something, from which all other things derive their being. And since man could not create himself, since he was not produced by the action of inanimate bodies, and since he was not the previous something which I have demonstrated to exist from eternity, he must have been created by the Being that did so exist. Let us distinguish that Being by the name of God: man, therefore, is the creature of God. Rabnah ceased.-A murmur of applause was heard throughout the assembly; and it was evident that a deep impression had been made on the minds of all present by what they had heard from Rabnah. Not one objection was heard against any thing he had uttered; and all who were present beheld him with reverence. After a considerable time, during which a deep and serious silence prevailed, Rabnah said— 66 Behold, my friends, the sun has retired behind the western mountains. Return to your homes, and on the day of the full moon again assemble at this place; for I have much to tell you concerning the Being whose existence has been demonstrated; concerning ourselves, and concerning other matters which it is for your good to know.” * It should be observed that this piece was composed before the author had read any books of Natural Theology, in some of which he has subsequently discovered that a very similar mode of reasoning is used. Abdallah. Our very wishes give us not our wish, I, ABDALLAH, the son of Omar, as I reposed in the splendid abode of my forefathers, was overcome by sorrow, and my heart was oppressed with grief. I had travelled far. I had sought knowledge among the sages of the West, and I had acquired wisdom in the burning regions of the East. And I was wise. The Sultan attended to my counsels. The aged and the venerable esteem me their equal. And the young listened in silence to the words of my mouth. And I was wealthy. My coffers were filled with the gold and gems of Golconda; and my treasures abounded with the costly gums and spices of Arabia. And I was beloved. The vicegerent of Allah treated me as a friend. The beauteous Selima delighted in my presence. The poor, the destitute, and the oppressed, repeated my name with benedictions; and the infant was early taught to pray for blessings on my head. • Young. I was wise; I was wealthy and beloved: but yet I was unhappy. "And why wert thou unhappy?"-If thou inquirest of the thunder, why it roars; or of the winds, wherefore they blow; thou wilt receive no answer, neither can I tell thee why I was unhappy. As I reposed on the embroidered couch in the mansion of my forefathers, the demon of Melancholy pressed heavy on me, and my mind was disturbed by care. I knew that I was not happy. I communed with my own heart, and saw that there was something yet wanting to my felicity, but what that was I was unable to discover. I sighed. And impelled by an undefined feeling of restlessness and mental misery, I exclaimed, "Surely a life of quiet must be one of felicity! O that I occupied some state where my days might pass in unruffled serenity; where I might repose in the bowers of ease; and where none of the cares of active life might intrude on my retirement. Where I might meditate at leisure on the bounties and the works of Allah; and where I might be free from those duties, which now distract my attention from the culture of wisdom. "Is it just in the wise to suffer such unimportant affairs as wars, and triumphs, and defeats to engross their faculties? Ought they to pursue the paths of interest and ambition, or to seek the favour of princes? Is it not wrong in them to delight in the incense of applause, or to court the breath of popularity? Or can Arabian spices, or the jewels of Golconda, be worthy of a name among the constituents of their happiness." "Selima! Amurath! much as I love you, with joy I would leave you for a state in which no idle hopes, no anxious fears, nor public or private anxieties, should ever more molest me. "Holy Allah! Men call me wise; but Thou knowest that I am foolish. Deign, O.Great Power, to look on a descendant of thy Prophet. Illuminate his mind with knowledge, and communicate to him wisdom. I ceased. A dense cloud gradually arose in the centre of the apartment which I occupied. It remained stationary a few moments, and then as gradually dispersing, revealed a being of more than mortal beauty. He was taller than the sons of men, and his eye beamed with celestial fire. A robe of azure hue, and far richer than the finest silk enfolded his form, a starry zone of glittering gems encircled his waist, and in his right hand he held a rod of silver. 66 He smiled benignly; and gently bending his lofty form towards me, he said, Abdallah, son of Omar: I, the Genius Oziel, am sent to teach thee wisdom. I am authorised to grant all thy wishes. Abdallah! of what art thou desirous?" I was astonished at the visit of the Genius; and replied not to his demand. "Abdallah, son of Omar, what wouldest thou?" he again repeated, after a short interval of silence. Awe still held me mute: and my endeavours to obtain utterance were vain. "Abdallah! Allah has blessed thee with knowledge and with understanding. The love of the beauteous Selima is thine; and thine too is the friendship of Amurath. Thy treasures abound with gold and with silver, with Arabian gums, and the gems of Golconda. None but thy sovereign is superior to thee. Thou art beloved, esteemed, and admired; and numberless are the voices which hourly invoke the blessing of Allah on thy head. Thus happy as thou hast the means of being, say, O Abdallah, what more canst thou desire ?" "Thou sighest for retirement and philosophic ease. Thou desirest abstraction from the cares and duties which now engross thee. Dost thou not, O child of Earth?" "I knew it and thy wish is granted. Yet I warn thee, Abdallah, that in the state, void of care and anxieties, to which I shall transplant thee, thou wilt not find that happiness which thou expectest to obtain. All thy wishes there will be gratified; nothing there will harm thee but thyself; if to acquire knowledge be thy choice, |