7© (DMA K ? 



lovely creature of this world. Fatima breathed nothing 

 but love and tendernefs, and yet {he was obliged to lan- 

 guifn and die in the bloom of life. The fage is at lea$ 

 right in thi§ faying, that men are created to enjoy life 

 and follow after virtue. But the Eternal alone knows 

 whether or not they are created to be happy." 



CHAP. IV. 



t)MAR OCCASIONS TJIE DEATH OF HONEST 



MAN. 



OMAR buried Fatima, and built a coftly manur 

 mei^t to her memory. Ali came foon after, and en- 

 deavoured to confole him I *i Always fo folitary, 

 Omar ? " faid Ali, 6 5 By heaven thou trieft as much as 

 thou canft to make thyfelf miferable ! " " Art thou 

 then happy, Ali ? " " If there were np fuch things a§ 

 the confounded gout and cough, I would not change 

 my lituation with that of the calif " But how comeft 

 thou by thefe diforders ?" M We mall talk of that by 

 and by. Omar, wilt thou once in thy life follow my 

 advice ? thou knowefl: I dp not commonly meddle in 

 other men ? s affairs ; but I can no longer behold thee 

 with indifference. Wilt thou make a trial of my way of 

 life?" " But if I likewife get the gout >" " Thou 

 fool ! the gout brings with it its advantages. The day 

 one is free from it is fo much the more pleafant. Come f 

 follow me, Omar ." Ali did not give Omar time to an- 

 fwer, but took him by the arm into a company, where 

 all thofe who lived in the higheft ftyle in Bagdat were 

 affembled ; and who had a great deal of leifure time on 

 their hands. They laughed, they fung, they heard others 



fingj 



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V- 



