I have been much perplexed and sorely tried
Upon a point which you shall now decide.

2. "Some years ago, a friend into my care
Some jewels gave, rich, precious gems they were ;
And, having given them to my care, this friend
Did after neither come for them nor send,
But left them in my keeping for so long,
That now it seems to me almost a wrong
That he should suddenly arrive to-day,
And take the jewels that he left away.

What think you? Shall I freely yield them back,
And without murmuring-so henceforth to lack
Those gems myself which I had learned to see
Almost as mine for ever, mine in fee."

3. "What question can there be. Your own true heart
Must sure inform you of the only part ;-
That may be claimed again which was but lent,
And must be yielded without discontent.
And surely we can find in this no wrong,
That it was left us to enjoy so long."

4. "Good is the word," she answered, " may we now, And evermore that it is good allow."

And, rising, to an inner chamber led;

And there she showed him, stretched upon the bed, Two children pale, and he the jewels knew

Which God had lent him and resumed anew.

R. C. TRENCH.

XXV.

THE HISTORY OF ALNASCHAR.-III.

At the end of a month Alnaschar was quite cured of his wounds, by means of the infallible remedies I made him apply. He then resolved to revenge himself on the old woman who had so cruelly deceived him. For this purpose he took a purse large enough to hold five hundred pieces of money, but instead of gold he filled it with bits of glass.

"My brother then tied the purse round his girdle, and disguised himself as an old woman. After which he took a scimitar, and concealed it under his dress. He went out early one morning, and soon met the old hag, who was already walking about the city seeking to entrap some one or other. Alnaschar accosted her, and feigning the voice of a woman, he said, "Can you do me the favour to lend me a money balance ? I am a Persian, and but just arrived in this city. I have brought five hundred pieces of gold from my own country, and I wish to see if they are full weight." "My good woman," replied the other, "you could not have addressed yourself to a more proper person than me. I will take you to the house of my son, who is a money changer; and he will take a pleasure in weighing the gold for you." My brother followed her to the same house where she had introduced him the first time, and the door was opened by the Greek slave.

The old woman conducted my brother into the hall, where she bid him wait a moment, while she went to find her son. The pretended son then appeared in the form of that villainous black slave. Come, my old woman," he called out, "get up and follow me." Having spoken thus, he walked on before to the place where he wished

F

66

to murder him. Alnaschar got up and followed the black slave; and, as he was going along, he drew his scimitar from under his robe, and gave him such a blow on the hind part of the neck that he cut his head completely off. The Greek slave directly after brought a basin of salt; but when she saw Alnaschar with the scimitar in his hand, she let the basin fall and ran away; but my brother, being able to run faster, soon overtook her, and made her head fly from her shoulders. At hearing this noise, the wicked old woman ran to see what was the matter, when Alnaschar seized her before she had time to make her escape. "Wretch," he exclaimed, "dost thou not know me? I am the person into whose house you came the other day to request leave to wash yourself, and say your pretended prayers. She instantly fell down on her knees, and implored his pardon, but he cut her into four pieces.

دو

The lady alone remained, who knew nothing at all of what was passing. My brother went to look after her, and discovered her in a chamber. When she saw him enter, she was near fainting. She prayed him to spare her life, and he had the generosity to grant it. "How can you, madam," he asked, "live with such infamous wretches as those on whom I have now so justly avenged myself?" "I I was," she answered, "the wife of a very worthy merchant, and that wicked old woman, of whose treachery I was ignorant, sometimes came to see me. "Madam," said she one day to me, we are going to have a gay and splendid wedding at our house, and you will enjoy a great deal of pleasure there if you will honour us with your company." I suffered myself to be prevailed upon to go; and for this purpose I dressed myself in my richest habit, and took a hundred pieces of gold with me. I followed her till she came to this house, where I have ever since been detained by force." "From the manner in which this

black proceeded, he must have amassed," replied my brother, "great wealth." "So much so," she answered,

"that if you could carry it away you would never be poor again." She led Alnaschar into a room where he saw so many coffers of gold that he could not conceal his astonishment. "Go," she cried, "and bring here a sufficient number of persons to carry all this away."

My brother did not wait to be told a second time; he went away, and was absent only till he collected ten men together. He brought them back with him, and was much astonished to find the door of the house open; but his astonishment was still greater when, on going into the room where he had seen the coffers, he could not discover a single one. The lady had been both more cunning and more diligent than he had, and she and the coffers had entirely vanished during my brother's absence. That he might not return with empty hands, he ordered the men to take, instead of the coffers, whatever movables they could find in the chambers and different apartments, whence he took more than was sufficient to repay him the value of his five hundred pieces of gold, of which they had robbed him. But in going away from the house, my brother forgot to shut the door; and the neighbours who knew my brother, and had observed the porters both come and go, went and informed the judge of the whole business, which appeared to them of a very suspicious nature.

Alnaschar passed the night quite at his ease; but early the next morning, as he was going out, he encountered twenty men belonging to the police, who immediately seized him and brought him before the judge of the police. My brother then related, without disguise, every circumstance that had happened to him, from the time the old woman first came to his house to request leave to say her prayers, till he returned to the chamber in which he had left the young lady. With regard to what he had carried home, he entreated the judge to suffer him to keep at least a part of it, to recompense him for the five hundred pieces of gold of which they had robbed him.

The judge immediately sent some of his people to my brother's house, to bring away everything he had; and as soon as the things were deposited in his ware