pleted that whole character of iniquity, which he once

detefted.

BLAIR.

SECTION III.

HAMAN; or, The Mifery of Pride.

AHASUERUS, who is fuppofed to be the prince known among the Greek hiftorians by the name of Artaxerxes, had advanced to the chief dignity in his kingdom, Haman, an Amalekite, who inherited all the ancient enmity of his race to the Jewish nation. He appears, from what is recorded of him, to have been a very wicked minifter. Raised to greatness without merit, he employed his power folely for the gratification of his pafsions. As the honours which he pofsefsed were next to royal, his pride was every day fed with that fervile homage, which is peculiar to Afiatic courts; and all the fervants of the king proftrated themfelves before him. In the midst of this general adulation, one perfon only stooped not to Ha man. This was Mordecai the Jew; who, knowing this Amalekite to be an enemy to the people of God, and, with virtuous indignation, defpifing that infolence of profperity with which he faw him lifted up, "bowed not, nor did him reverence." On this appearance of difrefpect from Mordecai, Haman "was full of wrath: but he thought fcorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone." Perfonal revenge was not fufficient to fatisfy him. So violent and black were his paffions, that he refolved to exterminate the whole nation to which Mordecai belonged. Abufing, for this cruel purpofe, the favour of his credulous fovereign, he obtained a decrce to be fent forth, that, against a certain

could

day, all the Jews throughout the Perfian dominions fhould be put to the fword. Meanwhile, confident of fuccefs, and blind to approaching ruin, he continued exulting in his profperity. Invited by Ahafuerus to a royal banquet, which Efther the queen had prepared, " he went forth that day joyful, and with a glad heart.” But behold how flight an incident was fufficient to poifon his joy! As he went forth, he faw Mordecai in the king's gate; and obferved, that he ftill refufed to dohim homage: "He ftood not up, nor was moved for him;" although he well knew the formidable defigns, which Haman was preparing to execute. One private man, who defpifed his greatnefs, and difdained fubmifsion, while a whole kingdom trembled before him; one spirit, which the utmost stretch of his power neither fubdue nor humble, blasted his triumphs. His whole foul was fhaken with a ftorm of pafsion. Wrath, pride, and defire of revenge, rofe into fury. With difficulty he restrained himself in public; but as foon as he came to his own house, he was forced to disclose the agony of his mind. He gathered together his friends and family, with Zeresh his wife. "He told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and of all the things wherein the king had promoted him; and how he had advanced him above the princes and fervants of the king. He faid, moreover, Yea, Efther the queen fuffered no man to come in with the king, to the banquet that she had prepared, but myself; and to-morrow alfo am I invited to her with the king." After all this preamble, what is the conclufion?" Yet all this availeth me nothing, fo long as I fee Mordecai the Jew fitting at the king's gate."

The fequel of Haman's history I fhall not now purfue. It might afford matter for much inftruction, by the confpicuous juftice of God in his fall and punishanent. But contemplating only the fingular fituation, in which the exprefsions juft quoted prefent him, and the violent agitation of his mind which they display, the following reflections naturally arife: how miferable is vice, when one guilty pafsion creates fo much torment! how unavailing is profperity, when, in the height of it, a fingle disappointment can destroy the relish of all its pleafures! how weak is human nature, which, in the abfence of real, is thus prone to form to itself imaginary woes!

BLAIR.

SECTION IV.

ORTOGRUL; or, The Vanity of Riches.

As Ortogrul of Bafra was one day wandering along the fireets of Bagdat, musing on the varieties of merchandise which the fhops offered to his view; and obferving the different occupations which bufied the mul titudes on every fide, he was awakened from the tranquillity of meditation, by a crowd that obftructed his paffage. He raised his eyes, and faw the chief vizier, who, having returned from the divan, was entering his palace.

Ortogrul mingled with the attendants; and being fuppofed to have fome petition for the vizier, was permitted to enter. He furveyed the spaciousness of the apartments, admired the walls hung with golden tapestry, and the floors covered with filken carpets; and de fpifed the fimple neatness of his own little habitation.

Surely," faid he to himfelf," this palace is the feat of happiness; where pleasure fucceeds to pleasure, and difcontent and forrow can have no admifsion. Whatever nature has provided for the delight of sense, is here spread forth to be enjoyed. What can mortals hope or imagine, which the mafter of this palace has not obtained? The difhes of luxury cover his table; the voice of harmony lulls him in his bowers; he breathes the fragrance of the groves of Java, and fleeps upon the down of the cygnets of Ganges. He fpeaks, and his mandate is obeyed; he wishes, and his with is gratified; all whom he fees obey him, and all whom he hears flatter him. How different, Ortogrul, is thy condition, who art doomed to the perpetual torments of unfatisfied defire; and who haft no amusement in thy power, that can withhold thee from thy own reflections! They tell thee that thou art wife; but what does wisdom avail with poverty? None will flatter the poor; and the wife have very little power of flattering themselves. That man is furely the moft wretched of the fons of wretchednefs, who lives with his own faults and follies always before him; and who has none to reconcile him to himfelf by praife and veneration. I have long fought content, and have not found it; I will from this moment endeavour to be rich."

Full of his new refolution, he fhut himself in his chamber for fix months, to deliberate how he should grow rich. He fometimes purposed to offer himself as a counsellor to one of the kings of India; and fome. times refolved to dig for diamonds in the mines of Golconda. One day, after fome hours paffed in violent fluctuation of opinion, fleep infenfibly feized him in his chair. He dreamed that he was ranging a defert

country, in search of fome one that might teach him to grow rich; and as he food on the top of a hill, fhaded with cyprefs, in doubt whither to direct his fteps, his father appeared on a fudden standing before him. "Ortogrul," faid the old man, "I know thy perplexity; liften to thy father; turn thine eye on the opposite mountain." Ortogrul looked, and faw a torrent tumbling down the rocks, roaring with the noise of thunder, and fcattering its foam on the impending woods. "Now," faid his father, "behold the valley that lies between the hills." Ortogrul looked, and efpied a little well, out of which ifsued a fmall rivulet. "Tell me now," faid his father, " doft thou with for fudden affluence, that may pour upon thee like the mountain-torrent; or for a flow and gradual increase, refembling the rill gliding from the well?" "Let me be quickly rich," said Ortogrul; "let the golden stream be quick and violent." "Look round thee," faid his father, "once again." Ortogrul looked, and perceived the channel of the torrent dry and dufty; but following the rivulet from the well, he traced it to a wide lake, which the fupply, flow and conftant, kept always full. He awoke, and determined to grow rich by filent profit, and perfevering industry.

Having fold his patrimony, he engaged in merchandife; and in twenty years purchased lands, on which he raised a houfe, equal in fumptuousness to that of the vizier, to which he invited all the minifters of Plea fure, expecting to enjoy all the felicity which he had imagined riches able to afford. Leifure foon made him weary of himself, and he longed to be perfuaded that he was great and happy. He was courteous and liberal; he gave all that approached him hopes of plea