THE quaffers of the wine-stores of history have thus poured the delight-exciting wine of story into the cup of relation.

In the kingdom of Serendib there was a sovereign, in splendour like Feri­doon, whose goblet was filled with the wine of success, and the sense of his fortunes regaled with the perfume of domestic security. Vicissitude had sworn allegiance to his reign, and time laid open to his fortunes the portals of pros­perity.

As in the chamber of his state there was not a lamp that might give lasting brightness to his hopes, namely, a son, in whom the life of his father might be renovated, and the glories of his ancestors be revived in his person, he was con­stantly involved in melancholy, and incessantly immersed in impatience for such a blessing. He had recourse to the enlightened of dawn-like minds, and spent his nights and days in prayer. As divine favour ever awaits the earnest petitioner, after a considerable time when his brain begun to be confused by this anxiety, the arrow of his prayer reached the mark of acceptance.

A personage of the order of recluses, nightly wakeful, who had no connection but with the divine unity, and whose mind was enlightened with the rays of heavenly bounty and the beams of unde­caying favour, suddenly appearing from the recess of concealment, presented him an apple of much beauty and flavour, and said, “This fruit will prove the fulfilment of thy desire. It is proper that this night thou give it the queen to eat.” The sultaun obeyed the commands of the religious, and at the appointed time, the sun of royalty arose from the horizon of concealment to gladden the world.

The sultaun commanded, that the intelligent in the courses of the heavens and skilled in the secrets of the stars, using their utmost endeavours, should examine narrowly the aspects of the planets, and calculate the nativity of the young prince. Having made their observations, they represented to the attendants on the throne, that there was every promise of good fortune, but that at the age of fourteen he would be in danger of suffering much from love, on the sight of a portrait. The sultaun, warned by this prediction, appointed confidential persons to attend constantly in turn upon the prince, that no pictures might be presented to his eye.

As it is impossible for the wisest man to erase the characters of fate with the point of c??rivance, the prince, about his fourteenth year, going one day into an apartment of the palace, saw a female attendant, who upon his approach shut down the lid of a chest with great precipitation. He insisted upon seeing the contents, which happened to be port­folios of drawings. At first she refused, but the prince being importunate, at length uplifted the floodgate of calamity, and opened a volume; which he had scarcely done, when the fatal portrait of the fair princess, who (the astrologers had foretold) was to occasion him so many perils, presented itself to his view. He instantly fainted, when the slave, alarmed, conveyed intelligence of his con­dition to the sultaun, and related the unhappy cause of the disorder. When recovered from his fit, his mind became distracted, and notwithstanding the efforts of the most skilful physicians, his ravings and desire to travel in search of his beloved could not be cured.

After some time, when the sultaun was convinced that the divine decree was not to be done away by human contrivance, he gave up his efforts, and left his son to his own inclinations.

When the prince became free from the superintendance of spies, world-tor­menting love, who held the reins of power over him in the hands of controul, hurried him abroad, without knowledge of a direction to his object, and he turned his face to the wilderness. The son of his father’s vizier, named Jaffier, who had been brought up with Ferokh-Faul from his infancy, when he heard of his forlorn condition, regarding the duties of attachment, (in these days, rare as the appearance of the phœnix) hastened to him on the wings of speed, and became his partner in the path of wandering. After much toilsome and fatiguing travel, they reached a populous city, through every street and alley of which they searched in vain for the charmer of their hopes. When the perfume of success greeted not the scent of their condition, the prince having quitted the city, in despair, took up his abode at an idol temple not far from it, which had many spacious buildings for pilgrims and devotees, resolved to dedicate some time to prayer and penance, in hopes, through them, of attaining the compassion of heaven.

Some days after this, Jaffier once more visited the city, to find out, if possible, the original of the portrait which had destroyed the repose of his master’s heart; and the prince remained alone in the temple. At night-fall he repaired to the niche of the principal idol, which was illuminated with lamps, in order to invoke success to his pursuits. When half of the night was passed, he heard the sound of footsteps, and supposing them those of evil spirits, concealed him­self behind the image. Suddenly entered a band of thieves, who, after the manner of the Hindoos, prostrating themselves before the idol, said, “We hear that the daughter of the sultaun of this city sleeps upon a bed set with jewels, and wears ornaments equal in value to the revenues of an empire. If to-night, through thy auscpicious promotion of our designs, we should gain the object of our desires, we will make the princess’s head an offering at thy sacred threshold.” Having said this, they departed in search of their prey, and Ferokh-Faul, lost in astonishment at their wickedness and presumption, wondered how they could capture the princess from her apartments in the inmost part of a palace surrounded by guards. In a short time, however, twenty brawny robbers brought the bed, and upon it the princess fast asleep, and unsuspectful of her danger. Placing it before the idol, they bowed themselves in prostration.

Ferokh-Faul from behind the image, on perceiving the beauty of the princess was wrapt in the maze of astonishment; and regarding her murder as the worst of misfortunes and cruelty, deemed it incumbent upon his manhood to deliver her from so perilous a state. Having considered an instant, he hit upon a stratagem, and in a gentle tone exclaimed, “Your votive offering has met acceptance, and in return for such piety, your undertakings shall under my protection henceforward always meet with success.” The stony-hearted wretches, supposing this speech to pro­ceed from their deity, became more fer­vent in their devotions, and renewed their prostrations.

When the prince saw that his stratagem had taken effect, he continued to speak, saying, “The gracious command is issued from our throne, that all of you, quitting the temple, commission one who is most distinguished amongst you for piety and devotion, to lay the bed of the princess on my altar.” They did so, when Ferokh-Faul, suddenly springing from behind the idol, with the swiftness of lightning, cast the head of the impure assassin on the dust of annihi­lation, by a stroke of his flint-dividing sabre.