it, but never heard that the musician had before made himself visWhen he had raised my thoughts, by those transporting airs. which he played, to taste the pleasure of his conversation, as I looked upon him, like one astonished, he beckoned to me, and, by the waving of his hand, directed me to approach the place where he sat. 4. I drew near, with that reverence which is due to a superior nature; and, as my heart was entirely subdued by the captivating strains I had heard, I fell down at his feet, and wept. The Genius smiled upon me with a look of compassion and affability that +familiarized him to my imagination, and at once, + dispelled all the fears and apprehensions with which I approached him. He lifted me from the ground, and taking me by the hand, "Mirza," said he, "I have heard thee in thy soliloquies: follow me.", 5. He then led me to the highest pinnacle of the rock, and, placing me on the top of it, "Cast thy eyes eastward," said he, "and tell me what thou seest." "I see," said I, a huge valley, and a prodigious tide of water rolling through it." "The valley that thou seest," said he, "is the valley of misery, and the tide of water that thou seest, is part of the great tide of eternity." "What is the reason," said I, "that the tide I see, rises out of a thick mist at one end, and again loses itself in a thick mist at the other?" "The 6. "What thou seest," said he, "is that portion of eternity. which is called time, measured out by the sun, and reaching from the beginning of the world to its + consummation. Examine now," said he, "this sea, that is thus bounded with darkness at both ends, and tell me what thou discoverest in it." "I see a bridge," said I, "standing in the midst of the tide." bridge thou seest," said he, "is human life: consider it attentively." Upon a more leisurely survey of it, I found that it consisted of three score and ten entire arches, with several broken arches, which, added to those that were entire, made up the number about a hundred. 7. As I was counting the arches, the Genius told me that the bridge consisted, at first, of a thousand arches; but that a great flood swept away the rest, and left the bridge in the ruinous condition I now beheld it. "But tell me further," said he, "what thou discoverest on it." "I see multitudes of people passing over it," said I, "and a black cloud hanging on each end of it." 8. As I looked more attentively, I saw several of the passengers dropping through the bridge into the great tide that flowed underneath it; and, upon further examination, perceived there were innumerable trapdoors that lay concealed in the bridge, + which the passengers no sooner trod upon, but they fell through them into the tide, and immediately disappeared. These hidden pitfalls were set very thick at the entrance of the bridge, so that throngs of people no sooner broke through the cloud, than many of them fell into them. They grew thinner toward the middle, but multiplied and lay closer together toward the end of the arches that were entire. 9. There were indeed some persons,-but their number was very small, that continued a kind of hobbling march on the broken arches, but fell through, one after another, being quite tired and spent with so long a walk. I passed some time in the contemplation of this wonderful structure, and the great variety of objects which it presented. 10. My heart was filled with a deep melancholy, to see several dropping, unexpectedly, in the midst of mirth and jollity, and catching by every thing that stood by them, to save themselves. Some were looking up toward the heavens in a thoughtful posture, and in the midst of a speculation, stumbled and fell out of sight. Multitudes were very busy in the pursuit of bubbles, that glittered in their eyes, and danced before them; but often, when they thought themselves within the reach of them, their footing failed, and down they sunk. 11. In this confusion of objects, I observed some with cimeters in their hands, and others with lancets, who ran to and fro upon the bridge, thrusting several persons on trapdoors, which did not seem to lie in their way, and which they might have escaped, had not they been thus forced upon them. 12. The Genius, seeing me indulge myself in this melancholy prospect, told me that I had dwelt long enough upon it. "Take thine eyes off the bridge," said he, "and tell me if thou seest any thing thou dost not comprehend." Upon looking up, "What mean," said I, "those great flights of birds that are +perpetually hovering about the bridge, and settling upon it from time to time? I see vultures, harpies, ravens, cormorants, and, among many other feathered creatures, several little winged boys, that perch, in great numbers, upon the middle arches." 13. "These," said the Genius, "are Envy, Avarice, +Superstition, Despair, Love, with the like cares and passions that infest human life." Í here fetched a deep sigh. "Alas!" said I, “man was made in vain! how is he given away to misery and mortality! tortured in life, and swallowed up in death." The Genius, being moved with compassion toward me, bid me quit so uncomfortable a prospect. "Look no more," said he, "on man, in the first stage of his existence, in his setting out for eternity; but cast thine eye on that thick mist, into which the tide bears the several generations of mortals that fall into it." + 14. I directed my sight as I was ordered, and, whether or not the good Genius strengthened it with any supernatural force, or dissipated part of the mist that was before too thick for the eye to +penetrate, I saw the valley opening at the further end, and spreading forth into an immense ocean, that had a huge rock of adamant running through the midst of it, and dividing it into two equal parts. The clouds still rested on one half of it, insomuch that I could discover nothing in it: but the other appeared to me a vast ocean planted with innumerable islands, that were covered with fruits and flowers, and interwoven with a thousand little shining seas, that ran among them. 15. I could see persons dressed in glorious habits, with garlands upon their heads, passing among the trees, lying down by the sides of fountains, or resting on beds of flowers; and could hear a confused harmony of singing birds, falling waters, human voices, and musical instrumeuts. Gladness grew in me, upon the discovery of so delightful a scene. I wished for the wings of an eagle, that I might fly away to those happy seats: but the Genius told me there was no passage to them, except through the gates of death, that I saw opening every moment upon the bridge. 16. "The islands," said he, "that lie so fresh and green before thee, and with which the whole face of the ocean appears spotted, as far as thou canst see, are more in number than the sands on the sea shore. There are myriads of islands behind those which thou here discoverest, reaching further than thine eye, or even thine imagination, can extend itself. These are the mansions of good men after death, who, according to the degrees and kinds of virtue in which they excelled, are distributed among these several islands, which abound with pleasures of different kinds and degrees, suitable to the relishes and perfections of those who are settled in them. Every island is a paradise accommodated to its respective inhabitants. + 17. "Are not these, O Mirza, habitations worth contending for? Does life appear miserable, that gives thee opportunities of earning such a reward? Is death to be feared, that will convey thee to so happy an existence? Think not man was made in vain, who has such an eternity reserved for him." I gazed, with +inexpressible pleasure, on those happy islands. At length, said I, "Show me now, I beseech thee, the secrets that lie under those dark clouds, that cover the ocean on the other side of the rock of adamant." 18. The Genius making me no answer, I turned about to address myself to him a second time, but I found that he had left me. I then turned again to the vision which I had been so long contemplating; but, instead of the rolling tide, the arched bridge, and the happy islands, I saw nothing but the long hollow valley of Bagdad, with oxen, sheep, and camels, grazing upon the sides of it. QUESTIONS. -What is this kind of fiction called? Why is the scene of almost all allegories laid in the East? Why is instruction conveyed by parable or allegory, more likely to be remembered than that communicated by any other method? What is figured by the arches of the bridge? What, by the pitfalls? Who are the persons with cimeters? What are meant by the birds and winged boys? What do the islands represent? What do you suppose is intended by the "dark clouds," and why did not the Genius reply to this question ? Explain the inflections in paragraphs 5, 6, and 7. What inflection prevails in the 13th paragraph? LESSON LXXXI. REMARK.-Observe the poetic pauses in the following lines, viz: one at the end of each line, and the cesural pause, which occurs near the middle of the line. ARTICULATE distinctly.-Dust, not duss: just, not juss: old, not ole: bold, not bole: rust, not russ: trust, not truss: fast, not fass: last, not lass: lust, not luss: Je-ru-sa-lem, not J'ru-s'lem. 1. Vas'-sal, n. a servant, a subject. 2. Throng, n. a crowd, a great multitude. Rue, v. to regret deeply. 4. Ran'-som-ed, a. rescued from death 5. Gor'-geous, a. showy, splendid. A DIRGE. 1. "EARTH to earth, and dust to dust!" Here the youthful and the old, Here the vassal and the king, O'er this pale and mighty throng; 8. But a day is coming fast,. Earth, thy mightiest and thy last! + "Earth to earth, and dust to dust!" 4. Then shall come the judgment sign; 5. Then thy mount, Jerusalem, CHOLY |