thou inflict the miseries of war on the innocent inhabitants of this country, at the lofs of fo many enjoyments to thyself ?" "To increase my glory!" fternly replied Timur, "the defire of glory is the paffion of us who are elevated into the rank of heroes; for this we thirst, for this we we hunger, and leave to common mortals the flesh and milk of mares!"

"If the defire of glory cannot be gratified but by the destruction of mankind," meekly returned Zadib, " furely it had better be repreffed-what good can arise from glory that is to be compared to the mischief by which it is attended?" "Thou talkeft like a fage and a philofopher," faid Timur more mildly, "and defirest to make man as he should be, which is impoffible-my part to act, is that of a prince, who confiders man as he is; and who treats mankind, as every individual would treat him, had he the fame means in his power. It is destiny, and the im

provement of opportunity, that makes a tyrant-thofe to whom fate is averse, must submit and be filent.”

"Brahma forbid!" exclaimed Zadib: "None can withstand destiny; but what virtuous man would feek an opportunity to lord it over his fellow-mortals?" "Be affured," returned Timur, "that virtue is an acquirement. Man, by nature, is felfish and cruel; all infants are fo—these natural paffions are by education opposed, and by degrees concealed; but never perfectly fubdued-my defire for glory, then, is affifted by my original paffions of cruelty and selfishness; which, by being a prince, I can extend to the utmost."

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If, by being a prince," faid Zadib, “I must, from neceffity, be cruel and felfish-nay the humble ftate be ever mine !”—“ Maa allò poffeffes a desire for fuperiority," continued Timur, "which produces a wiín for splendor and riches,

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By

By nature all are equal, but circumstances have fixed thee in a station where defires must be restrained, and have placed me where they may be indulged-could we change conditions, be affured, thy paffions would expand as foon as their reftraint was taken off, and thou wouldst be then, as Timur is now."

"Can a worm of the earth be proud?” humbly replied Zadib,-" What is man but an atom, which can only be confiderable by virtue? When I confider this, I avoid the first approach of pride, and abhor that wicked principle which feeks its gratification by the misery of others."Call not a conqueror wicked,"

returned Timur fharply, "he is fimply a man-he has an opportunity of fhewing his nature undisguised, and ufes it. The fage is fomething more, and fomething lefs than man. He is more, as he has added to the gifts of nature; he is less, by discarding his natural propenfities; but they

they retire no farther than to be within call".

They are discarded for ever!" uttered Zadib. The fuddenness of the reply occafioned, for a while, a pause in this moral and philofophical conference, in which neither party gained on his adverfary-at length Timur, with complacence, broke filence-" Zadib," faid he, "thy good qualities fhall no longer be hidden in obscurity-thou shalt be my Vizir-be it my bufinefs to fubdue, and thine to govern.”

Unworthy of the high honour as I am," replied Zadib, his eyes fparkling with pleasure; " yet shall thy flave endeavour to discharge the duties of so great a function." "But doft thou reflect," faid Timur," that the higher the station, the greater is the scope for vice? Thou art now low, poor, and virtuous; but when thou art the fecond perfon in my

empire,

empire, thou wilt be great, rich, and wicked"-" That philosophy I have early acquired," replied Zadib, " fhall fecure me from the first approaches of vice-inveft me with the robe of honour, and be confident of my obedience to thy high commands."

"Zadib," returned Timur, "thou must now be convinced, that original pride, and a wish for greatness, lay lurking within thee, and was never effaced— that thy virtue is an artificial acquirement, which vanishes before the original impreffions of nature-but why fhould I proceed? Thy heart bears witness to the truth of my words, for the blush of consciousness is on thy face-reply not—I will give thee no opportunity to lose what thou haft with fo much difficulty acquired, for the man of nature must foon appear-thou seest him in me !-go in peace to thy cell―go, and continue to be virtuous-but leave me to lead on my

victorious