WERE the fweetest retirement a fufficient afylum from care, the Magi would be exempted from those reflections, which prey upon the minds of unhappy mortals. We inhabit thofe groves, which have been the mansions of the wife and virtuous by the appointment of ZOROASTRES, who bleffed them with his abode; and whofe memory ftill warms our breafts with a noble enthufiafm. We point out in our pleased imaginations the paths he trod, and the places he took most delight in here, fay we, within the fpacious arch of this cave he penn❜d his divine precepts; on the flope of yonder hill, or under the fhade of that ancient cedar, he repofed himself, and while his eyelids shut out the piercing light, his foul was open to the milder influence of OROMASDES. He held an intercourse with the heavenly bodies from the fuminit of this pyramid, or that mount, whofe fides are covered with odorous fhrubs, that scarce afford a perplexed path to its top. The very air of this country is perfumed and of a purer draught; the sky more ferene and of a brighter azure; the profpects beautiful and various, fince nature is not only favourable to us, but has received all the improvement fhe was capable of, without being disguised by art, Immenfe wealth has been bestowed on her cultivation, yet the richness of her dress seems to arise from the genius of the place. You are furprized at the elegance that appears, yet can fee nothing but what bears a refemblance to fomething you have obferved in rude nature; like a mistress of a well ordered fa

mily, though the receives you with the utmost delicacy and magnificence, it is with that ease, that she seems not to be at any trouble, or to have been put out of her ordinary course for your entertainment.

Yet I must confefs, amidst these delightful fcenes, facred to peace and the contemplation of everlasting OROMASDES, I am not without fome anxiety for your fafety, O CLEANDER, when I confider your hazardous fituation for the service of Perfia, and your zeal for that monarch, who outshines all his predeceffors in justice, who will not fail to reward the fuccefs, which your zeal and penetration promises to our affairs. Your steady affection has gained you much confidence with the great, and your perfect knowledge of the language, interefts, and politics of our enemies, no lefs than those of Perfia, give great affurance to your friends, that you shall one day be recalled from your obscurity to be raised high in the court of Sufa. Your merit to your country will meet with other recompence than the jealousy of Greece generally affords her benefactors. The fovereign of the eaft is too generous to fufpect rivalship in his faithful fervants, and will look upon the influence you shall gain in the ftates of Greece, as the greatest teftimony of your fidelity.

I fometimes reflect on the worst that can befal you, from the prying difcernment of the people you converfe with, or those who are jealous of your credit at the court; but the fagacity of your prince will guard you from your domeftic foes; and should the popular violence of Athens make itself accountable for your death, Afia would pour forth its numerous troops to revenge so base an indignity to the fervant of ARTAXERXES. Perhaps you will think this lofty ftrain proceeds more from the zeal of a Perfian, than my true fentiments, fince we have experienced that a numerous army, nay I might fay numerous nations in arms, have been found unequal to the flender but well conducted power of those

fmaller ftates; our foldiers have been diftreffed and scattered, though equal in number to all the inhabitants of Greece. But may I not hope, CLEANDER, that that infinuating evil, luxury the parent of all our fhame and misfortunes, has at laft found a place amongst our enemies? Has not security, the result of fuccefs, relaxed their severe morals, and introduced emafculating pleafures, to which alone they are obliged, for the advantages gained over us? Are not these the Grecian refinements we hear so much of? Does not that boasted fuperiority in arts and politeness (from whence they brand all the world with the name of Barbarians) break out into extravagancy of dress, diet, and deportment? And has not by this time the unrestrained populace, intoxicated with victory, mistaken licentiousness for liberty? Or is it poffible, that a people fo free and fo fuccessful fhould continue upon their guard against thefe worst of foes? No certainly, CLEANDER, the Perfian luxury must be part of their acquifitions, which like the fatal peftilence, that occafioned fuch defolation in this empire, pafs'd through Afia into Greece, and now preys upon our foes, must take its laft refidence with them; a disease more destructive than the peftilence, and which will baffle the skill of that haughty Coan phyfician, who had he mere lives than ever his art preserved, would deferve to forfeit them all in tortures for his infolence to the world's greatest monarch. I need not tell you (what I doubt not is the boaft of every Greek) that when he was conjured to pafs over into Afia, by a promise of that friendship which princes fue for, and to fhare in that wealth which is the tribute of three hundred provinces, he answered difdainfully, he would not defert his country to serve a Barbarian. Shame to the kingdom of Cyrus, that his fucceffors, before whom the mighty fatraps proftrate themselves to the earth, and whofe name is awful to half mankind, fhould become the scorn of an ignoble Coan. But the Almighty has punished him, by transferring that evil on his own coun

try, which he refused to suppress in Perfia; which may teach us, that the worshippers of OROMASDES are not forsaken, fince, though he has denied fuccefs to our arms, he has himhimself chastised the infolence of our foes.

From Balch in Bactria.

H.

LETTER XVIII.

CLEANDER to ORSAMES.

I have been informed of thy rising character not only from the chamberlain HYDASPES, but the common voice of fame; and am the more confirmed in the just expectations I had conceived of thee, from the late honour of thy letter. The wifeft legiflators of Greece have generally made it one of their excellent laws, that the young men should pay respect to the fage inftructions of their elders. But furely if this maxim may at any time be set afide, it ought never to be more reverfed than in our correspondence. For when I confider the luftre of thy parts, and the reach of thy knowledge, at a time of life, which brings few even to the exercise of reason; I amuse myself with the agreeable thoughts of profiting by thy information; far, very far from imagining, that any thing, which falls from CLEANDER, can be of fervice to ORSAMES. However, as I fhall always be proud to fhew every mark of regard to a nobleman of your quality and hopes, I can affure thee, generous lord, that I think myself highly honoured by the particular and diftinguishing proof, thou haft granted me, of thy favour.

It is with the utmoft fatisfaction I obferve, how much thou canft difdain the oftentation and luxury of the Perfian nobility; and rather employeft thyself in the useful pursuits of knowledge, than wanderest in the destructive paths of intoxicating pleasure. To fay the truth, when I reflect on this particular, I admire thee for anticipating the experience without the infirmity of years, and moderating the fever of youth without lofing the true fpirit of it. Thou haft made it thy bufinefs, from the very earliest days of thy infancy, to acquaint thyself with the religion, laws, and conftitution of thy country; and art now travelling through other regions, to furvey the temper, customs, and policy of those, who differ from us. Thy epiftle from Babylon is fufficient to convince me, thou art well qualified from thy curiofity and eagernefs, to procure the exacteft intelligence; from thy judgand discretion, to select the most interesting circumstances; from thy ingenuity and good fenfe, to relate them in the most accurate manner; from thy prudence and fagacity, to draw the best and most rational inferences from them all. I am extremely impatient to learn a few particulars of that extraordinary people the Egyptians; who inhabit a country, as remarkable for the polity of its laws, the wisdom of its religion, and the knowledge of its priests, as for the trade of its cities, the grandeur of its buildings, and the fertility of its foil When thou enterest into that store-house of wealth and commerce, (for fo it may be termed with justice) that repository of all facred and profane fcience, thou wilt be wrapt in pleafure and astonishment, at the variety, not to say profusion, of bleffings, which art and nature have poured out, for the fubfiftence, convenience, and ornament of that happy nation. A man of thy understanding will find a fecret delight in tracing out the fteps of the great heroes of antiquity; he will be ftudious of fearching into the annals of their story, and will meet with no fmall entertainment in hearing of the victories and military virtue of SESOSTRIS, or the peaceful