76 MELAI, A TALE. May iS, 



day-light was again beginning to appear, when a whimper- 

 ing, a tugging, and a fcratching awakened me. I opened 

 with dii-ficulty my heavy eyes, and beheld again my re- 

 turning friend. His mouth was bloody, and at my feet lay 

 an animil of a fpecles wMth which I was entirely unac- 

 quainted ; which, however, a good deal refembled a coney. 

 When he faw me awake, he whimpered foftly once more, 

 and t.iting it up, laid it in my bofom. I ihall not here fay 

 a Vfovd of my ft-elings ; I fpeak at prcfent to a man, whole 

 eye teftifies fufficiently how his heart is afle^ted. 



This which he o.Tered me was no royal ban'^uet ; hut 

 jione of, thofe which 1 had formerly tailed, amid all the pomp 

 and Ipicndorof luxury, appeared to me fo excellent, orrefrelh- 

 ed me fo much, as this fmall morfel of raw flelh. I conti- 

 nued my pilgrimage ; and in the afternoon found myfelf on 

 a road which was fomewhat frequented : at the end of the 

 day I was on Perjian ground, and early next morning en- 

 tered a fmall town, where an hofpitable old man gave me 

 entertainment. The money whicii I had would have only 

 been luthcient to bear my expences for two days ; I there- 

 fore embraced the firll opportunity to retire into theremotell 

 corner of the houfe, and there, although not without reluft- 

 ance and regret, broke the leall: of the jewels from my fa- 

 ther's ring. The price which I received for it, carried mc 

 to Ifpahan. 1 travelled thither in company with a caravan, 

 or ratiier indeed under their protec\ion \ for fuch was my 

 melancholy, that duringjthe wliolc journey I fcarcely utter- 

 ed a hundred word^:, aniwered only in pionolyllablcs, and 

 never alked a quellion myfeU. 



When at laft we reached Ifpahan, we found the ftreets crowd- 

 ed and full of confuUon \^ my companions inquired into the 

 caufeof 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 hidoccafionfor all my relolution, to prevent theemotions 

 I felt from betraying me. The caule of the tuniult was 

 nothing more than the entrance of the ambaffador of the 

 ufurper of my throne. Jie rode on the elephant which I 

 had been accuftomed to ufe, and he himfelf had been one 

 of my favourites. How often had he fworn to me inviola- 

 ble fidelity; and now he came to folicit my death, 



