The way to dufky death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking fhadow, a poor player,
That ftruts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more! It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of found and fury,
Signifying nothing.

BOOK II.

NARRATIVE PIECES.

CHA P. I.

DER VIS E.

ADERVISE, travelling thro' Tartary, being arrived

at the town of Balk, went into the king's palace by mistake, as thinking it to be a public inn or caravansary. Having looked about him for some time, he entered into a long gallery, where he laid down his wallet, and spread his carpet, in order to repose himself upon it after the manner of the eastern nations. He had not been long in this pofture, before he was discovered by fome of the guards, who asked him what was his business in that place? The Dervise told them he intended to take up his night's lodging in that caravanfary. The guards let him know, in a very angry manner, that the house he was in was not a caravansary, but the king's palace. It happened that the king himself passed through the gallery during this debate, and smiling at the mistake of the Dervise, asked him how he could poffibly be fo dull as not to distinguish a palace from a caravanfary? Sir, fays the Dervife, give me leave to ask your maD 3 jefty

THE

jefty a question or two. Who were the perfons that lodged in this house when it was first built? The king replied, His ancestors. And who, fays the Dervife, was the laft perfon that lodged here? The king replied, His father. And who is it, fays the Dervife, that lodges here at prefent? The king told him, That it was he himself. And who, fays the Dervife, will be here after you? The king anfwered, The young prince his fon. Ah, Sir, faid the

Dervife, a houfe that changes its inhabitants fo often, and receives fuch a perpetual fucceffion of guests, is not a palace, but a caravanfary.'

SPECTATOR.

CHA P. II.

TURKISH TALE.

WE are told that the Sultan Mahmoud, by his perpe

tual wars abroad, and his tyranny at home, had filled his dominions with ruin and desolation, and half unpeopled the Perfian Empire. The vifier to this great Sultan (whether an humorist or an enthusiast, we are not informed) pretended to have learned of a certain Dervise to understand the language of birds, so that there was not a bird that could open his mouth, but the vifier knew what it was he said, As he was one evening with the emperor, in their return from hunting, they faw a couple of owls upon a tree that grew near an old wall out of a heap of rubbish. I would fain know, fays the fultan, what those two owls are saying to one another; liften to their discourse and give me an account of it. The vifier approached the tree, pretending to be very attentive to the two owls. Upon his return to the Sultan, Sir, fays he, I have heard part of their converfation,

but

1

but dare not tell you what it is. The Sultan would not be fatisfied with fuch an answer, but forced him to repeat word for word every thing the owls had faid. You must know then, faid the Vifier, that one of thefe owls has a fon, and the other a daughter, between whom they are now upon a treaty of marriage. The father of the fon faid to the father of the daughter, in my hearing, brother, I confent to this marriage, provided you will fettle upon your daughter fifty ruin'd villages for her portion. To which the father of the daughter replied, instead of fifty I will give her five hundred, if you please. God grant a long life to Sultan Mahmoud; whilft he reigns over us, we shall never want ruined villages.

THE ftory fays, the Sultan was so touched with the fable, that he rebuilt the towns and villages which had been deftroyed, and from that time forward confulted the good of his people.

SPECTATOR.

CHA P.

AVARICE AND LUXUR Y.

ΤΗ

HERE were two very powerful tyrants engaged in a perpetual war against each other: the name of the first was Luxury, and of the fecond Avarice. The aim of each of them was no less than universal monarchy over the hearts of mankind. Luxury had many generals under him, who did him great service, as Pleasure, Mirth, Pomp, and Fashion. Avarice was likewife very strong in his officers, being faithfully ferved by Hunger, Industry, Care, and Watchfulnefs he had likewife a privy-counsellor who was always at his elbow, and whispering fomething or other in his ear: the name of this privy-counfellor was Poverty. As Avarice conD 4

ducted

III.

ducted himself by the counfels of Poverty, his antagonist was entirely guided by the dictates and advice of Plenty, who was his first counsellor and minister of ftate, that concerted all his measures for him, and never departed out of his fight. While these two great rivals were thus contending for empire, their conquefts were very various. Luxury got poffeffion of one heart, and Avarice of another. The father of a family would often range himself under the banners of Avarice, and the fon under those of Luxury. The Wife and Hufband would often declare themselves on the two different parties; nay, the fame perfon would very often fide with one in his youth, and revolt to the other in his old age. Indeed the wise men of the world ftood neuter; but alas, their numbers were not confiderable. At length when these two potentates had wearied themfelves with waging war upon one another, they agreed upon an interview, at which neither of their counsellors were to be prefent. It is faid that Luxury began the parley, and after having reprefented the endless state of war in which they were engaged, told his enemy, with a frankness of heart which is natural to him, that he believed they two fhould be very good friends, were it not for the inftigations of Poverty, that pernicious counsellor, who made an ill ufe of his ear, and filled him with groundless apprehenfions and prejudices, To this Avarice replied, that he looked upon Plenty (the first minister of his antagonist) to be a much more deftructive counsellor than Poverty, for that he was perpetually fuggefting pleasures, banishing all the neceffary cautions against want, and confequently undermining those principles on which the government of Avarice was founded. At last, in order to an accommodation, they agreed upon this preliminary, that each of them should immediately dismiss his privy-counsellor. When things were thus far adjufted towards a peace, all