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May 18, low. Out of a hundred thoufand, fcarcely fifty obeyed. The fortrefs into which I intended to throw myself was distant more than a day's journey; a foreft lay between, and night was approaching. We rode as if death had pursued us: we reached the forest, and it was now midnight: our horfes failed us, and we were obliged to ftep. I now reckoned the number of my companions, and the fifty had dwindled into ten. The others had either been kept back by fatigue, or had altered their minds, and thought it better to return. I fmiled feverely, but faid not a word; I threw myself on the grafs, and my attendants around me: My bofom was filled with rage and vexation, with refentment, jealoufy and hatred of life. But fatigue was stronger than all my paflions; and I had not lain long till I fell asleep. When I awaked after a few hours, by the glimmering of the moon, I perceived that I was alone; how my attendants ftole away I know not; at a little distance grazed my horfe, and at my feet lay my dog.

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It is now too long fince I have entertained you with nothing but the bafenefs and treachery of unworthy creatures; I rejoice that it is now at laft in my power to mention one of a very different kind; but in order that you may the better understand what follows, I must first give you the history of my dog.

Of all the different forts of hunting, I had hitherto encouraged only that of the tyger, because I efteemed it the most ufeful to my fubjects. I obferved in one of thefe expeditions, a very young, but valiant dog, who was torn and lying in his own blood, and I flew the tyger at the very moment in which he was about to finish his foe. The poor animal howled in my face; I ordered him immediately to be taken up; and as I was always accustomed, on fuch occafions, to carry about with me an admirable balfam, I poured a few drops of it into the wounds of the dog: The alleviation of pain which followed in confequence, made him change his howl into a gentle whimper, during which he gratefully licked my hand.

I repeated my orders that he should be particularly taken care of: the dog accordingly recovered; and as I had often inquired after him, they brought him to me as foon as he was healed. He knew me immediately; and as if he had been fenfible that I alone was the preferver of his life, he

fawned upon me with fo much affection, that from that mo ment he became my favourite. It would indeed have been next to impoffible to take him again from me while he was alive, fo great was the zeal and attachment which he fhewed for me. By day he was my companion, and at night my guard. He had followed me every where both to the battle and in my flight; and him I found ftill beide me, when all the world had betrayed and forfaken me.

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Whatever you may think of it, I blufh not to acknowledge, that he who was formerly the monarch of Indoflan, now kiffed and embraced his only faithful friend with more real affection, than he could poffibly have done to him who fhould have restored him to his kingdom and his throne. I then sprung to my horfe, and purfued my flight; but it was no longer directed to the fortrefs, the gates of which would have been shut against me.

It may perhaps appear incredible, that a fingle fugitive should be able to efcape unknown and undiscovered, in the midst of a land full of commotion and difquiet. But I had chofen, when I first determined upon flight, an attire and a turban of the meaneft appearance; my horfe, though deficient neither in ftrength nor fwiftness, was far from being remark able for the beauty of his form; and above all, I was protected by him, whofe power, wherever it is inclined to fave, can ftrike with blindness the hoftile eye, and wither into weaknefs the hoftile arm.

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My intention was to escape into Perfia and I was now about twenty miles from the borders, when I reached at night-fall a farm-house, and begged for lodging, which was immediately granted. I fat down to table and pretended to eat; but there entered foon after a young foldier, who was just returned home from the army, and, as I learned foon after, was the fon of my hoft. He was naturally received with the higheft exultation, and afked immediately how every thing went, how he had fared, and what party he had taken; what the new monarch was doing, and what was become of his unhappy predeceffor. Thefe, and a thousand other queftions crowded upon him before he had time to reply. He was one of thofe, who, in the midst of the battle had gone over to Ebn Mahmud, he extolled to the utmoft the clemency of the conqueror, VOL. III.

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May 18, and faid, that a province would be the reward of my head. I was fitting by chance in fuch a fituation, that he could not at first get a view of my face of this he appeared to be very defirous; and after he had fucceeded, he and his father whispered together for fome minutes.

I heard indeed but a few words; but of thefe few, fufpious was one; and foon after, he went away. This, you may fuppofe, was fufficient to alarm me: I pretended to be drowfy, and feised on fome pretext to get out once more before I went to bed. I hafted into the garden, which was behind the houfe, where I found my horfe fastened to a tree. ` I loofed him immediately, fet myfelf upon him, jumped in a moment over the little hedge, and fprung forward with the fwiftnefs of an arrow.

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I had fcarcely proceeded a hundred fteps, when I heard fomebody calling me back; and after I had run about a quarter of an hour, I faw behind me, by the light of the moon, fomething at a distance which appeared to me in motion. I could no longer doubt that I was pursued; but I trufted to my horfe, and I was not deceived, for I foon after loft fight of my purfuers. I rode, or rather flew the whole night, avoiding always the public ways: but I foon diffovered that I had avoided them too much; for I found myself, at the return of day-light, in the midst of an extenfive field of fand. I was concerned for my horfe, but ftill more fo for my life; and therefore continued to fpur him forward till about noon, when the heat was moft powerful, he funk down exhaufted with wearinefs and hunger, without a poffibility of rifing again.

"Thou too, I exclaimed, haft forfaken me," while I untied the girth and the reins of the bridle: "Poor creature, at least thy inclinations did not fail fooner than thy strength: oh that the infamous wretches who furrounded me, had fulfilled theit duty but half fo well." I quitted him with tears; and if it could have helped him, I willingly would' have parted with one of my arms. For myfelf, there was now no where either hope or confolation.

I now continued my flight on foot; but was constrained. by the craving call of neceffity to ftop at the next village that I faw. Here I purchased fome provifions, gave myself out for a merchant who had been pillaged by

robbers. and inquired which was the road to Perfia. The anfwer was, that there were two ways; one of them public and well frequented, the other much nearer, but lonefome and dangerous, because it was easy to wander into the deferts, a fmall part of which I had already gone over. I chofe, as you may imagine, the latter way, and found myfelf, at the clofe of the third day, in the very fituation of which I had been warned.

Sufficiently dreadful must be the condition of any man in a defert, far from human habitation; without a guide, and without provifions; without knowledge, and without hope: what then must be that of a prince, brought up with delicacy, and foftened by good fortune, accustomed never to think of mifery, and never accustomed to hear of want? I continued, however, my tiresome journey for the fpace of a day and a night longer. Then indeed, my ftrength was at an end; but the end of the defert was far diftant.

The fun was now fetting; his retreat was accompanied by no mufic of the birds, for nothing near me was alive but my dog. It was followed by the falling of no dew, for all around me was burning fand. I threw myself in despair upon one of the hillocks: "Here will I lie, for why thould I go farther? Here will I flumber the fleep eternal." My dog now crawled towards me, looked in my face, and began to whimper. He had eat nothing fince the day before, when I had faithfully fhared with him the laft of my provifion. I now hung over him and wept, ftroking him tenderly, and crying out "How willingly would I feed thee, had I but only a morfel to myself." As if he Ifad understood the words which I uttered, as if he could interpret the tear in my eye, he looked at me fteadily, licked me once more, then fuddenly fprung up and disappeared.

It may perhaps feem incredible, that of all the trials which I fuffered either before or fince, this was one which affected me most deeply; this was the only one which totally overwhelmed me. "He too at laft," I exclaimed in an agony; my feelings overpowered me, and I funk under them, and loft at once both fenfibility and fpeech. How long I lay in this fituation, is not poffible precifely to fay. It must however have continued for fome hours; for

May 18, day-light was again beginning to appear, when a whimpering, a tugging, and a feratching awakened me. 1 opened with difficulty my heavy eyes, and beheld again my returning friend. His mouth was bloody, and at my feet lay an animal of a fpecies with which I was entirely unacquainted; which, however, a good deal refembled a coney. When he faw me awake, he whimpered foftly once more, and taking it up, laid it in my bosom. I shall not here fay a word of my feelings; I fpeak at prefent to a man, whofe eye teftifies fufficiently how his heart is affected.

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This which he offered me was no, royal banquet; but none of thofe which I had formerly tasted, amid all the pomp and fplendor of luxury, appeared to me fo excellent, or refreshed me fo much, as this fmall morfel of raw flesh. I continued my pilgrimage; and in the afternoon found myfelf on a road which was fomewhat frequented at, the end of the day I was on Perfian ground, and early next morning entered a small town, where an hofpitable old man gave me entertainment. The money which I had would have only been fufficient to bear my expences for two days; I therefore embraced the firft opportunity to retire into the remotest corner of the houfe, and there, although not without reluct ance and regret,, broke the leaft of the jewels from my father's ring. The price which I received for it, carried me to Ipahan. I travelled thither in company with a caravan, or rather indeed under their protection; for fuch was my melancholy, that during the whole journey I fcarcely uttered a hundred words, anfwered only in monofyllables, and never afked a queftion myfelf..

When at last we reached Ipahan, we found the streets crowded and full of confusion; my companions inquired into the caufe of the tumult; but before they had time to be informed of the matter, I faw it too clearly, with my own eyes I faw it, and had occafion for all my refolution, to prevent the emotions I felt from betraying me. The caufe, of the tumult was nothing more than the entrance of the ambaffador of the ufurper of my throne. He rode on the elephant which I had been accustomed to use, and he himself had been one of my favourites. How often had he fworn to me inviola ble fidelity; and now he came to folicit my death.

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