86 Monthly Review of Literature, 
light, makes him the most frank and liberal 
offers of his: but these Ismael is too high- 
spirited to accept, though the importunate 
exactions of his manceuvring mistress make 
loans very desirable. The facility with which 
these were granted seduces the thoughtless 
youth into encroachments on his friend’s 
kindness, and enables him to extend the 
natural term of his inglorious intercourse 
with his harem-mistress. But matters with 
her, from other causes, precipitate—dis- 
covery follows; and the lady, an Affghan, 
and of course of an indomitable spirit, plans 
a fierce revenge. Ismael is introduced to 
her apartments as usual, and is immediately 
taxed about his base intrigue with her slave, 
and the unhappy girl is brought in by 
numerous attendants. He is himself secured 
and bound, and she, in his very sight, is 
stript—her beautiful and downy shoulders 
mercilessly scourged, and her soft and snowy 
bosom cut and gashed with knives, till she 
falls senseless on the ground; and, just as 
the fell tigress is preparing to put out 
Ismael’s eyes, comes in the enraged hus- 
band, and the scene of violence terminates 
by the wife stabbing her bleeding victim, 
and hersel., after failing in a rush upon 
Ismael, dying under the operation of poi- 
son, and Ismael’s being plunged into a 
dungeon. 
From this dungeon, however, he is quickly 
rescued by the re-appearance of the myste- 
rious dervish, who, reading him another 
lecture on his recent profligacy, takes him 
to a place of safety; from whence, after 
recovering from a sharp fever, the conse- 
quence of his agitations and sufferings, he 
returns to his military duties. But his 
absence has been long, and he is received 
by his master with great coldness, and some 
reproaches, and bade to be watchful for 
some opportunity of recovering his fallen 
credit. This, with his irrepressible ardour, 
he soon accomplishes ; an engagement takes 
place ; and, by an act of daring and despe- 
rate valour, he turns the fortune of the field, 
and regains Nadir’s favour. New victories 
and honours flow in upon him, and success, 
in full tide, attends him up to the recovery of 
Ispahan, the expulsion of the Affehan sove- 
reign, and the restoration of the legitimate 
schah. 
At Ispahan, in a severe fit of illness 
brought on by his exertions and his wounds, 
he is again found by the merchant, and by 
him splendidly taken care of; and we have 
then his farther adventures detailed. Once 
more in a state of convalescence, Ismael is 
despatched with a detachment of troops to 
occupy Mushed, where, among some cap- 
tives, he discovers his own Shireen, in the 
deepest misery, dying from want; and 
learns, moreover, that Selim is in confine- 
ment, and his execution certain on Nadir’s 
arrival, who was expected every day. Nadir 
had, on some former occasion, made him 
the promise of a boon or demand, and he 
now demands the life of his friend, and 
(Juxy, 
when refused, renounces his allegiance, and 
by this resolute behaviour finally shakes the 
stern determination of his commander, and 
receives a pardon for himself and friend. 
At this stage—when all is prosperous—his 
friend rescued from destruction—and him- 
self happy in the arms of his loved and 
long-lost Shireen, the story stops. More is 
promised; and in due time, of course, we 
shall be carried over the career of Nadir’s 
Indian triumphs—which we shall trace with 
interest, under so competent a guide. 
Sketch of the present State of the Island 
of Sardinia, by Capt. W. H. Smyth, R. N. 
1828.—This is an acceptable volume ; for 
of the existing state of Sardinia, and its 
population, we have no accounts to be relied 
upon, and none at all of recent production ; 
and even for its history, we know not where 
to refer to, except where it is mixed up with 
that of other countries, or incidentally ad- 
verted to. Captain Smyth was employed by 
the Admiralty to survey the coast ; and with 
the present publication in view, he seized on 
every opportunity for gaining the requisite 
information, and seems, first or last, to have 
cut the island in all directions. The ac- 
count is, on the whole, as complete as can 
be wished for, of a place so little in commu- 
nion with the rest of the world. Under 
different divisions will be found the political 
history of the island—its produce and re- 
sources—the condition and habits of the 
natives—and a tour round the coast. 
The history is very slightly sketched. 
The oldest accounts represent the island as 
originally colonized by Libyans, some dozen 
centuries before the Christian era, to whom 
were successively added Trojans, Greeks, 
and others. In 530 B.C. occurs the first 
historical fact, an invasion by the Corin- 
thians, which the Sards, aided by a band of 
Corsicans, repelled; and with the same 
success they seem to have bafHed several 
similar attempts from other quarters. In 
259, Cornelius Scipio defeated the Cartha~ 
ginians off the coasts, in two successive 
years, and with his legions overran the 
whole island, without making any effort to 
retain possession—the motives for invading 
and abandoning are equally obscure. But 
in 213, Sardinia was finally reduced, and 
being incorporated with Corsica, became a 
Roman province, governed by a pretor. 
Soon after, we read of a civil war between 
the natives of the plains and of the hills, 
followed by a pretty general revolt from the 
Romans; and in 178, after a tremendous 
destruction, the island was again reduced by 
Sempronius Gracchus, and thenceforward 
made a consular province. From this 
period it followed the fortunes of other 
Roman provinces—long regarded by Rome 
as one of its granaries, and was the spot to 
which her criminals were banished. In the 
reign of Tiberius, according to Tacitus, 
4,000 Jews were despatched to subdue some 
pirates, who were ravaging the island— 
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