NUMBER XIV.

If any of my learned readers, skilled in the oriental languages, shall choose to turn over the thirty and three volumes of Abulfagi, the Arabian historian, they may find the following story: near one hundred leaves of the papyrus have been expended in the relation, but I have been at the pains of compressing it into one paper.

In the beginning of the eleventh century, Abderama, the last descendant of the Samanian family, who reigned over the territory of Bucharia, was besieged in his capital of Bochara by Mamood the Great, who afterward reduced all India to his command. This mighty conqueror, who may be styled the Alexander of the Arabian historians, made twelve irruptions into India, and in each expedition swept away as much wealth, and made as great a devastation of the human species, as Nadir Shah in his. Mamood was the son of the usurper Subuctagi, who expelled the father of Abderama from Samarcand, and reduced his empire to the possession of Bochara only and its dependencies.

Such was the formidable general who sat down with his forces before Bochara, and such the hereditary enmity of these inveterate opponents; Abderama therefore had no resource but to defend his cita

del to the last extremity: disabled by his age from actual service, he put the garrison under command of a valiant captain named Abdullah: this young prince was of the house of Katiba, the general of the Caliph Osman, who conquered Great Bucharia for that victorious Mahommedan: Abdullah was the

most accomplished personage of his time, of admirable qualities, and matchless intrepidity: in vain he challenged Mamood to decide the fate of Bochara by single combat; he was also beloved by Zarima, daughter of Abderama, and sole heiress of his crown; the beauty of this princess was celebrated through all the East; more rhapsodies have been composed and chaunted in the praises of Zarima than even Helen gave a subject to our language cannot reach the descriptions of these florid writers; the whole creation has been culled for objects to set in some comparison with Zárima; but as the fire of their imaginations would seem like frenzy to ours, I shall not risk a fall by following them in their flights.

In a furious sally made upon the army of the besiegers, Abdullah at the head of the Bocharians had singled out the person of Mamood, and pushed his horse up to the breast of that on which Mamood was fighting; the shock was furious on both sides: Abdullah received the point of his opponent's lance in his side, and Mamood was struck from his saddle to the ground by the battle-axe of Abdullah; the combatants rushed in to cover their fallen general, and victory was snatched out of the grasp of the brave Bocharian, who fell back wounded amongst his companions, and retreated unpursued into the town after a furious slaughter of the foe.

Whether Mamood was discouraged by the obstinacy of the Bocharians, or, as some historians insinuate, was daunted by this attack, which he had so narrowly escaped from, so it was, that he let the command of the siege devolve upon his general Kamhi, and, at the head of a scouring party, made incursions into the country, to lay it waste with fire and sword, and break up the supplies of Bochara.

Kamhi had seen the beautiful Zarima; he had been in Abderama's court before Mamood's invasion,

and to see the princess was to be enamoured. No sacrifice could be too great for Kamhi to obtain a prize so much above all computation in the heated fancy of a lover: he secretly imparted to Abderama the conditions on which he would betray his trust, and expose the army he commanded to inevitable

destruction.

If these conditions staggered the aged monarch on the score of honour, so did they on the side of interest. To save his crown and city was a tempting offer, and the divided heart of Abderama was not more agitated, as a monarch, for the impending danger of his throne, than it was agonized as a man for the daily sufferings of his faithful people. He submitted to receive Kamhi into the town, and to treat with him in person on the subject of his proposal: Abdullah, from whom this was to be concealed, was now recovering from his wound, but incapable of service for a time; it was proposed by Kamhi to exchange hostage against hostage, and Abdullah was instructed to meet him in the depth of night with one companion on each side: each general was to exchange armour on the spot, and so to pass their respective sentinels: and mutual secrecy was pledged between the parties. There was no difficulty in persuading the generous Abdullah to this enterprise: Abderama giving him to understand, that the meeting was, to adjust the payment of a sum of money, which Kamhi was to receive for betraying the army he commanded before Bochara: the transaction was to be kept a profound secret even from Zarima; the unsuspecting Abdullah repaired to his rendezvous at the appointed hour, without taking leave of the princess, and Kamhi with his associate passed the city guard unquestioned in the habit of his rival. He hasted without a moment's loss to the palace of the old king, and expounded to him the plan he had de

vised for securing the performance of his part of the contract; nothing now remained for Abderama, but to engage his daughter to make a sacrifice, which, severe and difficult as it was, he thought he might depend upon her piety and public spirit for complying with. In this hope he immediately repaired to her chamber, where he found her reposing on her couch; he threw himself at her feet in an agony of tears, and in the most supplicating posture adjured her to arise and save her father, country, and herself, from impending destruction: roused from her sleep, the beauteous Zarima immediately demanded the reason of that solemn abjuration, and what it was that she could do to gain those glorious ends• Emulate the magnanimity of Abdullah,' replied the father; resign Abdullah, as that heroic youth, to save this sinking city from extinction, has now resigned his Zarima.'--Astonishment had now deprived her of the power of utterance, and Abderama proceeded, without interruption, to expose to her the whole purport of his treaty with Kamhi, and the conditions on which alone Bochara might be saved, and Mamood's army betrayed into his hands. He protested to her that Abdullah had been a party to this treaty, that he had left the city for ever; and, to convince her of it, he was ready to produce Kamhi in the very habit which her lover had exchanged with him for the purpose of bringing him to an interview with her, and concluding the agreement.

Not to dwell any longer on Abderama's arguments (in which, was I to follow my Arabian author, I should swell this recital to an unreasonable length), it will suffice to say, that the father prevailed. In the original it appears as if some share in the success was owing to female pique; but, as the Arabian authors are very subtle and refined in finding motives, and in scrutinizing the human passions, I should

hope this suggestion may be imputed to the historian, rather than to the heroine.

As I choose to pass over many pages of my original in this place; the reader will now suppose that the traitorous Kamhi is in possession of his beautiful, but reluctant, victim; and that Abderama has already made a sacrifice more painful than that of Eurystheus, or Agamemnon, when they immolated their daughters. With the first dawn of the morning Kamhi repaired to the army, and began to set on foot the project he had concerted with Abderama; when he had given out his orders for dividing and disposing the troops in such a manner, as was best adapted to his design, he gave the signal agreed upon with the king for the sally. The whole garrison was put in motion on this occasion, and Abderama determined once more to shew himself to his army, and command in person. Every thing had been so prepared on the part of Kamhi, that the impression, which the Bocharians made upon the besiegers, was immediate, and the slaughter became universal; nothing could have saved them from complete destruction, but the unexpected appearance of Mamood and his army in this seasonable moment for their relief; as Mamood's troops were entirely composed of cavalry, he flew into action with amazing rapidity; the fainting spirits of the soldiers revived at the sight of their victorious chief; his well-known voice rallied their broken ranks, and they turned upon their pursuers with redoubled fury: even the guard, that had been planted upon Abdullah, now ran to their arms, and joined the action; the army of Abderama, no longer supported by the valour and conduct of their favourite general, began to give way, and retreat in disorder to the city; in this instant Abdullah rushed from his tent, and presented himself to the eyes of the dispirited Bocharians; the