into a diftant region, and afpires at all that is fublime and beautiful, in order to approach perfection and beatitude. Nor was this fufficient: The mind diffatisfied with culling only the moft noble thoughts, arrayed in forcible and luxuriant terms, and perceiving the sweetness which arofe from the melody of birds, called in mufic to its aid; when thefe illuftrious thoughts, dignified and dreffed with pomp and fplendor, were fo placed as to produce harmony: the long and fhort, the fmooth and rough fyllables were varioufly combined to recommend the fenfe by the found, and elevation and cadence employed to make the whole more mufically expreffive.

Hence Poetry became the parent of mufic, and indeed of dancing; for the method of meafuring the time of their verfes per Arfin et Thefin, and of beating the bars or divifions of mufic, gave rife we may fuppofe, to this art, and taught the poet alfo to exprefs the tranfports of the foul. And this will in fome meafure account, not only for the great antiquity of dancing, but for its application to religious ceremonies even in the first ages of the world. Poetry, mufic, and dancing, were all used by the Ifraelites of old in their worship, and are thus employed by many of the eaftern nations, and by the Indians of America, to this day.

What has been faid of the origin of Poetry will account for the neceffity there is for that enthufiafm, that fertility of invention, thofe fallies of the imagination, lofty ideas, noble sentiments, bold and figurative expreffions, harmony of numbers, and indeed that natural love of the grand, fublime, and marvellous, which are the effential characteristics of a good Poet. The Poet, not fatisfied with exploring all nature for fubjects, wantons in the fields of fancy, and creates beings of his own. He raifes floating islands, dreary defarts, and inchanted caftles, which he peoples by the magic of his imagination with Satyrs, Sylphs, and Fairies; and, as Shakespeare fays,

as imagination bodies forth The forms of things unknown, the Poet's pen Turns them to fhape, and gives to airy nothing

A local habitation and a name.

(To be continued.)

VISIT TO THE HAREM

OF THE

PRINCE OF MOROCCO.

IT was with the greatest pleasure that in about a fortnight after my firft attendance on the prince, I obferved an amendment in his complaint. His eye now evinced a 'difpofition to recover its former pofition; at firft he was only able to difcern light from darkness, but he could now diftinguifh an apple at about ten yards diftance.

Thefe flattering appearances entirely removed every prejudice which at first arofe in the minds of the prince's attendants; and his highnefs himself acknowledged that he had been too hafty in forming his opinion of me. The confidence which this fuccefs occafioned, induced the prince to admit me into his Harem, where there were feveral ladies who had occafion for my fervices.

Though this afforded me an opportuity of feeing the Harem, I thall wave a particular defcription of it, as it only differed from that of the emperor, by being upon a smaller scale.

Upon receiving the prince's orders to attend his ladies, one of his friends was immediately difpatched with me to the gate the Harem; with directions to the alcaide (an officer in the general idea of the word) of the eunuchs to admit myfelf and interpreter whenever I thought it neceffary.

The eunuchs, who have the entire charge of the women, and who in fact live always among them, are the children of negro flaves. They are generally either very fhort and fat; or else tall, deformed, and lame, their voices have that particular tone which is obfervable in youths who are juft arriving at manhood; and their perfons altogether afforded a difgufting image of weakness and effeminacy. From the truft repofed in them by their mafters, and the confequence which it gives them, the eunuchs exceed in infolence and pride every other clafs of people in the country. They difplayed indeed fo much of it towards me, that I was obliged, in my own defence, to complain of them once or twice, and to have them punished.

At