J 79*' Melai, a tale. ' 93 



'awned upon me with fo much afFedlron, that from that mo- 

 ment he became my favourite. It would indeed have been 

 next to impoflible to take him again from me while he was 

 aliye, fo great was the zeal and attachment which he (hewed 

 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 ray flight; and him I found ftill befide me, when 

 all the world had betrayed and forfaken me. 



Whatever you may think of it, I blulh not to acknow- 

 ledge, that he who was formerly the monarch of lndoj}an,wovi 

 kifl'ed and embraced his only faithful friend with more real 

 afFeftlon, than he could pollibly have done to him who 

 fhould have reftored him to his kingdom and his throne. 

 I then fprung to my horfe, and purfued my flight ; but it 

 was no longer directed to the fortrels, the gates of which 

 Veould have been <hut againit me. 



It may perhaps appear incredible, that a fingle fugitive 

 (hould be able to efcape unknown and undifcovered, in the 

 midft of a land full of commotion and difquiet. But I had 

 chofen, when I firft determined upon flight, an attire and a tur- 

 ban of the meanefl appearance ; my horfe, though deficient 

 neither in ftrength nor fwiftnefs, was far from being remark- 

 able for the beautyof his form j and above all, I was proteded 

 by him, whofe power, wherever it is inclined to fave, can 

 ftrike with blindnefs the hoftile eye, and wither into weak- 

 nefs the hoftile arm. 



My intention was to efcape into Perjia ; and I was now 

 about twenty miles from the borders, when I reached at 

 night-fall a farm-houfe, 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 juft returned home from the army, and, as I learned 

 foon after, was the fon of my hoft. He was naturally re- 

 ceived 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 

 thoufand other queftions crowded upon him before he had 

 time to reply. He was one of thofe, who, in the 

 mid It of the battle had gone over to Ebn Mabmud \ 

 he extolled to the utmoft the clemency of the conqueror, 



Vol. hi. f K 



