandal from ladies, congratulations, compliments, and advice in abundance.

I have not been thus long an author, to be insensible of the natural fondness every person must have for their own productions; and I begin to think I have treated my correfpondents a little too uncivilly in stringing them all together on a file, and letting them lle so long unregarded. I small therefore, for the future, think myfelf at least obliged to take some notice of fucly letters as I receive, and may possibly do it at the end of every month.

In the mean time, I intend my present paper as a short answer to most of those which have been already fent me.

The public however is not to expect I should let them into all my secrets; and though I ap. pear abstruse to most people, it is sufficient if I am understood by my particular correfpondents. My well-wisher Van Nath is very arch, but not quite enough so to appear in print.

Philadelphus will, in a little time, see his query fully answered by a treatise which is now in the prefs.

It was very improper at that time to comply with Mr. G.

Mifs Kitty must excuse me.

The gentleman who fent me a copy of verfes on his mistress's dancing, is I believe too thoroughly in love to compose correctly.

I have too great a respect for both the univer sities to praise one at the expence of the other.

Tom Nimble is a very honest fellow, and I defire him to present my humble service to his coufin Fill Bumper.

I am obliged for the letter upon prejudice.
I may in due time animadvert on the case of
Grace Grumble.

The petition of P. S. granted.
That of Sarah Loveit, refufed.

The papers of A, S. are returned.

I thank

I thank Aristippus for his kind invitation. My friend at Woodstock is a bold man, to inertake for all within ten miles of him.

I am afraid the entertainment of Tom Turnwer will hardly be relished by the good cities of ondon and Westminster.

I must confider farther of it, before I indulge W. F. in those freedoms he takes with the ladies stockings.

I am obliged to the ingenious gentleman, who sent me an ođe on the subject of the late Spec tator, and thall take particular notice of his last

jetter.

• Wednesdays, Fridays, and Mondays, you pre tend to be a greater tatler, than when you • spoke every day as you formerly used to do? If this be your plunging out of your tacitur nity, pray let the length of your speeches com

• pensate for the scarceness of them.

‹ I am,

Good Mr. Pert,

Your admirer,

• If you will be long enough for me, • Amanda Lovelength."

When the lady who wrote me a letter, dated No 582. WEDNESDAY, Ост. 18.

July the 20th, in relation to some passages in a lover, will be more particular in her directions,

I shall be so in my answer.

The poor gentleman, who fancies my writings could reclaim an husband who can abuse such a wife as he describes, has I am afraid too great an opinion of my skill.

Philanthropos is, I dare say, a very well-meaning man, but a little too prolix in his compofiConftantius himself must be the best judge in

tions.

the affair he mentions.

The letter dated from Lincoln is received.
Arethusa and her friend may hear farther from

me.

Celia is a little too hasty.

Harriot is a

good girl, but must not curtsey to folks she does not know.

I must ingenioufly confess my friend Sampson Bentstaff has quite puzzled me, and writ me a long letter which I cannot comprehend one word of.

Collidan must also explain what he means by his drigelling.

I think it beneath my spectatorial dignity, to concern myself in the affair of the boiled dumpling.

I shall confult some Literati on the project fent to me for the discovery of the longitude.

I know not how to conclude this paper better, than by inserting a couple of letters which are really genuine, and which I look upon to be

Tenet infanabile multos

Scribendi cacoethes

Juv. Sat. 7. ver 51.

The curse of writing is an endles itch.

T

Cb. Dryden.

HERE is a certain distemper, which is mentioned neither by Galen nor Hippocra tes, nor to be met with in the London Dispensary. Juvenal, in the motto of my page, terms it a which is a hard word for a disease, called in plain English, "The itch of writing." This Cacoethes is as epidemical as the small-pox, there being very few who are not feized with it some time or other in their lives. There is, how ever, this difference in these two distempers, that the first, after having indisposed ofed you for a time, never returns again; whereas this I am speaking of, when it is once got into the blood, feldom comes out of it. The British nation is very much afflicted with this malady, and though very many remedies have been applied to persons infected with it, few of them have ever proved fuccefsful. Some have been cauterized with fatires and lampoons, but have received little or no benefit from them; others have had their heads fastened for an hour together between a cleft board, which is made use of as a cure for the disease when it appears in its malignity. There is indeed one kind of this malady which has been sometimes removed like the biting of a Tarantu

two of the smartest pieces I have received from la, with the found of a mufical inftrument

my correspondents of either sex,

• Brother Spec,

W

HILE you are furveying every object that falls in your way, I am wholly taken up with one. Had that fage, who de• manded what beauty was, lived to fee the dear ⚫ angel I love, he would not have asked such a ⚫ question. Had another feen her, he would himself have loved the persen in whom Heaven ⚫ has made virtue visible; and were you your • felf to be in her company, you could never, ⚫ with all your loquacity, say enough of her good-humour and sense. I send you the outs • lines of a picture, which I can no more finish 'than I can fufficiently admire the dear origi• Your most affectionate brother,

nal. I am

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which is commonly known by the name of a catcall. But if you have a patient of this kind under your care, you may affure yourself, there is no other way of recovering him effectually, but by forbidding him the use of pen, ink, and paper.

But to drop the allegory, before I have tired it out, there is no species of scribblers more offenfive, and more incurable, than your periodical writers whose works return upon the public on certain days, and at stated times. We have not the confolation in the perusal of these authors, which we find at the reading of all others, namely, that we are sure if we have but patience we may come to the end of their labours. I have often admired an humorous saying of Diogenes, who reading a dull author to several of his friends, when every one began to be tired, finding he was almost come to a blank leaf at the end of it, " Courage, lads, I see land." On the contrary, our progress through that kind of writers I am now speaking of is never at an end. One day makes work for another, we do not know when to promise ourselves rest.

It is a melancholy thing to confider that the art of printing, which might be the greatest bleffing

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