1791 • MELAI, A TALE. 75 



robbers, and inquired which -was the road to Perjia. 

 The anfwer was, that there were two ways ; one of them 

 public and well frequented, the other much nearer, but 

 lonefime and dangerous, becaufe it was eafy 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 tlie third day, in the 

 very fituation of which I had been warned. 



Sumciently dreadful muft be the condition of any man 

 in a defert, far from human habitation ; without a guide, and 

 without provlfions ; without knowledge, and without hope : 

 •what then muft be that of a prince, brought up with 

 delicacy, and foftcned by good fortune, accuftomed ne- 

 ver to think of mifery, and never accuftomed to hear of 

 ■want ? I continued, however, my tirefome 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 dillant. 



The fun was now fetting; his retreat was accompanied 

 by no mufic of the birds, for nothing near mc was alive 

 but my dog. It was followed by the falling of no dew, 

 tor all around me was burning fand. I threw myfelf in 

 defpair upon one of the hillocks : " Here will I lie, for 

 ■why Ihould I go farther ? Here will I {lumber the fleep 

 eternal." My dog now crawled towards me, looked in 

 my face, and began to whimper. He had eat nothing fmce 

 the day before, when I had faithfully (liared with him 

 the lalt of my provifion. I now hung over him and wept, 

 llroking him tenderly, and crying out " How willingly 

 would I feed thee, had I but only a morfel to myfelf." As if 

 he had underftood the words which 1 uttered, as if he could 

 interpret the tear in my eye, he looked at me fteadily, lick- 

 ed me once more, then fuddenly fprung up and difappearcd. 



It may perhaps feem incredible, that of all the trial's 

 which I fuffered either before or fince, this was one which 

 affected me moll deeply, this was the only one which total- 

 ly overwhelmed me. " He too at lad," I exclaimed in an 

 agony •, my feelings overpowered rnc, and 1 funk under 

 them, and loft at once both fenfibility and fpeech. How 

 long I lay in this fituation, is not polTible precifely to 

 iay. It mail however have continued for fome L.,urs ; fqr 



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