VOL. IV. WOMAN. OH, woman! strive for woman, Oh, woman! bless'd with plenty, Think of her ceaseless toiling, With aching hand, and head, Then you who have the influence Who have fettered man with fancy's chains, Yes, and can lead him still, Who have moulded human doings By the flashing of your eye, Oh! use this blessed influence Look not on her who may not 30 R. R. HOW THE FAIRY RACE RECEIVED THE EUROPEANS IN THEIR REALM. AGES had elapsed since the Temples of Delarree were built, and wonderfully beautiful and entire they remained; yet there was a mark on them of the corroding tooth of time, just visibly commencing; and also an ancientness of look in the priestly ritual-an obsoleteness which showed that it was past its fresh youth; had about served its time and purpose, and evidencing that it was not possessed of that power of adaptation to progressive advancement, which sublunary structures, and arrangements, having the germ of ultimate perfection in their composition, must possess. Hence it was becoming manifest that this doctrine, and these rituals, were neither perfect in themselves, nor capable of being made so; and that, however beneficial they might have been, and how much superior soever to what had preceded them, yet they must give way to something of more enduring perfection. There appeared, in the lapse of time, on these hills, a solitary person of a new race-one, then two, or three; they came, looked over the place, and departed. They were fairer than had ere then been seen; they appeared kind, friendly, and considerate, very observant, somewhat inquisitive and opinionative. At length some females accompanied them; they were very gentle and beautiful, and more like the Purree Zat,* than any of the mortal race who had yet appeared on the Holy Hill, yet they were pale and wan. They soon began to carry up tents, and they pitched them, and placed in them some sick people of their race; so that it became evident that they had a purpose in view, of causing their sick to sojourn here. Nay, they began to build small mud houses, and to place straw roofs over the tents, and thus to make themselves temporary abodes of various kinds. The aërial race were willing at first to aid these new mortals, for they were much and friendlily interested in them, especially in the females; but when they saw that sick persons were being brought amongst them, they became greatly alarmed, because they do not like sadness and sorrow. And the Queen sent ambassadors to all lands, to ascertain who they were, and what kind of people; and when these had returned, then the council of the aërial race met to receive the intelligence, and to determine whether to aid them, or to cause them such annoyances as to ensure their retreat. For they had before time expelled armies, as well as individuals, and invading hosts of spiritual beings. • i.e. Fairy race. HOW THE FAIRY RACE RECEIVED THE EUROPEANS. 467 They can battle only with aërial or spiritual beings, but to expel those of mortal race, they bring forward objects of intolerable annoyance upon them, as hosts of bees and wasps, and gnats and beetles, and flies of various kinds, and dusty clouds. They have a great dislike to interfere with the quality of water, but they cause it to ooze away, and the springs to become dry. They met, and received the intelligence from their ambassadors, and the purport of what they learned was-that this race was a very great people-that they had their home in an island in the far west; they were very restless, and went to all lands, and to traffic every where that they were a very wise people, lived peaceably in any nation, when let alone, but aided any who solicited them, and had a good cause, either by counsel or force-that when they obtained authority they kept it, and became rulers in very many lands-that they permitted the people to talk as they pleased, and to do very much as they liked, if they only kept peace with one another, and obeyed the laws agreed on, and paid custom. They troubled nobody about their opinions, only they had a mighty notion of their own. They would do a friendly action rather than speak a kindly word; but what they said that they would do. The females were very different, for they were very gentle and mild, especially in trouble; indeed, the men seem to leave all gentleness to them, and they loved them, in their rough, honest way, all the more for it. One curious trait was, that they were always grumbling about their own government, but not only would they fight for it to the death, but knock down any one who breathed a murmur against it. That they had come into India as merchants, to trafficnow they had become rulers to govern, and state after state had come under their authority. Whenever-and when had there not been, tumults and wars-in any state, then foreigners were solicited by one of the parties to counsel and aid, they were always ready to do so, and finally assumed the rule, and kept down violence and bloodshed. Their own country was very cold, and the Indian heat oppressed them-and they had cast a lingering look to this (as well as to other mountains,) as a place for their sick to sojourn on, that they might breathe the pure, mild, cool air, for a time, especially for their females and children, for whom they have great regard. And the councillors, and the whole race who heard this account, were aghast at the intelligence, for how could they endure the sick, the sad, the pained, the discontented, perhaps the melancholy, amongst them. And they began, every one, to suggest means of rendering the place untenable for them, confusedly. Then Mahableena commanded silence, and desired 468 HOW THE FAIRY RACE RECEIVED THE EUROPEANS. Ukloon, the sagest of her seven councillors, to speak and give his opinon. And Ukloon the sage, arose, and spoke after this manner :Listen to me, ye that have erred and been banished from Heaven's blessed realms, and from happiness which on earth cannot be named; but which, from the memory of those who have partaken it, cannot be effaced. We remember, that when the decree was pronounced against us, a shadowy voice concluded a voice that was felt, not heard, "Until that mortal race whom ye have despised, shall, after cycles of time in error, and periods of crime and waywardness, attain perfection-and then shall their prayer be heard, and ye shall be forgiven and restored." We have seen various races of mortals, of different degrees of error and purity, but gradually, and in succession, purifying. The last those whom we aided in building their templeswas, as yet, the most pure, inasmuch as they were peaceably inclined, and shed no blood. But they erred greatly in supposing that all nature should be in a state of dreamy repose and stationary quietude. Whereas we know that all nature, on the contrary, must be in a state of constant activity, or the fiat of nature's Lord would be in a state of abeyance, which is impossible. Neither is the shedding of blood, in every case, an error or a crime. Do we not see it in the wild animals-they commit no crime, yet they shed blood and take life, or the earth would be overstocked; then they must be slain, or they would outnumber the necessity for them. And the quantity of life is multiplied by the care the mortal race takes in rearing animals. Albeit, they do so, to slay and eat them-and as the quantity is multiplied, so must the amount of the enjoyments of existence also be increased. This of animals. Then of man- -we do not understand wherefore they should wage wars and destroy each other as they have done. But I have observed that a great change has come, and is progressing, by the faith and practice of these new people. That wars have ceased, or nearly so, between tribes of the same nation, whenever they have gained powerand between different nations, the slaughters have greatly decreased-being not more than one in seventy-nine slainto what it was of old. And when they take captives, they tend them kindly, and feed them, and heal their wounds, and leave their limbs free; and when the war is over and peace is agreed on, they send them back to their country and kindred. And as we roam abroad, and see that all this vast country around this blessed mount, as far as to the dividing range of snowy hills, and the encircling ocean-there is peace where for ages there was misrule, wars, and confusion-I think we HOW THE FAIRY RACE RECEIVED THE EUROPEANS. 469 may plainly discern in the vista of future time, a glimpse afar of that perfection which it has been our hope would dawn on the destinies of man, and of the benefits of which, we also will be equally recipients. How long ere it may fully brighten, it would be impossible for us to say, and rash to conjecture. But it is most cheering to see even the sure dawning of it. Therefore let us consider well, whether it will not be our duty and our interest-the two with us are ever one-to aid these strangers to our realm; to give them every delight of balmy breeze and joyous dreams; for far from their natal land are they, and the souls of sickly mortals sigh and pine for the joys of their homes. Let us cheer them, and send them away in health, and strength, and joy. But if any will not, or cannot accept our aid, and continue to fret and pine away in sorrow, and sadness, and pain--these, and these alone, let us terrify away; and if they will not depart, then must we summon Ariel, by the spell which he must obey, to come and set his seal on their brow. And the queen replied-well and wisely hast thou spoken, oh, sage Ukloon; and the sign was passed, that every aid should be rendered. And it was so; for a band of aërial beings hovered round every sickly European, as he ascended the hill, to cheer and comfort him; or how else could he endure the toil of the conveyance, or not have sunk down with fatigue, and heat, and thirst. Bands of them also watched about his tent, or sported with him on the rugged hills, dashing the cooling, balmy breeze over his fevered temples, and pointing out the gurgling water-spring to his parched lips. But some there were who would not be comforted, but pined and mourned, and would not live, neither would depart. Then did the aërial race meet in the dell of Tebem, beneath the pointed rock, where the guardian sentinel takes his loftiest stand, and the potent incense is laid on the mystic pile; and as its pale, filmy smoke arises, the sign is waved, and the long, low word is uttered, and Ariel hears and obeys. A band meets him, and points the way from afar he proceeds, and sets his seal on the forehead of the mortal. Life's pulse ceases, and the spirit leaves its tenement. The aerial race approach, and if they see a dark spot on the breast of that spirit, they bear it away in a shroud of ether, with sorrow and lamentation, away from the holy hill, and bid it depart. But when, as is generally the case, the white mark is on the forehead, then do joyous bands, linked together with ethereal wreaths, surround and bear up the spirit with celestial music. Away, away, away-to heaven's glorious portal, opening on its golden hinges for its admittance. Alas, ye gentle race! ye cannot enter now; but your time will come. They bow in submissive reverence, and |