UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 LOS ANGELES
 

 
 A L M O R A N 
 
 AND 
 
 H A M E T: 
 
 A N 
 
 ORIENTAL TALE. 
 
 CVN<x^xL^^ 
 
 "^ 
 In TWO VOLUMES. 
 
 VOLUME FIRST. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for H. PAYNE, and W. CROPLEY, 
 at Dryden's Head in Pater-nofter Row. 
 
 MDCCLXI.
 
 TO THE 
 
 |K I N G. 
 
 S I R, 
 
 A MIDST the congratu- 
 ^ ^ lations and praifes of a 
 free, a joyful, and now united 
 
 people, 
 
 493628 
 
 ENGUSH
 
 vi DEDICATION. 
 
 people, who are ambitious to 
 exprefs their duty and their 
 wifhes in their various claffes ; 
 I think myfelf happy to have 
 YOUR MAJESTY'S moft gra- 
 cious permiflion to approach 
 You, and, after the manner of 
 the people whofe charader I 
 have affumed, to bring an 
 humble offering in my hand. 
 
 As fome part of my fubjed 
 led me to confider the advan- 
 tages
 
 DEDICATION. vii 
 
 tages of our excellent conftitu- 
 tion in comparifon of others ; 
 my thoughts were naturally 
 turned to YOUR MAJESTY, as 
 its warmeft friend and moft 
 powerful protedlor : and as the 
 whole is intended, to recom- 
 mend the praice of virtue, 
 as the means of happinefs ; 
 to whom could I addrefs it 
 with fo much propriety, as to 
 a PRINCE, who illultrates and 
 
 enforces
 
 viii DEDICATION. 
 
 enforces the precepts of the 
 moralift by his life. 
 
 I am, 
 
 May it pleafe Your MAJESTY, 
 
 Your MA JE STY'S 
 Mofl faithful, moll obliged, 
 And moil obedient 
 Subjeft and Servant, 
 
 John Hawkefworth.
 
 A L M O R A N 
 
 AND 
 
 H A M E T. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 WHO is he among the children 
 of the earth, that repines at 
 the power of the wicked ? and who 
 is he, that would change the lot of 
 the righteous ? He, who has appoint- 
 ed to each his portion, is God ; the 
 Omnifcient and the Almighty, who 
 fills eternity, and whofe exiftence is 
 VOL. I. B from
 
 2 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 from Himfelf ! but he who murmurs, 
 is man , who yefterday was not, and 
 who to-morrow mall be forgotten : let 
 him liften in filence to the voice of 
 knowlege, and hide the blumes of con- 
 fufion in the duft. 
 
 Solyman, the mighty and the wife, 
 who, in the one hundred and fecond 
 year of the Hegyra, fat upon the throne 
 of Perfia, had two fons, ALMORAN 
 and HAMET, and they were twins. 
 ALMORAN was the firft born, but 
 Solyman divided his affection equally 
 between them : they were both lodged 
 in the fame part of the feraglio, both 
 were attended by the fame fervants, 
 and both received inftruftions from the 
 fame teacher. 
 
 One
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 3 
 
 One of the firft things that ALMO- 
 RAN learnt, was the prerogative of his 
 birth ; and he was taught very early 
 to fet a high value upon it, by the 
 terms in which thofe about him ex- 
 prefled their fenfe of the power, the 
 fplendor, and the delights of royalty. 
 As his mind gradually opened, he na- 
 turally confidered thefe as the objects 
 of univerfal defire, and the means of 
 fupreme felicity : he was often re- 
 minded, that the time was coming, 
 when the fole poffeflion of fovereign 
 power would enable him to fulfil all 
 his wifhes, to determine the fate of 
 dependent nations with a nod, and dif- 
 penfe life and death, and happinefs and 
 mifery, at his will : he was flattered by 
 thofe who hoped to draw wealth and 
 dignity from his favour ; and interefl 
 B 2 prompted
 
 4 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 prompted all who approached him, to 
 adminifter to his pleafures with a zeal 
 and affiduity, which had the appear- 
 ance of reverence to his merit, and af- 
 fection to his perfon. 
 
 HAMET, on the contrary, foon be- 
 came fenfible of a fubordinate ftation : 
 he was not, indeed, neglected ; but he 
 was not much carefled. When the 
 gratification of HAMET came in com- 
 petition with that of ALMORAN, he 
 was always obliged to give it up, ex- 
 cept when Solyman interpofed : his 
 mind was, therefore, naturally led to 
 feek for happinefs in objects very dif- 
 ferent from thofe which had fixed the 
 attention of ALMORAN. As he knew 
 not to how narrow a fphere caprice 
 or jealoufy might confine him, he 
 confidered
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 5 
 
 confidered what pleafures were leaft 
 dependent upon external advantages ; 
 and as the firft popular commotion 
 which mould happen after his brother's 
 accefiion to the throne, might proba- 
 bly coft him his life, he was very in- 
 quifitive about the ftate into which his 
 fpirit would be difmifTed by the Angel 
 of Death, and very diligent to do 
 whatever might fecure him a mare of 
 the permanent and unchangeable fe- 
 Kcity of Paradife. 
 
 This difference in the fituation of 
 ALMORAN and HAMET, produced 
 great diffimilarity in their difpofitions, 
 habits, and characters ; to which, per- 
 haps, nature might alfo in fome de- 
 gree contribute. ALMORAN was 
 haughty, vain, and voluptuous j HA- 
 
 B 3 MET
 
 6 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 MET was gentle, courteous, and tempe- 
 rate : ALMORAN was volatile, impetu- 
 ous, and irafcible-, HA MET was thought- 
 ful, patient, and forbearing. Upon 
 the heart of HAMET alfo were writ- 
 ten the inftructions of the Prophet ; to 
 his mind futurity was prefent by habi- 
 tual anticipation ; his pleafure, his 
 pain, his hopes, and his fears, were 
 perpetually referred to the Invifible 
 and Almighty Father of Life, by fen- 
 timents of gratitude or refignation, 
 complacency or confidence j fo that 
 his devotion was not periodical but 
 conftant. 
 
 But the views of ALMORAN were 
 terminated by nearer objects : his mind 
 was perpetually bulled in the anticipa- 
 tion of pleafures and honours, which 
 
 he
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. ,jr 
 
 he fuppofed to be neither uncertain nor 
 remote , thefe excited his hopes, with 
 a power fufficient to fix his attention ; 
 he did not look beyond them for 
 other objects, nor enquire how enjoy- 
 ments more diftant were to be acquir- 
 ed; and as he fuppofed thefe to be 
 already fecured to him by his birth, 
 there was nothing he was felicitous to 
 obtain as the reward of merit, nor any 
 thing that he confidered himfelf to 
 poflefs as the bounty of Heaven. If 
 the fublime and difmterefled recti- 
 tude that produces and rewards it- 
 felf, dwells indeed with man, it dwelt 
 not with ALMORAN : with refpect to 
 God, therefore, he was not impreffed 
 with a fenfe either of duty or depen- 
 dence , he felt neither reverence nor 
 love, gratitude nor refignation : in ab- 
 ilaining from evil, he was not mtentio- 
 B 4 nally
 
 8 ALMORAN AND.HAMET. 
 
 nally good ; he practifed the externals of 
 morality without virtue, and performed 
 the rituals of devotion without piety. 
 
 Such were ALMORAN andHAMET, 
 when Solyman their father, full of 
 days and full of honour, flept in peace 
 the fleep of death. With this event 
 they were immediately acquainted. 
 The emotions of ALMORAN were fuch 
 as it was impofllble to conceal : the joy 
 that he felt in fecret was fo great, that 
 the mere dread of difappointment for 
 a moment fufpended his belief of what 
 he heard : when his fears and his 
 doubts gave way, his cheeks were fuf- 
 fufed with fudden blufhes, and his eyes 
 fparkled with exultation and impati- 
 ence : he looked eagerly about him, as 
 if in hafte to aft , yet his looks were 
 embarrafied, and his geftures irreiblute, 
 
 bccaufe
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 9 
 
 becaufe he knew not what to do : he 
 uttered fome incoherent fentences, 
 which difcovered at once the joy that 
 he felt, and his fenfe of its impropriety ; 
 and his whole deportment exprefied 
 the utmofl tumult and perturbation of 
 mind. 
 
 Upon HAMET, the death of his fa- 
 ther produced a very different effect : 
 as foon as he heard it, his lips trembled 
 and his countenance grew pale j he 
 flood motionlefs a moment, like a pil- 
 grim transfixed by lightning in thede- 
 fert ; he then fmote his bread, and look- 
 ing upward, his eyes by degrees over- 
 flowed with tears, and they fell, like 
 dew diftilling from the mountain, in a 
 calm and filent mower. A his grief 
 was thus mingled with devotion, his 
 
 mind
 
 10 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 mind in a fhort time recovered its 
 tranquillity, though not its chearfulnefs, 
 and he defired to be conduced to his 
 brother. 
 
 He found him furrounded by the 
 lords of his court, his eye ftill reftlefs 
 and ardent, and his deportment elate 
 and afiuming. HAMET prefled haftily 
 through the circle, and proftrated him- 
 felf before him: ALMORAN received 
 the homage with a tumultuous pkafure ; 
 but at length raifed him from the 
 ground, and allured him of his protec- 
 tion, though without any exprefllons 
 either of kindnefs or of forrow : ' HA- 
 
 * MET,' fays he, ' if I have no caufe 
 ' to complain of you as a fubjecl:, you 
 4 mail hav.e no caufe to complain of 
 
 * me as a king.' HAMZT, whole 
 
 heart 
 5
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. n 
 
 heart was again pierced by the cold 
 and diftant behaviour of his brother, 
 fuppreffed the figh that flruggled in 
 his bofom, and fecretly wiped away the 
 tear that ftarted to his eye : he retired, 
 with his looks fixed upon the ground, 
 to a remote corner of the apartment; 
 and though his heart yearned to em- 
 brace his brother, his modeft diffidence 
 retrained him from intruding upon 
 the king. 
 
 In this fituation were ALMORAN and 
 HAMET, when OMAR entered the a- 
 partment. OMAR, upon whofe head 
 the hand of time became heavy, had 
 from his youth acquainted himfelf with 
 wifdom : to him nature had revealed 
 herfelf in the filence of the night, when 
 his lamp was burning alone, and his 
 
 eyes"
 
 12 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 eyes only were open : to him was 
 known the power of the Seal of Solo- 
 mon ; and to him the knowlege of 
 things invifible had been revealed. Nor 
 was the virtue of OMAR inferior to his 
 knowlege ; his heart was a fountain of 
 good, which though it flowed through 
 innumerable ftreams was never dry : 
 yet was the virtue of OMAR cloathed 
 with humility ; and he was ftill preffing 
 nearer to perfection, by a devotion 
 which though elevated was rational, 
 and though regular was warm. From the 
 council of OMAR, Solyman had de- 
 rived glory and ftrength ; and to him 
 he had committed the education of his 
 children. 
 
 When he entered the apartment, the 
 croud, touched at once with reverence 
 
 and
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 13 
 
 arid love, drew back ; every eye was 
 caft downward, and every tongue was 
 filent. The full of days approached 
 the king, and kneeling before him he 
 put into his hand a fealed paper : the 
 king received it with impatience, fee- 
 ing it fuperfcribed with the hand of his 
 father; and OMAR looking round, 
 and perceiving HAMET, beckoned him 
 to come forward. HAMET, whofe 
 obedience to OMAR had been fo long 
 habitual that it was now almoft fpon- 
 taneous, inftantly drew near, though 
 with a flow and irrefolute pace ; and 
 ALMORAN, having broken the feal of 
 the paper, began to read it to himfelf, 
 with a look that exprefTed the utmoft 
 anxiety and impatience. OMAR kept his 
 eye fixed upon him, and foon perceived 
 that his countenance was disfigured by 
 
 confufion
 
 14 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 confufion and trouble, and that he 
 feemed preparing to put up the paper 
 in his bofom : he then produced an- 
 other paper from under his robe, and 
 gave it to HAMET : ' This,' fays he, 
 is a copy of the will of Solyman, 
 
 * your father -, the original is in the 
 ' hand of ALMORAN : read it, and 
 ' you will find that he has bequeathed 
 
 * his kingdom between you.' 
 
 The eyes of all prefent were now 
 turned upon HAMET, who flood filent 
 and motionlefs with amazement, but 
 was foon roufed to attention by the ho- 
 mage that was paid him. In the mean 
 time, ALMORAN'S confufion increafed 
 every moment : his difappointment 
 was aggravated by the fudden attention 
 of thofe who were prefent to his bro- 
 ther;
 
 ALMORAN ANI> HAMET. 15 
 
 ther ; and his jealoufy made him think 
 himfelf neglected, while thofe acts of 
 duty were performed to HAMET, which 
 were now known to be his right, and 
 which he had himfelf received before 
 him. 
 
 HAMET, however, regarded but lit- 
 tle what fo much excited the envy of 
 ALMORAN -, his mind was employed 
 upon fuperior objects, and agitated by 
 nobler paflions : the coldnefs of his 
 brother's behaviour, though it had 
 grieved had not quenched his affection ; 
 and as he was now no longer reftrained 
 by the deference due from a fubject to 
 his king, he ran to him, and catching 
 him to his breaft attempted to fpeak -, 
 but his heart was too full, and he could 
 exprefs his affection and joy only by 
 
 his
 
 i6 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 his tears. ALMORAN rather fuffered 
 than received the embrace ; and after 
 a few ceremonies, to which neither of 
 them could much attend, they retired 
 to feparate apartments. 
 
 CHAP.
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 17 
 
 CHAR II. 
 
 WHEN ALMORAN was alone, 
 he immediately locked the 
 door ; and throwing himfelf upon a 
 fofa in an agony of vexation and dif- 
 apointment, of vhich he was unwil- 
 ling there mould be any witnefs, he re- 
 volved in his mind all the pleafures 
 and honours of fupreme dominion 
 which had now fuddenly been matched 
 from him, with a degree of anguifh 
 and regret, not proportioned to their 
 real, but their imaginary value. Of 
 future good, that which we obtain is 
 found to be lefs than our expecta- 
 tions , but that of which we are difap- 
 pointcd, we fuppofe would have been 
 more : thus do the children of hope 
 VOL. I. C extract
 
 18 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 extract evil, both from what they 
 gain, and from what they lofe. But 
 ALMORAN, after the firft tumult of 
 his mind had fubfided, began to con- 
 fider as well what was left him, as 
 what had been taken away. He was 
 ftill without a fuperior, though he had 
 an equal ; he was ftill a king, though 
 he did not govern alone : and with re- 
 fpedl to every individual in his domini- 
 ons, except one, his will would now 
 be a law ; though with refpect to the 
 public, the concurrence of his brother 
 would be necefTary to give it force. 
 * Let me then,' fays he, ' make the 
 c moft of the power that is now put 
 6 into my hand, and wait till fome fa- 
 ' vourable opportunity mall offer to 
 4 increafe it. Let me dififemble my 
 c jealoufy and difappointment, that I 
 
 " may
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 19 
 
 ' may not alarm fufpicion, or put the 
 ' virtues of HAMET upon their guard 
 
 * againft me ; and let me contrive to 
 
 * give our joint adminiftration fuch a 
 ' form, as may bed favour my de- 
 fign.' 
 
 Such were the reflections, with 
 which ALMORAN foothed the anguifh 
 of his mind; while HAMET was bu- 
 fied in fpeculations of a very different 
 kind. If he was pleafed at reflecting, 
 that he was raifed from a fubject to a 
 prince ; he was pleafed ftill more, 
 when he considered his elevation as a 
 teft of his father's affection to his perfon, 
 and approbation of his conduct : he 
 was alfo delighted with the thought, 
 that his brother was aflbciated with 
 him in the arduous talk which he was 
 G 2 now
 
 10 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 now called to perform. If I had been 
 ' appointed to govern alone,' faid he, 
 
 * I fhould have had no equal ; and he 
 
 * who has no equal, though he may 
 
 * have faithful fervants, can have no 
 4 friend : there cannot be that union 
 of interefts, that equal participation 
 ' of good, that unreftrained inter- 
 courfe of mind, and that mutual 
 dependence, which conftitutes the 
 pure and exalted happinefs of friend- 
 ' mip. With ALMORAN, I mall 
 ' fhare the fupreme delight of wreil- 
 ' ing the innocent and the htlplefs 
 
 * from the iron hand of opprtfiion ; of 
 ' animating merit by reward, and re- 
 ' (training the unworthy by fear : I 
 
 * fhall fhare, wrh ALMORAN, the 
 < plcafures of governing a numerous, 
 ' a powerful, and a happy people j 
 
 44 plea-
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 21 
 
 * pleafures which, however great, are, 
 like all others, increafed by partici- 
 
 * pation.' 
 
 While HAMET was thus enjoying 
 the happinefs, which his virtue derived 
 from the fame fource, from which the 
 vices of ALMORAN had filled his breaft 
 with anguifh and difcontent ; OMAR 
 was contriving in what manner their 
 joint government could beft be carried 
 into execution. 
 
 He knew that Solyman, having 
 confidered the difpofitions of his fons, 
 was of opinion, that if they had been 
 blended in one perfon, they would have 
 produced a character more fit to go- 
 vern in his ftead, than either of them 
 alone : ALMORAN, he thought, was 
 C 3 too
 
 22 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 too volatile and warm ; but he fufpefb- 
 ed, that HAMHT would fink intoinacli- 
 vity for want of fpirit : he feared alike 
 ALMO RAM'S love of enterprize, and 
 HAMET'S fondnefs for retirement : he 
 obferved, in HAMET, a placid eafmefs 
 of temper, which might fuffer the 
 reins of government to lie too loofe ; 
 and, in ALMORAN, a quicknefs of re- 
 fentment, and jealoufy of command, 
 which might hold them too tight : he 
 hoped, therefore, that by leaving them 
 a joint dominion, he mould blend their 
 difpofitions, at leail in their effects, in 
 every act of government that mould 
 take place; or that, however they 
 mould agree to adminifter their go- 
 vernment, the public would derive be- 
 nefit from the virtues of both, with- 
 out danger of fuffcring from their im- 
 perfeftions,
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 23 
 
 perfections, as their imperfections 
 would only operate againft each other, 
 while, in whatever was right, their 
 minds would naturally concur, as 
 the coincidence of rectitude with recti- 
 tude is neceffary and eternal. But he 
 did not confider, that different difpo- 
 fitions operating feparately upon two 
 different wills, would appear in effects 
 very unlike thofe, which they would 
 concur to produce in one : that two 
 wills, under the direction of dilpofi- 
 tions fo different, would feldom be 
 brought to coincide ; and that more 
 mifchiefs would probably arife from 
 the conteft, than from the imperfec- 
 tions of either alone, 
 
 But Solyman had fo long applauded 
 
 himfelf for his project before he re- 
 
 C 4 vealed
 
 24 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 vealed it to OMAR, that OMAR found 
 him too much difpleafed with any ob- 
 jection, to con0der its weight : ancl 
 knowing that peculiar notions are more 
 rarely given up, than opinions received 
 from others, and made our own only 
 by adoption, he at length acquiefced, 
 Jeft he mould by farther oppofition lofe 
 his influence, which on other occaiions 
 he might ftill employ to the advantage 
 of the public ; and took a folemn oath, 
 that he would, as far as was in his 
 power, fee the will carried into execu- 
 tion. 
 
 To this, indeed, he confented with- 
 out much reluctance, as he had little 
 fefs reafon to fear the fole government 
 cf ALMORAN, than a joint adminiftra- 
 tion j and if a ftruggle for fuperiority 
 
 fhould
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 25 
 
 fhould happen, he hoped the virtues of 
 HAMET would obtain the fuffrages of 
 the people in his favour, and eftablifh 
 him upon the throne alone. But as 
 change is itfelf an evil, and as changes 
 in government are feldom produced 
 without great confufion and calamity, 
 he applied himfelf to confidcr in what 
 manner the government of ALMORAN 
 and HAMET could be adminiftered, fo 
 as moft effectually to blend their cha- 
 racters in their adminiftration, and 
 prevent the conduct of one from excit- 
 ing jealoufy in the other. 
 
 After much thought, he determined 
 that a fyftem of laws fliould be pre- 
 pared, which the fons of Solyman 
 Iriould examine and alter till they per- 
 fectly approved, and to which they 
 
 fhould
 
 26 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 fhould then give the fanction of their 
 joint authority : that when any addition 
 or alteration fhould be thought necef- 
 fary, it fhould be made in the fame 
 manner ; and that when any infuper- 
 able difference of fentiment happened, 
 cither in this or in any aft of preroga- 
 tive independent of the laws for regu- 
 lating the manners of the people, the 
 kings fhould refer it to fome perfon of 
 approved integrity and wifdom, and 
 abide by his determination. OMAR 
 cafily foreiaw, that when the opinion 
 of ALMORAN and HAMET mould 
 differ, the opinion of ALMORAN would 
 be eftablifhed ; for there were many 
 caufes that would render ALMORAN 
 inflexible, and HAMET yielding: AL- 
 MORAN was naturally confident and 
 afiuming, HAMET diffident and mo- 
 deft i
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 27 
 
 deft ; ALMORAN was impatient of con- 
 tradiction, HAMET was attentive to 
 argument, and felicitous only for the 
 difcovery of truth. ALMORAN alia 
 conceived, that by the will of hi$ 
 father, he had fuffered wrong ; HA- 
 MET, that he had received a favour: 
 ALMORAN, therefore, was difpofed to 
 refent the firft appearance of oppofi- 
 tion ; and HAMET, on the contrary, 
 to acquiefce, as in his lhare of go- 
 vernment, whatever it might be, he 
 had more than was his right by birth, 
 and his brother had lefs. Thus, 
 therefore, the will of ALMORAW 
 would probably predominate in the 
 date : but as the fame caufe which 
 conferred this fuperiority, would often 
 prevent contention, OMAR confidered 
 
 if,
 
 8 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 it, upon the whole, rather as good 
 than evil. 
 
 When he had prepared his plan, 
 therefore, he fent a copy of it, by 
 different meflengers at the fame time, 
 both to ALMORAN and HAMET, in- 
 clofed in a letter, in which he expreft 
 his fenfe of obligation to their father, 
 and his zeal and affection for them : he 
 mentioned the promife he had made, 
 to devote himfelf to their fervice ; 
 and the oath he had taken, to pro- 
 pofe whatever he thought might fa- 
 cilitate the accomplimment of their 
 father's defign, with honour to 
 them and happinefs to their people : 
 thefe motives, which he could not 
 refift without impiety, he hoped 
 
 would
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 29 
 
 would abfolve him from prefump- 
 tion , and trufting in the reftitude 
 of his intentions, he left the iffue to 
 God. 
 
 C H P.
 
 3 o ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 TH E receipt of this letter threw 
 ALMORAN into another agony 
 of indignation : he felt again the lofs 
 of his prerogative j the offer of ad- 
 vice he difdained as an infult, to which 
 he had been injurioufly fubjecled by 
 the will of his father -, and he was dif- 
 pofed to reject whatever was fuggefted 
 by OMAR, even before his propofal 
 was known. With this temper of 
 mind he began to read, and at every 
 paragraph took new offence ; he deter- 
 mined, however, not to admit OMAR 
 to the honour of a conference upon 
 the fubject, but to fettle a plan of 
 government with his brother, without 
 the leaft regard to his advice. 
 
 K Afu-
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 31 
 
 A fupercilious attention to minute 
 formalities, is a certain indication of a 
 little mind, confcious to the want of 
 innate dignity, and felicitous to de- 
 rive from others what it cannot fupply 
 to itfelf: as the fcrupulous exaction 
 of every trifling tribute difcovers the 
 weaknefs of the tyrant, who fears his 
 claim fhould be difputed ; while the 
 prince, who is confcious of fuperior 
 and indifputable power, and knows 
 that the ftates he has fubjugated do 
 not dare to revolt, fcarce enquires 
 whether fuch teftimonies of allegiance 
 are given or not. 
 
 Thus, the jealouly of ALMORAN 
 already enflaved him to the punctilios 
 of ftate >, and the moft trifling circum- 
 ftances involved him in perplexity, 
 
 or
 
 32 ALMORAN AND HAMET- 
 
 or fired him with refentment : the 
 friendfhip and fidelity of OMAR flung 
 him with rage, as infolent and intru- 
 five ; and though it determined him 
 to an immediate interview with his bro- 
 ther, yet he was embarrafled how to 
 procure it. At firft he role, and was 
 about to go to him ; but he flopped 
 fhort with difdain, upon reflecting, 
 that it was an aft of condefcenfion 
 which might be deemed an acknow- 
 ledgement of fuperiority : he then 
 thought of fending for HAMET to come 
 to him j but this he feared might pro- 
 voke him, as implying a denial of his 
 equality : at length he determined to 
 propofe a meeting in the chamber of 
 council, and was juft difpatching an 
 officer with the mefTage, when HA- 
 MET entered the apartment. 
 
 The
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 3$ 
 
 The countenance of HAMET was 
 flufhed with joy, and his heart was 
 warmed with the pleafing fenfations of 
 affection and confidence, by the fame 
 letter, from which ALMORAN had ex- 
 tracted the bitternefs of jealoufy and 
 reientment; and as he had no idea 
 that an act of courtefy to his brother 
 could derogate from his own dignity 
 or importance, he indulged the honeft 
 impatience of his heart to communi- 
 cate the pleafure with which it over- 
 flowed: he was, indeed, fomewhat 
 difappointed, to find no traces of fatis- 
 faction in the countenance of ALMO- 
 RAN, when he faw the fame paper 
 in his hand, which had imprefled fo 
 jmuch upon his own. 
 
 VOL, I. D He
 
 34 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 He waited fome time after the firft 
 falutations, without mentioning the 
 fcheme of government he was come to 
 concert ; becaufe having obferved that 
 ALMORAN was embarrafled and dif- 
 pleafed, he expected that he would 
 communicate the caufe, and pleafed 
 himfelf with the hope that he might 
 remove it : finding, however, that this 
 expectation was difappointed, he ad- 
 drefied him to this effect : 
 
 * How happy are we, my dear bro- 
 1 theri in the wifdom and fidelity of 
 
 * OMAR ! how excellent is the fyftem 
 
 * of government that he has propofed ! 
 
 * how eafy and honourable will it be to 
 
 * us that govern, and how advantage - 
 
 * ous to the people that obey !' 
 
 The
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 35 
 
 * The advantages,' faid ALMO- 
 RAN, ' which you feem to have difco- 
 c vered, are not evident to me : tell 
 
 * me, then, what you imagine they 
 
 * are, and I will afterwards give you my 
 ' opinion.' 
 
 ' By eftablifhing a fyftem of laws 
 ' as the rule of government,' faid HA- 
 MET, ' many evils will be avoided, and 
 ' many benefits procured. If the law 
 
 * is the will only of the fovereign, it can 
 
 * never certainly be known to the peo- 
 ' pie : many, therefore, may violate that 
 
 * rule of right, which the hand of 
 ' the Almighty has written upon the 
 
 * living tablets of the heart, in the pre- 
 ' fumptuous hope, that it will not fub- 
 
 * jecl: them to punimment \ and thofe, 
 ' by whom that rule is fulfilled, will 
 
 D 2 ' not
 
 36 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 * not enjoy that confcioufnefs of fecu- 
 
 * rity, which they would derive from 
 
 * the protection of a prefcribed law, 
 which they have never broken. Nei* 
 
 * ther will thofe who are inclined to 
 
 * do evil, be equally reftrained by the 
 
 * fear of punifhment j if neither the 
 offence is afcertained, nor the punifli- 
 ' ment prefcribed. One motive to pro- 
 
 * bity, therefore, will be wanting ; 
 
 * which ought to be fupplied, as well 
 ' for the fake of thofe who may be 
 ' tempted to offend, as of thofe who 
 
 * may fuffer by the offence. Befides, 
 
 * he who governs not jp^a written and 
 
 * a public law, muft eiijrer adminifter 
 
 * that government ij^jperfon, or by 
 
 * others : if in perfon, he will fink 
 ' under a labour which no man is able 
 
 * co fuftain j and if by others, the in- 
 
 * feriority
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 37 
 
 * feriority of their rank muft fubject 
 
 * them to temptations which it cannot 
 
 * be hoped they will always refift, and 
 c to prejudices which it will perhaps be 
 
 * impoffible for them to furmount. 
 
 * But to adminifter government by .a 
 ' law which afcertains the offence, and 
 
 * directs the punifhment, integrity 
 c alone will be fufficient , and as the 
 
 * perverfion of juftice will in this cafe 
 c be notorious, and depend not upon 
 
 * opinion but fact, it will feldom be 
 
 * pradifed, becaufe it will be eafiJy pu- 
 
 * nilhed.' 
 
 ALMORAN, who had heard the opi- 
 nions of HAMET with impatience and 
 fcorn, now ftarted from his feat with a 
 proud and contemptuous afpect: he 
 firft glanced his eyes upon his brother ; 
 D 3 and
 
 3 8 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 and then looking difdainfully down- 
 ward, he threw back his robe, and 
 ftretching out his hand from, him, ' Shall 
 ' the fon of Solyman,' faid he, upon 
 
 * whofe will the fate of nations was fuf- 
 
 * pended, whofe fmiles and frowns 
 
 * were alone the criterions of right 
 
 * and wrong, before whom the voice 
 
 * of wifdom itfelf was filent, and the 
 ' pride even of virtue humbled in the 
 ' dull ; mall the fon of Solyman be 
 
 * harnefTed, like a mule, in the tram- 
 
 * mels of law ? (hall he become a 
 ' mere inftrument to execute what o- 
 fc thers have devifed ? mall he only de- 
 
 * clare the determinations of a ftatute, 
 
 * and (hall his ear be affronted by claims 
 
 * of right ? It is the glory of a prince, 
 ' to punim for what and whom he will j 
 ' to be the fovereign, not only of pro- 
 
 * perty,
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 39 
 
 c perty, but of life ; and to govern 
 alike without prefcription or ap- 
 peal.' 
 
 HAMET, who was ftruck with afto- 
 nifhment at this declaration, and the 
 vehemence with which it was uttered, 
 after a fhort recollection made this re- 
 ply : ' It is the glory of a prince, to 
 ' govern others, as he is governed by 
 4 Him, who is alone moft merciful and 
 
 * almighty ! It is his glory to prevent 
 ' crimes, rather than to difplay his pow- 
 
 * er in punimment , to diffufe happi- 
 ' nefs, rather than inforce fubjeclion ; 
 
 * and rather to animate with love, than 
 4 deprefs by fear. Has not He that 
 ' mall judge us, given us a rule of 
 4 life by which we (hall be judged ? is 
 
 * not our reward and punishment al- 
 
 D 4 ' ready
 
 4 ALMORANANDHAMET. 
 
 4 ready fet before us ? are not His pro- 
 c mifes and threatenings, motives to 
 
 * obedience ? and have we not confi- 
 c dence and joy, when we have obeyed ? 
 4 To God, His own divine perfe&ions 
 
 * are a law , and thefe He has tranfcribed 
 
 * as a law to us. Let us, then, govern, 
 
 * as we are governed ; let us feek our 
 ' happinefs in the happinefs that we be- 
 
 * flow, and our honour in emulating 
 
 * the benevolence of Heaven.' 
 
 As ALM OR AN feared, that to pro- 
 ceed farther in this argument would 
 too far diiclofc his fentimems, and put 
 HAMET too much upon his guard-, he 
 determined for the prefent to difTemble i 
 and as he perceived, that HAMET'S opi- 
 nion, and an adminiftration founded up- 
 on it, would render him extreamly po- 
 pular,
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 41 
 
 pular, and at length poflibly eflablifh 
 him alone j he was now felicitous only 
 to withdraw him from public notice, 
 and perfuade him to leave the govern- 
 ment, whatever form it mould receive, 
 to be adminiflered by others : return- 
 ing, therefore, to his feat, and afTum- 
 ing an appearance of complacence and 
 tranquillity, with which he could not 
 form his language perfectly to agree ; 
 Let us then,* faid he, c if a law 
 
 * muft be fet up in our Head, leave 
 
 * the law to be executed by our Haves : 
 ' and as nothing will be left for us to 
 do, that is worthy. of us, let us de- 
 
 * vote ourfelves to the pleafures of 
 c eafe ; and if there are any cnjoy- 
 1 ments peculiar to royalty, let us fe- 
 ' cure them as our only diftindlion from 
 1 the multitude.* 
 
 Not
 
 42 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 Not fo, s fays HAMET ; for there 
 c is yet much for a prince to do, after 
 c the beft fyftem of laws has been efta- 
 
 * blimed : the government of a nation 
 6 as a whole, the regulation and extent 
 < of its trade, the eftablimment of ma- 
 c nufactories, the encouragement of 
 c genius, the application of the reve- 
 
 * nues, and whatever can improve the 
 arts of peace, and fecure fuperiority 
 ' in war, is the proper object of a 
 king's attention. 
 
 6 But. in thefe,' faid ALMORAN, * it 
 c will be difficult for two minds to 
 
 * concur ; let us, then, agree to leave 
 6 thefe alfo to the care of fome other, 
 c whom we can continue as long as 
 
 * we approve, and difplace when we 
 
 ' ap-
 
 ALMOR AN AND HAMET. 43 
 
 c approve no longer : we fhall, by 
 
 6 this expedient, be able to avert 
 
 c the odium of any unpopular mea- 
 
 fure ; and by the facrifice of a 
 
 ' flave, we can always fatisfy the 
 
 people, and filence public difcon- 
 
 tent.' 
 
 * To truft implicitly to another,' 
 fays HAMET, * is to give up a prero- 
 4 gative, which is at once our higheft 
 ' duty and intereft to keep ; it is to be- 
 ' tray our truft, and to facrifice our ho- 
 * nour to another. The prince, who 
 ' leaves the government of his people 
 implicitly to a fubjeft, leaves it to 
 one, who has many more temptati- 
 ' ons to betray their intereft than him- 
 4 fclf : a vicegerent is in a fubordinate 
 
 ftationj
 
 44 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 * ftation ; he has, therefore, much to 
 '-fear, and much to hope : he may 
 ' alfo acquire the power of obtaining 
 
 * what he hopes, and averting what he 
 
 * fears, at the public expence , he may 
 
 * ftand in need of dependents, and 
 
 * may be able no otherwife to procure 
 
 * them, than by conniving at the fraud 
 'or the violence which they commit: he 
 ' may receive, in bribes, an equivalent 
 ' for his mare, as an individual, in the 
 ' public profperity ; for his intereft is 
 
 * not eflentially connected with that of 
 
 * the ftate i he has a feparate intereft ; 
 ' but the intereft of the ftate, and of 
 ' the king, are one : he may even be 
 ' corrupted to betray the councils, and 
 
 * give up the intcrefts of the nation, 
 ' to a foreign power ; but this is im- 
 
 * pofiible to the king ; for nothing 
 
 ' equivalent
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 45 
 
 * equivalent to what he would give up, 
 
 * could be offered him. Rut as a 
 king has not equal temptations to do 
 
 * wrong, neither is he equally expofed 
 ' to oppofition, when he does right : 
 ' the meafures of a fubftitute are fre- 
 
 * quently oppofed, merely from inte- 
 
 * reft ; becaufe the leader of a faction 
 
 * againft him, hopes, that if he can re- 
 
 * move him by popular clamour, he 
 
 * mail fucceed to his power ; but it 
 ' can be no man's intereft to oppofe 
 
 * the meafures of a king, if his mea- 
 
 * fures are good, becaufe no man can 
 
 * hope to fupplant him. Are not thefe 
 
 * the precepts of the Prophet, whofe wi 
 ' dom was from above ? " Let not 
 " the eye of expectation be raifed to 
 " another, for that which thyfelf only 
 *' fhould beftow : fuffer not thy own 
 
 " fliadow
 
 4.6 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 " lhadow to obfcure thee , nor be con* 
 " tent to derive that glory, which it 
 " is thy prerogative to impart,*' 
 
 4 But is the prince,' faid ALMORAN, 
 
 * always the wifeft man in his domini- 
 4 ons ? Can we not find, in another, 
 ' abilities and experience, which we 
 
 * do not pofiefs ? and is it not the duty 
 
 * of him who prefides in the fhip, to, 
 ' place the helm in that hand which 
 
 * can beft fteer it ?' 
 
 ' A prince,' faid HAMET, ' who fin- 
 ' cerely intends the good of his people, 
 1 can fcarcefail to effect it ; all the wif- 
 
 * dom of the nation will be at once turned 
 ' to that object : whatever is his prin- 
 cipal aim, will be that of all who are 
 
 * admitted to his council ; for to con- 
 
 ' cur
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 47 
 
 cur with his principal aim, muft be 
 4 the fureft recommendation to his fa- 
 * vour. Let us, then, hear others j 
 4 but let us act ourfelves.* 
 
 As ALMORAN now perceived, that 
 the longer this converfation continued, 
 the more he Ihould be embarrafled ; 
 he put an end to it, by appearing 
 to acquiefce in what HAMET had 
 propofed. HAMET withdrew, charm- 
 ed with the candour and flexibility 
 which he imagined he had difco- 
 vered in his brother ; and not with- 
 out fome exultation in his own rhe- 
 toric, which he fuppofed had gained 
 no inconfiderable victory. ALMORAN, 
 in the mean time, applauded himfelf 
 for having thus far practifed the arts of 
 
 diflimu-
 
 
 4 8 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 diffimulation with fuccefs ; 'fortified 
 himfelf in the refolutions he had be- 
 fore taken ; and conceived new male- 
 volence and jealoufy againft HAMET. 
 
 CHAP.
 
 ALMORAN ANDHAMET. 
 
 W 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 HILE HAMET was exulting 
 in his coriqueft, and his heart 
 was overflowing at once with felf- com- 
 placency, and affeftion to his brother; 
 he was told, that OMAR was waiting 
 without, and defired admittance. H A t 
 MET ordered that he Ihould be imme- 
 diately introduced ; and when OMAR 
 entered, and would have proftrated 
 himfelf before him, he catched him in 
 his arms in a tranfport of affection and 
 efteem ; and having ordered that none 
 ftould interrupt them, compelled him 
 to fit down on a fofa. 
 
 He then related, with all the joy of 
 
 a youthful and an ardent mind, the 
 
 VOL. I. E con-
 
 50 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 converfation he had had with ALMO- 
 RAN, intermixed with exprefllons of 
 the higheft praife and the moft cordial 
 efteem, OMAR was not without fufpi- 
 cion, that the fentiments which ALMO- 
 RAN had firft cxprefTed with fuch ve- 
 hemence of pafiion, were ftill predo- 
 minant in his mind : but of thefe fuf- 
 picions he did not give the leaft hint to 
 HAMET ; not only becaufe to commu- 
 nicate fufpicions is to accufe without 
 proof, but becaufe he did not think 
 himfelf at liberty to make an ill report 
 of another, though he knew it to be 
 true. He approved the fentiments of 
 HAMET, as they had indeed been in* 
 fufed by his own inftru&ions ; and 
 fome precepts and cautions were now 
 added, which the acceflion of HAMET 
 
 to 
 4
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. $r 
 
 to a fhare of the imperial power made 
 particularly necefiary. 
 
 ' Remember,' faid OMAR, * that 
 
 * the moft effectual way of promoting 
 ' virtue, is to prevent occafions of vice. 
 
 * There are, perhaps, particular fitua- 
 ' tions, in which human virtue has al- 
 
 * ways failed : at lead, temptation of- 
 ' ten repeated, and long continued, has 
 ' feldom been finally refitted. In a 
 6 government fo conftituted as to leave 
 
 * the people expofed to perpetual fe- 
 duction, by opportunities of diilblute 
 ' pleafure or iniquitous gain, the mul- 
 ' tiplication of penal laws will only 
 
 * tend to depopulate the kingdom, and 
 
 * difgrace the ftate ; to devote to the 
 4 fcymitar and the bow-ftring, thofe 
 c who might have been ufeful to fociety, 
 
 2 and
 
 52 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 4 and to leave the reft diflblute turbu- 
 ' lent and factious. If the ftreets not 
 4 only abound with women, who in- 
 ' flame the pafienger by their appear- 
 ' ance, their geflure, and their folici- 
 4 tations ; but with houfes, in which 
 c every defire which they kindle may 
 4 be gratified with fecrecy and conveni- 
 4 ence , it is in vain that " the feet of 
 " the proftitute go down to death, and 
 44 that her fleps take hold on hell :" 
 ' what then can be hoped from any 
 4 punimment, which the laws of man 
 
 * can fuperadd to difeafe and want, 
 
 * to rottermefs and perdition ? If you 
 
 * permit opiam to be publickly fold at 
 
 * a low rate ; it will be folly to hope, 
 4 that the dread of punimment will 
 
 * render idlentis and drunkennefs ftran- 
 
 * gers to the poor. If a tax is fo collect- 
 
 'ed.
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 53 
 
 * ed, as to leave opportunities to pro- 
 4 cure the commodity, without paying 
 
 * it ; the hope of gain will always fur- 
 4 mount the fear of punifhment. If, 
 4 when the veteran has fervedyou at the 
 4 rifque of life, you withold his hire ; 
 ' it will be in vain to threaten ufury 
 4 and extortion with imprifonment and 
 
 * fines. If, in your armies, you fuffer 
 4 it to be any man's intereft, rather to 
 4 preferve the life of a horfe than a man ; 
 
 * be afiured, that your own fword is 
 4 drawn for your enemy : for there will 
 ' always be fome, in whom intereft is 
 4 ftronger than humanity and honour. 
 4 Put no man's intereft, therefore, in 
 4 the ballance againft his duty ; nor 
 4 hope that good can often be produc- 
 4 ed, but by preventing opportunities 
 
 * of evil.' 
 
 3 To
 
 54 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 To thefe precepts of OMAR, HA- 
 MET liftened as to the inftrudions of a 
 father j and having promifed to keep 
 them as the treafure of life, he dif- 
 mified him from his prefence. The 
 heart of HAMET was now expanded 
 with the moft pleafmg expectations ; 
 but ALMORAN was pining with folici- 
 tude, jealoufy, and diftruft : he took 
 every opportunity to avoid both OMAR 
 and HAMET ; but HAMET ftill retain- 
 ed his confidence, and OMAR his fuf- 
 picions. 
 
 CHAP.
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 55 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 IN the mean time, the fyftem of 
 government was eftablifhed which 
 had been propofed by OMAR, and in 
 which HAMET concurred from princi- 
 ple, and ALMORAN from policy. The 
 views of ALMORAN terminated in the 
 gratification of his own appetites and 
 paflions ; thofe of HAMET, in the dif- 
 charge of his duty : HAMET, there- 
 fore, was indefatigable in the bufinefs 
 of the ftate ; and as his fenfe of honour, 
 and his love of the public, made this 
 the employment of his choice, it was 
 to hirfi the perpetual fource of a gene- 
 rous and fublime felicity. ALMORAN 
 E 4 alfo
 
 56 ALMORAN AND HAMET, 
 
 alfo was equally diligent, but from 
 another motive : he was actuated, not 
 by love of the public, but by jealoufy 
 of his brother ; he performed his tafk 
 as the drudge of neceflity, with reluc- 
 tance and ill will ; fo that to him it 
 produced pain and anxiety, wearinefs 
 and impatience. 
 
 To atone for this wafte of time, he 
 determined to crowd all that remained 
 with delight : his gardens were an epi- 
 tome of all nature, and on his palace 
 were ejfhaufted all thetreafuresof art; 
 his feraglio was filled with beauties of 
 every nation, and his table fupplied 
 with dainties from the remoteft corners 
 of his dominions. In the fongs that 
 were repeated in his prefence, he liftened 
 
 at
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 57 
 
 at once to the voice of adulation and 
 mufic , he breathed the perfumes of 
 Arabia, and he tafted the forbidden 
 plcafure of wine. But as every appe- 
 tite is foon fatiated by excefs, his ea- 
 gernefs to accumulate pleafure deprived 
 him of enjoyment. Among the variety 
 cf beauty that fxirrounded him, the 
 paffion, which, to be luxurious, muft 
 be delicate and refined, was degraded 
 to a mere inftinct, and exhaufted in 
 endlefs difiipation ; the carefs was un- 
 endeared by a confcioufnefs of recipro- 
 cal delight, and was immediately fuc- 
 ceeded by indifference or difguft. By 
 the dainties that perpetually urged him 
 to intemperance, that appetite, which 
 alone could make even dainties tafteful, 
 was deftroyed. The fplendor of his 
 palace and the beauty of his gardens, 
 
 be.
 
 5* ALMbRAN AND HAMET. 
 
 became at length fo familiar to his eye, 
 that they were frequently before him, 
 without being feen. Even flattery and 
 mufic loft their power, by too frequent 
 a repetition : and the broken (lumbers 
 of the night, and the languor of the 
 morning, -were more than equivalent 
 to the tranfient hilarity that was in- 
 fpired by wine. Thus pafied the time 
 of ALMORAN, divided between pain- 
 ful labours which he did not dare to 
 fhun, and the fearch of pleafure which 
 he could never find. 
 
 HAMET, on the contrary, did not 
 feek pleafure, but pleafure feemed to 
 feek him : he had a perpetual com- 
 placence and ferenity of mind, which 
 rendered him conftamly fufceptible of 
 pleafmg impreffions ; every thing that 
 
 was
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. $9 
 
 was prepared to refrefh or entertain 
 him in his feafons of retirement and 
 relaxation, added fomething to the de- 
 light which was continually fpringing 
 in his bread, when he reviewed the 
 pad, or looked forward to the future. 
 Thus, the pleafures of fenfe were 
 heightened by thofe of his mind, and 
 the pleafures of the mind by thofe of 
 fenfe : he had, indeed, as yet no wife ; 
 for as yet no woman had fixed his at- 
 tention, or determined his choice. 
 
 Among the ambaffadors whom the 
 monarchs of Afia fent to congratulate 
 the Ions of Solyman upon their accef- 
 fion to the throne, there was a native 
 of Circaffia, whofe name was Abdallah. 
 Abdallah had only one ch Id, a daugh- 
 ter, in whom all his happinefs and af-
 
 6o ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 fection centered ; he was unwilling to 
 leave her behind, and therefore brought 
 her to the court of Perfia. Her mo- 
 ther died while (he was yet an infant-, 
 fhe was now in the fixteenth year of 
 her age, and her name was ALMEIDA. 
 She was beautiful as the daughters of 
 Paradife, and gentle as the breezes of 
 the fpring; her mind was without 
 ftain, and her manners were without 
 art. 
 
 She was lodged with her father in a 
 palace that joined to the gardens of 
 the feraglio i and it happened that a 
 lamp which had one night been left 
 burning in a lower apartment, by fome 
 accident fet fire to the net-work of 
 cotton that furrounded a ibpha, and 
 the whole room was foon after in a 
 
 flame.
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 6-r 
 
 flame. ALMORAN, who hid been 
 pafiing the . afternoon in riot and de- 
 bauchery, had been removed from his 
 banquettin groom afleep; but HAMET 
 was ft ill in his clofet, where he had 
 been regulating fome papers that were 
 to be ufed the next day. The windows 
 of this room opened towards the inner 
 apartments of the houfe in which Ab- 
 dallah refided i and HAMET, having 
 by accident looked that way, was 
 alarmed by the appearance of an un- 
 ufual light, and ftarting up to fee 
 whence it proceeded, he difcovered 
 what had happened. 
 
 Having haftily ordered the guard 
 of the night to afiift if! quenching the 
 flame, and removing the furniture, 
 he ran himfelf into the garden. As 
 
 foon
 
 62 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 foon as he was come up to the houfe, 
 he was alarmed by the flirieks of a 
 female voice ; and the next moment, 
 ALMEIDA appeared at the window of 
 an apartment direftly over that which 
 was on fire. ALMEIDA he had till now 
 never feen, nor did he fo much as 
 know that Abdallah had a daughter: 
 but though her perfon was unknown, 
 he was ftrongly interefted in her dan' 
 ger, and called out to her to throw 
 herftlf into his arms. At the found 
 of his voice me ran back into the 
 room, fuch is the force of inviolate 
 modefty, though the fmoke was then 
 rifmg in curling fpires from the win- 
 dows : me was, however, foon driven 
 back j and part of the floor at the 
 fame inftant giving way, me wrapt 
 
 her
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 63 
 
 her veil round her, and leaped into 
 the garden. HAMET caught her in 
 his arms; but though he broke her 
 fall, he funk down with her weight : 
 he did not, however, quit his charge ; 
 but perceiving fhe had fainted, he made 
 hafte with her into his apartment, to 
 afford her fuch affiftance as he could 
 procure. 
 
 She was covered only with the light 
 and loofe robe in which fhe flept, and 
 her veil had dropped off by the way. 
 The moment he entered his clofet, 
 the light difcovered to him fuch beauty 
 as before he had never feen : (he now 
 began to revive ; and before her fenfes 
 returned, me prefifed the prince with 
 an involuntary embrace, which he 
 returned by draining her clofer to his 
 
 breaft,
 
 64 ALMORAN AND HAMET, 
 
 bread, in a tumult of delight, confu- 
 fion, and anxiety, which he could 
 fcarce fuftain. As he (till held her in 
 his arms, and gazed filently upon her, 
 Ihe opened her eyes, and inftantly re- 
 linquiming her hold, (hrieked out, and 
 threw herfelf from him. As there 
 were no women nearer than that wing 
 of the palace in which his brother re- 
 fided, and as he had many reafons 
 not to leave her in their charge , he 
 was in the utmoft perplexity what to 
 do. He afiured her, in fome hafty 
 and incoherent words, of her ftcurity ; 
 he told her, that me was in the royal 
 palace, and that he who had conveyed 
 her thither was HAMET. The habi- 
 tual reverence of fovereign power, now 
 furmounted all other pafflons in the 
 bofom of ALMJ-IDA : me was inftantly 
 
 covered 
 5
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 65 
 
 covered with new confufion ; and hid- 
 ing her face with her hands, threw her- 
 felf at his feet : he raifed her with a 
 trepidation almoft equal to her own, 
 and endeavoured to footh her into con- 
 fidence and tranquillity. 
 
 Hitherto her memory had been 
 wholly fufpended by violent pafiions, 
 which had crowded upon her in a rapid 
 and uninterrupted fuccefiion, and the 
 firft gleam of recollection threw her 
 into a new agony , and having been 
 ffient a few moments, me fuddenly 
 fmote her hands together, and burfting 
 into tears, cried out, ' Abdallah ! my 
 father! my father!' HAMET not 
 only knew but felt all the meaning of 
 the exclamation, and immediately ran 
 again into the garden : he had ad- 
 
 VOL, I. F vanceci
 
 66 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 vanced but a few paces, before he dif- 
 cerned an old man fitting upon the 
 ground, and looking upward in filent 
 anguifh, as if he had exhaufted the 
 power of complaint. HAMET, upon 
 a nearer approach, perceived by the 
 light of the flame that it was Abdal- 
 lah ; and inftantly calling him by his 
 name, told him, that his daughter was 
 fafe. At the name of his daughter, 
 Abdallah fuddenly darted up, as if he 
 had been roufed by the voice of an an- 
 gel from the fleep of death: HAMET 
 again repeated, that his daughter was 
 in fafety ; and Abdallah looking wift- 
 fully at him, knew him to be the 
 king. He was then flruck with an 
 awe that retrained him from enquiry : 
 but HAMET directing him where he 
 might find her, went forward, that he 
 
 might
 
 
 ^ALMORAN AND HAMET. ^67 
 
 might not lelTen the pleafure of their 
 interview, nor reftrain the firft tran- 
 fports of duty and affection by his 
 prefence. He foon met with other 
 fugitives from the fire, which had 
 opened a communication between the 
 gardens and the ftreet ; and among 
 them fome women belonging to AL- 
 MEIDA, whom he conducted himfelf 
 to their miftrefs. He immediately al- 
 lotted to her and to her father, an 
 apartment, in his divifion of the pa- 
 lace ; and the fire being now nearly 
 cxtinguilhed, he retired to reft. 
 
 CHAP,
 
 6& ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 THOUGH the night was far ad- 
 vanced, yet the eyes of HAMET 
 were ftrangers to fleep : his fancy in- 
 ceffantly repeated the events that had 
 juft happened , the image of ALMEIDA 
 was ever before him; and his breaft 
 throbbed with a difquietude, which, 
 though it prevented reft, he did not 
 wifh to lofe. 
 
 ALMORAN, in the mean time, was 
 (lumbering away the effects of his in- 
 temperance -, and in the morning, when 
 he was told what had happened, he 
 exprefied no pafiion but curiofity : he 
 
 went
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 69. 
 
 went haftily into the garden ; but when, 
 he had gazed upon the ruins, and en- 
 quired how the fire began, and what it 
 had confumed, he thought of it no more. 
 
 But HAMET fuffered nothing that 
 regarded himfelf, to exclude others 
 from his attention : he went again to 
 the ruins, not to gratify his curiofity, 
 but to fee what might yet be done to 
 alleviate the mifery of the fufferers, 
 and fecure for their ufe what had been 
 preferved from the flames. He found 
 that no life had been loft, but that 
 many perfons had been hurt ; to thefe 
 he fent the phyficians of his own 
 houfhold : and having rewarded thofe 
 who had afiifted them in their diftrefs, 
 not forgetting even the foldiers who 
 had only fulfilled his own orders, he 
 F 3 returned,
 
 ?6 ALMORAN AND HAMETY 
 
 returned, and applied himfelf to dif-' 
 patch the public bnfmefs in the cham- 
 ber of council, with the fame patient 
 and diligent attention as if nothing had 
 happened. He had, indeed, ordered 
 enquiry to be made after ALMEIDA; 
 and when he returned to his apart- 
 ment, he found Abdallah waiting to 
 exprefs his gratitude for the obligations 
 he had received. 
 
 HAMET accepted his acknowledge- 
 ments with a peculiar pleafure, for 
 they had fome connexion with AL- 
 MEIDA , after whom he again en- 
 quired, with an ardour uncommon 
 even to the benevolence of HAMET. 
 When all his queftions had been afked 
 and anfwered, he appeared flill unwil- 
 ling to difmifs Abdallah, though he 
 
 feemed
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 7! 
 
 feemed at a lofs how to detain him ; 
 he wanted to know, whether his daugh- 
 ter had yet received an offer of mar- 
 riage, though he was unwilling to 
 difcover his defire by a direcl: enquiry : 
 but he (bon found, that nothing could 
 be known, which was not diredtly 
 afked, from a man whom reverence 
 and humility kept filent before him, 
 except when fomething was faid which 
 amounted to a command to fpeak. At 
 length, however, he faid, not without 
 fome hefitation, * Is there no one, 
 
 * Abdallah, who will thank me for 
 
 * the prefervation of thy daughter, 
 
 * with a zeal equal to thy own ?' 
 
 * Yes,' replied Abdallah, that daugh- 
 ter whom-thou haft preferred.' This 
 reply, though it was unexpected, was 
 pleafing : for HAMJT was not only 
 
 F 4 gratified
 
 ^2 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 gratified to hear, that ALMEIDA had 
 cxprefied herfelf warmly in his behalf, 
 at leafl as a benefa6lor ; but he judg- 
 ed, that if any man had been interefted 
 in her life as a lover, the anfwer which 
 Abdallah had given him would not fo 
 readily have occurred to his mind. 
 
 As this reflection kept HAMET a 
 few moments filent, Abdallah with- 
 drew , and HAMET, as he obferved 
 fome marks of hade and confufion in 
 his countenance, was unwilling longer 
 to continue him in a fituation, which 
 he had now reafon to think gave him 
 pain. But Abdallah, who had con- 
 ceived a fudden thought that HAMET'S 
 queftion was an indirect reproach of 
 ALMEIDA, for not having herfelf foli- 
 cittd admiflion to his prefencej went 
 
 in
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 73' 
 
 in hafte to her apartment, and order- 
 ed her immediately to make ready to 
 attend him to the king. 
 
 ALMEIDA, upon whofe mind the 
 image of HAMET had not been abfent 
 a moment fmce fhe firft faw him, re- 
 ceived this order with a mixture of 
 pain and pleafure ; of wimes, hopes, 
 and apprehenfions, that filled her bo- 
 fom with emotion, and covered her 
 face with blumes. She had not courage 
 to afk the reafon of the command, 
 which me inftantly prepared to obey ; 
 but the tendernefs of Abdallah, who 
 perceived and pitied her diftrefs, antici- 
 pated her wifh. In a fhort time, there- 
 fore, he returned to the chamber of 
 prefence, and having received germif- 
 fion, he entered with ALMEIDA in his 
 * hand.
 
 74 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 hand. HAMET rofe in hafte to receive 
 her, with a glow of pleafure and impati- 
 ence in his countenance ; and having 
 raifed her from the ground, fupported 
 her in his arms, waiting to hear her 
 voice ; but though (he made many at- 
 tempts, me could not fpeak. HAMET, 
 who knew not to what he owed this fud- 
 den and unexpected interview, which, 
 though he wifhed, he could contrive 
 no means to obtain , imagined that 
 ALMEIDA had fome requeft, and there- 
 fore urged her tenderly to make it : 
 but as me ftill remained filent, he 
 looked at Abdallah, as expecting to 
 hear it from him. ' We have no 
 wifh,' faid Abdallah, ' but to atone 
 * for our offence ; nor any requeft, 
 c but that my lord would now accept 
 . the thanks of ALMEIDA for the life 
 
 ' which
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 75* 
 
 which he has preferved, >and impute 
 4 the delay, not to ingratitude, but 
 ' inadvertence : let me now take her 
 c back, as thy gift ; and let the light 
 ' of thy favour be upon us.' ' Take 
 ' her then,' faid HAMET ; ' for I 
 * would give her only to thee.* 
 
 Thefe words of HAMET did not 
 efcape the notice either of Abdallah or 
 ALMEIDA -, but neither of them men- 
 tioned their conjectures to the other. 
 ALMEIDA, who was inclined to judge 
 of HAMET'S fituation by her own, 
 and who recollected many little inci- 
 dents, known only to herfelf, which 
 favoured her wifhes ; indulged the 
 hope, that (he fhould again hear of 
 HAMET, with more confidence than 
 her father j nor were her expectation s- 
 
 dii-
 
 76 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 difappointed. HAMET reflected with 
 pleafure, that he had prepared the way 
 for a more explicit declaration ; and as 
 his impatience increafcd with his paf- 
 fion every hour, he fent for Abdallah 
 the next morning, and told him, that 
 he wifhed to be more acquainted with 
 his daughter, with a view to make 
 her his wife : 6 As neither you nor 
 
 * your daughter are my fubjefts,' fays 
 HAMET, ' I cannot command you; 
 c and if you were, upon this occafion 
 
 * I would not. I do not want a Have, 
 ' but a friend -, not merely a woman, 
 ' but a wife. If I find ALMEIDA 
 ' fuch as my fancy has feigned her ; 
 
 * if her mind correfponds with her 
 ' form ; and if I have reafon to think, 
 
 * that Ihe can give her heart to HA- 
 ,' MET, and not merely her hand to the 
 
 king;
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 77 
 
 < king"; I fhall be happy.' To this de- 
 claration, Abdallah replied with expref- 
 fions of the profoundeft fubmiffion and 
 gratitude ; and HAMET difmifled him, 
 to prepare ALMEIDA to receive him 
 in the afternoon of the fame day. 
 
 CHAP,
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 AS eight moons only had pa/Ted 
 fmce the death of Solyman, and 
 as the reverence of HAMET for the 
 memory of his father would not fuffer 
 him to marry till the year mould be 
 completed ; he determined not to men- 
 tion ALMEIDA to his brother, till the 
 time when he could marry her wai 
 near. The fierce and haughty deport- 
 ment of ALMORAN had now left HA- 
 MET no room to doubt of his charac- 
 ter : and though he had no apprehen- 
 fion that he would make any attempts 
 upon ALMEIDA, after me mould be his 
 wife ; yet he did not know how much 
 might juftly be feared from his pafiion, 
 
 if
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. ft 
 
 if he mould fee her and become ena- 
 moured of her, while me was yet a vir* 
 gin in the houfe of her father. 
 
 ALMEIDA had not only unfullied pu- 
 rity of mind, but principles of refined 
 and exalted virtue ; and as the life of 
 HAMET was an example of all that 
 was either great or good, Abdallah felt 
 no anxiety upon leaving them together, 
 except what arofe from his fears, that 
 his daughter would not be able to fe- 
 cure the conqueft me had made. 
 
 As it was impofiible for HAMET td 
 have fuch an acquaintance with AL^ 
 ME IDA as he defired, till he could enter 
 into converfation with her upon terms 
 of equality ; it was his firft care to 
 footh her into confidence and familia* 
 
 rity,
 
 ffd ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 rity, and by degrees he fucceeded : he 
 foon found, in the free intercourfe of 
 mind with mind, which he eftablifhed 
 inftead of the implicit fubmiffion which 
 only ecchoed his own voice, how little 
 of the pleafure that women were formed 
 to give can be enjoyed, when they are 
 confidered merely as (laves to a tyrant's 
 will, the pafllve fubje&s of tranfient 
 dalliance and cafual enjoyment. The 
 pleafure which he took in the youthful 
 beauty of ALMEIDA, was now endeared, 
 exalted, and refined, by the tender fen- 
 fibility of her heart, and by the re- 
 flexion of his own felicity from her 
 eyes : when he 'admired the graceful- 
 nefs of her motion, the elegance of her 
 figure, the fymmetry of her features, 
 and the bloom of her complexion, he 
 confidered them as the decorations only 
 
 of
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 8.1 
 
 of a mind, capable of mixing with his 
 own in the moft exquifite delight, of re- 
 ciprocating all his ideas, and catching 
 new pleafure from his pleafure. Defire 
 was no longer appetite ; it was imagi- 
 nation, it was reafon ; it included re- 
 membrance of the paft, and anticipa- 
 tion of the future ; and its object was 
 not the fex, but ALMEIDA. 
 
 As HAMET never witheld any plea- 
 fure that it was in his poWer to impart, 
 he foon acquainted Abdallah, that he 
 waited only for a proper time to place 
 ALMEIDA upon the throne; but that 
 he had fome reafons for keeping a re- 
 folution, which he thought himfelf 
 obliged to communicate to him, con- 
 cealed from others. 
 
 VOL. I. G It
 
 82 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 It happened, however, that fome of 
 the women who attended upon ALMEI- 
 DA, met with fome female flaves be- 
 longing to the feraglio of ALMORAN, 
 at the public baths, and related to them 
 all the particulars of ALMEIDA'S pre- 
 fervation by HAMET , that he had firft 
 conveyed her to his own apartments, 
 and had fmce been frequently with her 
 in that which he had afligned her in his 
 palace : they were alto lavifh in the 
 praife of her beauty, and free in their 
 conjectures what might be the iflue of 
 her intercourfe with HAMET. 
 
 Thus the fituation of HAMET and 
 ALMEIDA became the fubjecl: of con- 
 verfation in the feraglio of ALMORAN, 
 who learnt it himfelf in a fhort ti;ne 
 
 from one of his women. 
 
 He
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 83 
 
 He had hitherto profefied great affec- 
 tion for HAMET, and HAMET was de- 
 ceived by his profeflions : for notwith- 
 ftanding the irregularities of his life, 
 he did not think him capable of con- 
 cealed malice ; or of offering injury to 
 another, except when he was urged by 
 impetuous paffions to immediate plea- 
 fure. As there was, therefore,' an ap- 
 pearance of mutual affection between 
 them, ALMORAN, though the report 
 of ALMEIDA'S beauty had fired his 
 imagination and fixed him in a refbluti- 
 on to fee her, did not think proper 
 to attempt it without afldng HAMET'S 
 confent, and being introduced by his 
 order ; as he made no doubt of there 
 being a connexion between them which 
 would make him refent a contrary cop- 
 
 dud. 
 
 G 2 He
 
 S 4 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 He took an opportunity, therefore, 
 when they were alone in a furrmer pavi- 
 lion that was built on a lake behind the 
 palace, to reproach him, with an air of 
 mirth, for having concealed a beauty 
 near his apartments, though he pre- 
 tended to have no feraglio. HAMET 
 inftantly difcovered his furprize and 
 emotion by a blufh, which the next 
 moment left his countenance paler than 
 the light clouds that pafs by night over 
 the moon. ALMORAN took no notice 
 of his confufion , but that he might 
 more effectually conceal his fentiments 
 and prevent fufpicion, he fuddenly ad- 
 verted to another fubject, while HA- 
 MET was hcfitating what to reply. By 
 this artifice HAMET was decerved ; and 
 concluded, thatwhatever ALMORAN had 
 heard of ALMEIDA, had palled (lightly 
 
 over
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 85 
 
 over his mind, and was remembered 
 but by chance , he, therefore, quickly 
 recovered that eafe and chearfulnefs, 
 which always diftinguifhed his conver- 
 fation. 
 
 ALMORAN obferving the fuccefs of 
 his artifice, foon after, as if by a fud- 
 den and cafual recolle&ion, again men- 
 tioned the lady ; and told him, he would 
 congratulate Abdallah upon having re- 
 figned her to his bed. As HAMET 
 could not bear to think of ALMORAN'S 
 mentioning ALMEIDA to her father as 
 his miftrefs, he replied, that he had no 
 fuch intimacy with ALMEIDA as he 
 fuppofed , and that he had ib high an 
 opinion of her virtue, as to believe, 
 that if he mould propofe it me would 
 not confent. The imagination of AL- 
 
 G 3 MORAN
 
 86 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 MORAN caught new fire from beauties 
 which he found were yet unenjoyed, 
 and virtue which damped them with 
 fuperior value by rendering them more 
 difficult of accefs; and as HAMET had 
 renounced a connection with her as a 
 miftrefs, he wanted only to know whe- 
 ther he intended her for a wife. 
 
 This fecret he was contriving to dif- 
 cover, when HAMET, having reflected, 
 that if he concealed this particular, AL- 
 MORAN might think himfelf at liberty 
 to make what attempts he mould think 
 fit upon ALMEIDA, without being ac- 
 countable to him, or giving him juft 
 caufe of offence, put an end to his 
 doubts, by telling him, he had fuch a 
 defign ; but that it would be fome time 
 before he mould carry it into execution. 
 
 This 
 
 , >
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 87 
 
 This declaration increafed ALMOR AN'S 
 impatience : ftill, however, he con- 
 cealed his intereft in the converfation, 
 which he now fuffered to drop. 
 
 He parted from his brother, without 
 any farther mention of ALMEIDA ; but 
 while he was yet near him, turned haf- 
 tily back, and, as if merely to gratify 
 his curiofity, told him with a fmile, 
 that he muft indulge him with a fight 
 of his Circaflian ; and defired he might 
 accompany him in his next vifit, or at 
 feme more convenient time : with this 
 rcqueft, HAMET, as he knew not how 
 to refufe it, complied j but it filled his 
 mind with anxiety and trouble. 
 
 He went immediately to ALMEIDA, 
 
 and told her all that had happened ; 
 
 G 4 and
 
 88 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 and as fhe faw that he was not with- 
 out apprehenfions of mifchief from his 
 brother's vifit, fhe gently reproached 
 him for doubting the fidelity of her 
 affection, as fhe fuppofed no power 
 could be exerted by ALMORAN to in- 
 jure him, who in power was his equal. 
 HAMET, in a tranfport of tendernefs, 
 affured her that he doubted neither her 
 conftancy nor her love : but as to in- 
 terrupt the comfort of her mind, would 
 only double his own diftrefs, he did 
 not tell her whence his apprehenfions 
 proceeded ; nor indeed had they any 
 determinate object, but arofe in gene- 
 ral from the character of his brother, 
 and the probability of his becoming a 
 competitor, for what was efTential to 
 the happinefs of his life. 
 
 But
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 89 
 
 But if the happinefs of HAMET was 
 leflened, the infelicity of ALMORAN 
 was increafed. All the enjoyments that 
 were in his power he neglected, his at- 
 tention being wholly fixed upon that 
 which was beyond his reach ; he was 
 impatient to fee the beauty, who had 
 taken intire poflcfiion of his mind ; 
 and the probability that he would be 
 obliged to refign her to HAMET, tor- 
 mented him with jealoufy, envy, and 
 indignation. 
 
 HAMET, however, did not long de- 
 lay to fulfil his promife to his brother ; 
 but having prepared ALMEIDA to re- 
 ceive him, he conducted him to her 
 apartment. The idea which ALMORAN 
 had formed in his imagination, was ex- 
 ceeded by the reality, and his paffion 
 
 was
 
 #> ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 was proportionately incrcafed ; yet he 
 found means not only to conceal it 
 from HAMET, but from ALMEIDA, by 
 affecting an air of levity and merriment, 
 which is not lefs incompatible with the 
 pleafures than the pains of love. Af- 
 ter they had been regaled with coffee 
 and flierbet, they parted ; and HAMET 
 congratulated himfelf, that his appre- 
 henfions of finding in ALMORAN a ri- 
 val for ALMEIDA'S love, were now at 
 an end. 
 
 But ALMORAN, whofe pafilons were 
 become more violent by reftraint, was 
 in a ftate of mind little better than dif- 
 traction : one moment he determined 
 to feize upon the peribn of ALMEIDA 
 in the night, and ftcrete her in fome 
 place acceflible only to himfelf; and 
 5 the
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 9 t 
 
 the next to aflaffinate his brother, that 
 he might at once deftroy a rival both 
 in empire and in love. But thefe de- 
 figns were no fooner formed by his 
 wimes, than they were rejected by his 
 fears : he was not ignorant, that in any 
 conteft between him and HAMET, the 
 voice of the public would be againft 
 him ; efpecially in a contefr, in which 
 it would appear, that HAMET had fuf- 
 fered wrong. 
 
 Many other projects, equally ram, 
 violent, and injurious, were by turns 
 conceived and rejected : and he came at 
 lad to no other determination, than ftill 
 carefully to conceal his paflion, till 
 he mould think of fome expedient to 
 gratify it -, left HAMET mould have a 
 
 juft
 
 ?2 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 juft reafon for refufmg to let him fee 
 the lady again, and remove her to fome 
 place which he might never be able to 
 difcover. 
 
 CHAP.
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET, 93 
 
 CHAP. VIIL 
 
 IN the mean time, OMAR, to whom 
 HAMET had from time to time dif- 
 clofed the minuteft particulars of his 
 fituation and defign, kept his eye al- 
 moft continually upon ALM 6 R AN ; and 
 obferved him with an attention and 
 fagacity, which it was difficult either 
 to elude or deceive. Fie perceived, 
 that he was more than ufual refllcfs 
 and turbulent ; that in the prefence of 
 HAMET he frequently changed coun- 
 tenance -, that his behaviour was artifi- 
 cial and inconfiftent, frequently ftiifting 
 from gloomy difcontent and furious 
 agitation, to forced'laughter and noify 
 merriment.
 
 9 4 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 merriment. He had alfo remarked, 
 that he feemed moft difcompofed after 
 he had been with HAMET to ALMEI- 
 DA, which happened generally once 
 in a week , that he was become fond 
 of folitude, and was abfent feveral days 
 together from the apartment of his 
 women. 
 
 OMAR, who from this conduct of 
 ALMORAN had begun to fufpect his 
 principles, determined to introduce 
 fuch topics of difcourfe, as might lead 
 him to difcover the ftate of his mind i 
 and enable him to enforce and confirm 
 the principles he had taught him, by 
 new proofs and illuftrations. 
 
 ALMORAN, who, fmce the death 
 of his father, had nothing to appre- 
 hend
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 95 
 
 hend from the difcovery of fentiments 
 which before he had been careful to 
 conceal ; now urged his objections 
 againft religion, when OMAR gave him 
 opportunity, without referve. ' You 
 ' tell me,' fays he, c of beings that 
 
 * are immortal, becaufe they are im- 
 
 * material , beings which do not con- 
 ' fift of parts, and which, therefore, 
 
 * can admit no folution, the only na- 
 
 * tural caufc of corruption and decay : 
 ' but that which is not material, can 
 
 * have no extenfion , and what has no 
 ' extenfion, poiTefTes no fpace ; and of 
 
 * fuch beings, the mind itfelf, which 
 ' you pretend to be fuch a being, has 
 6 no conception.' 
 
 e If the mind/ fays OMAR, * can 
 
 * perceive that there is in itfelf any 
 
 ' fmgle
 
 96 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 ' fmgle property cf fuch a being, it 
 ' has irrefragable evidence that it is 
 ' fuch a being ; though its mode of 
 
 * exiftence, as diftincl: from matter, 
 ' cannot now be comprehended.' ' And 
 ' what property of fuch a being,' faid 
 ALMORAN, c does the mind of man 
 ' perceive in itfelf ?' ' That of atting? 
 faid OMAR, ' without motion. You have 
 1 no idea, that a material fubftance can 
 4 ad, but in proportion as it moves : 
 
 * yet to think, is to aft ; and with the 
 4 idea of thinking, the idea of motion 
 
 * is never ccnne&ed : on the contrary, 
 
 * we always conceive the mind to be 
 ' fixed, in proportion to the degree of 
 
 * ardour and intenfencfs with which 
 ' the power of thinking is exerted. 
 ' Now, if that which is material cannot 
 4 aft without motion j and if man is 
 
 * confcious,
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 97 
 
 c confcious, that to think, is to act 
 e and not to move ; it follows, that 
 
 * there is, in man, fomewhat that is not 
 
 * matter; fomewhat that has no exten- 
 
 * fion, and that pofiefies no fpace; 
 4 fomewhat which, having no contex- 
 
 * ture or parts that can be diffolved 
 ' or feparated, is exempted from all 
 the natural caufes of decay.' 
 
 OMAR paufed ; and ALMORAN hav- 
 ing flood fome moments without reply, 
 he feized this opportunity to imprefs 
 him with an awful fenfe of the power 
 and prefence cf the Supreme and Eter- 
 nal Being, from whom his own exift- 
 ence was derived : ' Let us remem- 
 ' her,' faid he, ' that to every ad of 
 c this immaterial and immortal part, 
 
 * the Father of fpirits, from whom it 
 VOL. I. H ' proceeds, 
 
 1
 
 9* ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 * proceeds, is prefent : when I behold 
 ' the bufy multitudes that crowd the 
 
 * metropolis of Perfra, in the perfuit 
 4 of bufmefs and projects infinitely 
 
 * complicated and various ; and con- 
 
 * fider that every idea which pafles 
 
 * over their minds, every conclufion, 
 
 * and every purpofe, with all that they 
 
 * remember of the paft, and all that 
 ' they imagine of the future, is at 
 
 * once known to the Almighty, who 
 
 * without labour or confufion weighs 
 
 * every thought of every mind in His 
 
 * balance, and referves it to the day 
 ' of retribution ; my follies cover me 
 ' with confufion, and my foul is hum- 
 bled in the duft.' 
 
 ALMORAN, though he appeared to 
 liften with attention, and offered no- 
 thing
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 99 
 
 thing againft the reafoning of OMAR, 
 yet fecretly defpifed it as fophiftry, 
 which cunning only had rendered fpe- 
 cious ; and which he was unable to 
 confute, merely -becaufe it was fubtil, 
 and not becaufe it was true : he had 
 been led, by his pafilons, firft to love, 
 and then to adopt different opinions ; 
 and as every man is inclined to judge 
 of others by himfelf, he doubted, whe- 
 ther the principles which OMAR, had 
 thus laboured to eftablifh, were ber- 
 lieved even by OMAR himfelf. 
 
 Thus was the mind of 
 to the inftru&ions of OMAR, as a rock, 
 flightly covered with earth, is to the 
 waters of heaven : the craggs are left 
 bare by the rain that walhes them , anJ. 
 the fame fhowers that fertilize the field, 
 H 2 can
 
 ioo ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 can only difcover the fterility of the 
 rock. 
 
 OMAR, however, did not yet dif- 
 clofe his iiifpicions to HAMET, be- 
 caufe he did not yet fee that it could 
 anfwer any purpofe. To remove AL- 
 MEIDA from her apartment, would be 
 to ftiew a diftruft, for which there 
 would not appear to be any caufe ; 
 and to refufe ALMORAN accefs to her 
 'when he defired it, might precipitate 
 fuch meafures as he might meditate, 
 and engage him in fome defperate at- 
 tempt : he, therefore, contented him- 
 felf with advifmg HAMET, to conceal 
 the time of his marriage till the even- 
 ing before he intended it fhould take 
 place, without aligning the realbn on 
 which his advice was founded. 
 
 To
 
 ALMORAN ANDHAMET. isi 
 
 To the council of OJVTAR, HAMET 
 was implicitly obedient,, as to the re- 
 velations of the Prophet ; but, like his 
 inftructions, it was neglected by AL- 
 MORAN, who became every moment 
 more wretched. He had a graceful 
 peribn, and a vigorous mind ; he was 
 in the bloom of youth, and had a coti- 
 rtitution that promiied him length of 
 days; he had power which princes 
 were emulous to obey, and wealth by 
 which whatever could adminiilci: to 
 luxury might be bought; for every 
 paffion, and every appetite, it was eafy 
 for him to procure a perpetual fuc- 
 cefiion of new objects: yet was AL- 
 MORAN, not only without enjoyment, 
 but without peace ; he was by turns 
 pining with clifcontent, and raving, 
 with indignation ; his vices had ex- 
 II 3 tracted
 
 102 A-LMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 traded bitter from every fweet-, and 
 having exhaufted nature for delight 
 m vain, he was repining at the bounds 
 in which he was confined, and re- 
 gretting the want of other powers as 
 the caule of his mifery. 
 
 Thus the year of mourning for So- 
 lyman was compleated, without any 
 acl; of violence on the part of ALMO- 
 RAN, or of caution on the part of 
 HAMET: but on the evening of the 
 laft day, HAMET, having fecretly pre- 
 pared every thing for performing the 
 iblemnity in a private manner, ac- 
 quainted ALMORAN by a letter, which 
 OMAR undertook to deliver, that he 
 fiiould celebrate his marriage on the 
 morrow. ALM o RAN, who never doubt- 
 ed but he (hould have notice of this 
 
 even t
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 103 
 
 event much longer before it was to 
 happen, read the letter with a pertur- 
 bation that it was impofllble to con- 
 ceal : he was alone in his private apart- 
 ment, and taking his eye hafrily from 
 the paper, he crumed it together in 
 his hand, and thrufling it into his 
 bofom, turned from OMAR without 
 fpeaking ; and OMAR, thinking him-' 
 felf difmifled, withdrew. 
 
 The pafiions which ALM o R AN could 
 no longer fupprefs, now burft out in 
 a torrent of exclamation : ' Am I then, 
 faid he, blafted for ever with a dou- 
 4 ble curfe, divided empire and difap- 
 ' pointed love ! What is dominion, if 
 ' it is not poffcfled alone ? and what is 
 
 * power, which the dread of rival 
 
 * power perpetually controuls ? Is it for 
 
 II 4 * me
 
 1Q 4 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 * me to liften in filence to the wrang- 
 c ling of flaves, that I may at laft ap- 
 
 * portion to them what, with a clamo- 
 
 * rous inlblence, they demand as their 
 ' due ! as well may the fun linger in 
 
 * his courfe, and the world mourn in 
 
 * darknefs for the day, that the glow- 
 
 * worm may dill be feen to glimmer 
 
 * upon the earth, and the owls and 
 
 * bats that haunt the fepulchres of the 
 
 * dead enjoy a longer night. Yet this 
 
 * have I done, becaufe this has been 
 ' done by HAMET : and my heart 
 ' fickens in vain with the defire of 
 ' beauty, becaufe my power extends 
 
 * not to ALMEIDA. With dominion 
 4 undivided and ALMEIDA, I fhould 
 
 * be ALMORAN -, but without them, I 
 
 * am lefs than nothing.' 
 
 OMAR,
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 10,5 
 
 OMAR, who, before he had paflfcd 
 the pavilion, heard a found which he* 
 knew to be the voice of ALMORAN, re- 
 turned haflily to the chamber in which 
 he left him, believing he had with- 
 drawn too foon, and that the king, aa 
 he knew no other was prefent, was, 
 Ipeaking to him : he foon drew near 
 enough to hear what was faid ; and 
 while he was Handing torpid in fuf- 
 penfe, dreading to be difcovered, and 
 not knowing how to retire, ALMORAN 
 turned about. 
 
 At firft, both flood motionlefs with 
 confufion and amazement ; but AL- 
 MORAN'S pride foon furmounted his 
 other paflions, and his difdain of 
 OMAR gave his guilt the firmnefs of 
 
 virtue, 
 
 < It
 
 lo6 ALMORAN AND HAA4ET. 
 
 < It is true,' faid he, that thoii 
 
 * haft ftolen the fecret of my heart ; 
 
 * but do not think, that I fear it 
 < fhould be known : though my poig- 
 6 nard could take it back with thy life, 
 e I leave it with thee. To reproach, 
 
 * or curfe thee, would do thee ho- 
 
 * nour, and lift thee into an import- 
 6 ance which otherwife thou canft never 
 ' reach.' ALMORAN then turned from 
 him with a contemptuous frown : but 
 OMAR caught him by the robe; and 
 proftrating himfelf upon the ground, 
 Intreated to be heard. His importu- 
 nity at length prevailed ; and he at- 
 tempted to exculpate himfelf, from the 
 charge of having infiduoufly intruded 
 upon the privacy of his prince; but 
 ALMORAN fternly interrupted him: 
 
 * And what art thou,' faid he, c that I 
 
 ' fhould
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. rof 
 
 * fhould care, whether thou art inno- 
 ' cent or guilty?' If not for my 
 fake,' faid OMAR, Men for thy 
 6 own; and though my duty is de- 
 ' fpiied, let my affection be heard. 
 
 * That thou art not happy, I know ; 
 ' and I now know the caufe. Let my 
 4 lord pardon the prefumption of his 
 6 flave : he that feeks to fatisfy all his 
 4 wifhes, muft be wretched ; he only 
 ' can be happy, by whom fome are 
 4 fupprefled.' At thefe words ALMO- 
 RAN fnatched his robe from the hand 
 of OMAR, and fpurned him in a tranf- 
 port of rage and indignation : c Thefup- 
 ' preffion of defire,' faid he, ' is fuch 
 4 happinefs, as that of the deaf who 
 do not remember to have heard. 
 
 * If it is virtue, know, that, as virtue, 
 ' I defpife it j for though it may fe- 
 
 ' cure
 
 Io8 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 ' cure the obedience of the (lave, -it 
 
 * can only degrade the prerogative of' 
 . a prince. I cad off all reftraint, as 
 
 * I do thee : begone, therefore, to 
 
 * HAMET, and fee me no more.' 
 
 OMAR obeyed without reply, and 
 ALMORAN being again alone, the con- 
 flict in his mind was renewed with 
 greater violence than before. He felt 
 all that he had difguifed to OMAR, 
 with the keeneft fenfibility j and anti- 
 cipated the effects of his detection, 
 with unutterable anguifli and regret. 
 He walked backward and forward with 
 a hafty but interrupted pace; fomc- 
 times flopping fhort, and preffing his 
 hand hard upon his brow , and fome- 
 times by violent geflures fhowing the 
 agitation of his mind : he fometimes 
 
 " flood
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 10$ 
 ftood filent with his eyes fixed upon 
 the ground, and his arms folded toge- 
 ther ^ and fometimes a fudden agony 
 of thought forced him into loud and 
 tumultuous exclamations : he curfed 
 the impotence of mind that had fuf- 
 fered his thoughts to efcape from him 
 unawares, without reflecting that he 
 was even then repeating the folly ; and 
 while he felt himfelf the victim of vice, 
 he could not fupprefs his contempt of 
 virtue : ' If I muft perim, 5 faid he, 
 I will at leaft periih unfubdued : I 
 will quench no wiih that nature kin- 
 ' dies in my boforn ; nor mall my 
 c lips utter any prayer, but for new 
 * powers to feed the flame.* 
 
 As he uttered this exprefiion, he 
 felt the palace (hake ; he heard a rufh- 
 
 ing
 
 lio ALMORANAND-HAMET. 
 
 ing, like a blaft in the defart ; and a 
 being of more than human appearance 
 flood before him. ALMORAN, though 
 he was terrified, was not humbled ; and 
 he ftood expecting the event, whether 
 evil or good, rather with obduracy than 
 courage. 
 
 c Thou feeft,' fays the Appearance, 
 c a Genius, whom the daring purpofe 
 
 * of thy mind has convoked from the 
 ' middle region, where he was ap- 
 ' pointed to wait the fignal -, and who 
 6 is now permitted to act in concert with 
 ' thy will. Is not this the language 
 
 * of thy heart? ct Whatever plea- 
 " lure I can fnatch from the hand of 
 " time, as he paffes by me, I will ie- 
 " cure for myfelf : my paflions mail be 
 " ftrong, that my enjoyments may be 
 
 great ;
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. xu 
 
 " great ; for what is the portion allot- 
 *' ted to man, but the joyful madnefs 
 " that prolongs the hours of feftivity, 
 " the fierce delight that is extorted 
 " from injury by revenge, and the.fweet 
 " fucceffion of varied pleafures which 
 " the wifh that is ever changing pre- 
 " pares for love ?" 
 
 c Whatever thou art,' faid ALMO- ' 
 RAN, ' whofe voice has thus difclofed 
 ' the fecret of my foul, accept my ho- 
 ' mage ; for I will worfliip thee : and 
 ' be thou henceforth my wifdom and 
 4 my ftrength.' 
 
 e Arife,' faid the Genius, c for there- 
 
 * fore am I fent. To thy own powers, 
 
 1 mine Ihall be fuperadded : and if, as 
 
 ' weak only, thou haft been wretched ; 
 
 ' henceforth
 
 H2 ALMORAN ANDHAMET. 
 
 ' henceforth thou malt be happy. 
 c Take no thought for to-morrow ; to- 
 ' morrow, my power mail be employed 
 e in thy behalf. Be not affrighted at 
 4 any prodigy , but put thy confidence 
 4 in me.' While he was yet fpeaking 
 and the eyes of ALMORAN were fixed 
 upon him, a cloud gathered rpund 
 him ; and the next moment difiblving 
 again into air, -he difappeared. 
 
 CHAP.
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 113 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 ALMORAN, when he recovered 
 from his aftonifhment, and had 
 reflected upon the prodigy, determined 
 to wait the iffue, and refer all his 
 hopes to the interpofition of the Ge- 
 nius, without attempting any thing to 
 retard the marriage j at which he re- 
 folved to be prefent, that he might im- 
 prove any fupernatural event which 
 might be produced in his favour. 
 
 HAMET, in the mean time, was an- 
 ticipating the morrow with a mixture 
 of anxiety and pleafure ; and though 
 he had no reafon to think any thing 
 
 VOL. I. I could
 
 H4. ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 could prevent his marriage, yet he 
 wifhed it was over, with an impatience 
 that was confiderably increafed by fear. 
 
 Though the anticipation of the great 
 event that was now fo near, kept him 
 waking the greateft part of the night, 
 yet he rofe early in the morning ; and 
 while he waited till ALMEIDA fhould be 
 ready to fee him, he was told that OMAR 
 was without, and defired admittance. 
 When he came in, HAMET, who al- 
 ways watched his countenance as a 
 mariner the ftars of heaven, perceived 
 that it was obfcurcd with perplexity 
 and grief. ' Tell me,' faid HAMET, 
 * whence is the forrow that I difcover 
 ' in thy face ?' I am forrowful,' faid 
 OMAR, ' not for myfelf", but for thee.' 
 Ac thefe words HAMET ftcpt back- 
 ward,
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 115 
 
 ward, and fixed his eyes upon OMAR, 
 without power to fpeak. ' Confider, 
 faid OMAR, 4 that thou art not a man 
 ' only, but a prince : confider alfo, that 
 
 * immortality is before thee ; and that 
 thy felicity, during the endlefs ages 
 5 of immortality, depends upon thy- 
 
 * felf : fear not, therefore, what thou 
 ' canft fuffer from others ; the evil and 
 ' the good of life are tranfient as the 
 c morning dew, and over thefe only 
 
 * the hand of others can prevail.' 
 
 HAMET, whofe attachment to life 
 was ftrong, and whofe expectations of 
 immediate enjoyment were high, did 
 not feel the force of what OMAR had 
 faid, though he aflented to its truth. 
 e Tell me,' faid he, ' at once, what 
 
 * thou feareft for me -, deliver me from 
 
 I 2 'the
 
 ii6 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 * the torments of fufpenfe, and truft 
 4 my own fortitude to fave me from 
 defpair.' Know then,' faid OMAR, 
 
 * that thou art hated by ALMORAN, 
 4 and that he loves ALMEIDA.' At 
 this declaration, the aftonimment of 
 HAMET was equal to his concern ; and 
 he was in doubt whether to believe 
 or difbelieve what he heard : but the 
 moment he recollected the wifdom and 
 integrity of OMAR, his doubts were 
 at an end -, and having recovered from 
 his furprize, he was about to make 
 fuch enquiries as might gratify the 
 anxious and tumultuous curiofity which 
 was excited in his breaft, when OMAR, 
 lifting up his hand, and beginning again 
 to fpeak, HAMET remained filent. 
 
 4 Thou
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 117 
 
 m 
 
 e Thou knoweft,' faid OMAR, ' that 
 when my cheeks were yet ruddy with 
 youth, and my limbs were braced by 
 vigour, that mine eye was guided to 
 knowledge by the lamp that is kind- 
 led at midnight -, and much of what 
 is hidden in the innermoft recefTes of 
 nature, was difcovered to me : my 
 prayer afcended in fecret to Him, 
 with whom there is wifdom from 
 everlafting to everlafting, and He il- 
 luminated my darknefs with His light. 
 I know, by fuch fenfations as the 
 world either feels not at all, or feels 
 unnoticed without knowledge of 
 their ufe, when the powers that are 
 invifible are permitted to mingle in 
 the walks of men ; and well I know, 
 that fome being, who is more than 
 mortal, has joined with ALMORAN 
 I 3 * againft
 
 n8 ALMORAN ANoHAMET. 
 
 ' againft thee, fmce the veil of night 
 was laft fpread upon the earth.' 
 
 HAMET, whofe blood was chilled 
 with horror, and whofe nerves were no 
 longer obedient to his will, after feveral 
 ineffectual attempts to fpeak, looked 
 up at OMAR -, and ftriking his hand 
 upon his breaft, cried out, in an ear- 
 neft, but faultering voice, ' What 
 mall I do ?' ' Thou muft do/ faid 
 OMAR, ' that which is RIGHT. Let 
 
 * not thy foot be drawn by any al- 
 c lurement, or driven by any terror, 
 
 * from the path of virtue. While 
 c thou art there, thou art in fafety : 
 and though the world Ihonld unite 
 
 * againft thee, by the united world 
 
 * thou canft not be hurt.' 
 
 ' But
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 119 
 
 c But what friendly power,' faid 
 HAMET, fhall guard even the path 
 ' of virtue from grief and pain , from 
 ' the filent fhaft of difappointed love, 
 
 * or the founding fcourge of outrage- 
 4 ous jealoufy ? Thefe, furely, have 
 
 * overtaken the foot of perfeverance ; 
 
 * and by thefe, though I fhould per- 
 
 * fevere, may my feet be overtaken.' 
 
 * What thou fay eft,' replied OMAR, 
 4 is true ; and it is true alfo, that the 
 
 * tempeft which roots up the foreft, 
 
 * is driven over the mountain with un- 
 
 * abated rage : but from the moun- 
 ' tain, what can it take more than 
 ' the vegetable duft, which the hand 
 
 * of nature has fcattered upon the mofs 
 
 * that covers it ? As the duft is to the 
 
 * mountain, fo is all that the ftorms 
 of life can take from virtue, to the 
 
 I 4 fum
 
 120 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 4 fum of good which the Omnipotent 
 ' has appointed for its reward.* HA- 
 MET, whofe eye now exprefied a kind 
 of doubtful confidence, a hope that 
 was reprefied by fear, remained ftill 
 filent ; and OMAR, perceiving the ftate 
 of his mind, proceeded to fortify it by 
 new precepts : ' If heaven,' faid he, 
 4 mould vanifh like a vapour, and this 
 ' firm orb of earth mould crumble 
 4 into duft, the virtuous mind would 
 4 ftand unmoved amidft the ruins of 
 * nature : for He, who has appointed 
 4 the heavens and the earth to fail, 
 4 has faid to virtue, " Fear not ; for 
 44 thou canft neither perifh, nor be 
 44 wretched." Call up thy ftrength, 
 4 therefore, to the fight in which thou 
 ' art fure of conqueft : do thou only 
 
 4 that
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 12* 
 
 * that which is RIGHT, and leave the 
 
 * event to Heaven.' 
 
 HAMET, in this conference with 
 OMAR, having gradually recovered his 
 fortitude; and the time being now 
 near, when he was to conduct AL- 
 MEIDA to the court of the palace, 
 where the marriage ceremony was to 
 be performed ; they parted with mu- 
 tual benedictions, each recommending 
 the other to the protection of the 
 Moft High. 
 
 At the appointed hour, the princes 
 of the court being afiembled, the 
 mufti and the imans being ready, and 
 ALMORAN feated upon his throne; 
 HAMET and ALMEIDA came forward, 
 and were placed one on the right hand, 
 
 and
 
 /22 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 and the other on the left. The mufti 
 was then advancing, to hear and to re- 
 cord the mutual promife which was to 
 unite them ; AIM OR AN was execrating 
 the appearance of the Genius, as a de- 
 Infive dream, in all the tumults of an- 
 guifh anddefpair; and HAMET began 
 to hope, that the fufpicions of OMAR 
 had been ill founded ; when a ftroke of 
 thunder fhook the palace to its foun- 
 dations, and a cloud rofe from the 
 ground, like a thick fmoke, between 
 HAMET and ALMEIDA. 
 
 ALMORAN, who was infpired with 
 new confidence and hope, by that which 
 had ftruck the reft of the afTembly 
 with terror, ftarted from his feat with 
 an ardent and furious look , and at the 
 fame moment, a voice, that iflued from 
 2 the
 
 ALMORAN ANDHAMET. 123 
 
 the cloud, pronounced with a loud but 
 hollow tone, 
 
 'Fate has decreed, to AIM OR AN, ALMEIDA.' 
 
 At thefe words, ALMORAN rufhed 
 forward, and placing himfelf by the 
 fide of ALMEIDA, the cloud difap- 
 peared ; and he cried out, Let me 
 
 * now proclaim to the world the fecret, 
 ' which to this moment I have hidden 
 
 * in my bofom : I love ALMEIDA. The 
 
 * being who alone knew my love, has 
 
 * now by miracle approved it. Let his 
 ' decree be accomplimed.' He then 
 commanded that the ceremony mould 
 proceed ; and feizing the hand of the 
 lady, began to repeat that part of it 
 which was to have been repeated by 
 HAMET. But ALMEIDA inftantly drew 
 her hand from him in an agony of dif- 
 
 treis 5
 
 124 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 trefs ; and HAMET, who till then had 
 flood motionlefs with amazement and 
 horror, ftarted from his trance, and 
 Ipringing forward rufhed between them. 
 ALMORAN turned fiercely upon him ; but 
 HAMET, who having been warned by 
 OMAR, knew the prodigy to be effected 
 by fbme evil being whom it was virtue 
 to refift, laid his hand upon his fcymt- 
 tar, and, with a frown of indignation 
 and defiance, commanded him to fland 
 off: * I now know thee,' faid he, c as 
 
 a man , and, therefore, as a brother 
 
 * I know thee not.' 
 
 ALMORAN reflecting, that the foun- 
 dation of this reproach was unknown 
 to all who were prefent, and that to 
 them he would therefore appear to be 
 injured i looked round with an alTecled 
 
 fmile
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 125 
 
 fmile of wonder and compaffion, as ap- 
 pealing to them from a charge that was 
 thus fiercely and injuriouQy brought 
 againft him, and imputing it to the 
 violence of fudden paffions by which 
 truth and reafon were overborne. The 
 eye of HAMET at once dete&ed the 
 artifice, which he difdamed to expoie; 
 he, therefore, commanded the guard 
 that attended to carry off ALMEIDA to 
 her apartment. The guard was prepar- 
 ing to obey, when ALMORAN, who 
 thought he had now fuch an opportu- 
 nity to get her into his own power as 
 v/ould never return, ordered them to 
 fee her fafdy lodged in his own 
 feraglio. 
 
 The men, who thus received oppo- 
 (ite commands from peribns to whom 
 
 they
 
 126 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 they owed equal obedience, flood flill 
 in fufpenfe, not knowing which to 
 prefer : ALMORAN then reproached 
 them with want of obedience, not to 
 him, but to God, appealing to the pro- 
 digy for the juftification of his claim. 
 HAMET, on the contrary, repeated his 
 order, with a look and emphafis fcarce 
 lefs commanding than the thunder and 
 the voice. But the priefls interpofing in 
 favour of ALMORAN, upon prefump- 
 tion that his right had been decided 
 by a fuperior power ; the guard rufh- 
 ed between HAMET and ALMEIDA, 
 and with looks that expreffed the ut- 
 moil reluctance and regret, attempted 
 to feparate their hands, which were 
 clafped in each other. She was af- 
 frighted at the violence, but yet more 
 at the apprehenfion of what was to 
 
 follow ;
 
 ALMORANAND HAMET. 127 
 
 follow ; fhe, therefore, turned her eyes 
 upon HAMET, conjuring him not ta 
 leave her, in a tone of tendernefs and dif- 
 trefs which it is impoflible to defcribe : 
 he replied with a vehemence that was 
 worthy of his paffion, * I will not leave 
 
 * thee,' and immediately drew his fa- 
 bre. At the fame moment they forced 
 her from him ; and a party having in- 
 terpofed to cover thofe that were car- 
 rying her off, HAMET lifted up his 
 weapon to force his pafiage through 
 them ; but was prevented by OMAR, 
 who, having prefled through the crowd, 
 prcfented himfelf before him. * Stop 
 'me not,' faid HAMET, ' it is for 
 
 * ALMEIDA.' .' If thou wouldft fave 
 ALMEIDA,' faid OMAR, ' and thyfelf, 
 ' do that only which is R'*GHT. What 
 4 have thefe done who oppofe thee, 
 
 more
 
 1*8 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 * more than they ought ? and what 
 
 * end can their deftruclion anfwer, but 
 4 to ftain thy hands with unavailing 
 4 murder ? Thou canft only take the 
 4 life of a few faithful (laves, who will 
 4 not lift up their hands againft thee : 
 
 * thou canft not refcue ALMEIDA from 
 
 * thy brother ; but thou canft preferve 
 
 * thyfelf from guilt.' 
 
 Thefe words of OMAR fufpendecl 
 the rage of HAMET, like a charm \ 
 and returning his fcymitar into its 
 fheath, ' Let me then,' faid he, c fuf- 
 4 fer, and be guiltlefs. It is true, that 
 4 againft thefe ranks my fmgle arm 
 
 * muft be ineffectual ; but if my 
 
 * wrongs can roufe a nation to reprefs 
 4 the tyranny, that will fhortly extend 
 4 over it the injuries that now reach 
 
 4 only
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 119 
 
 c only to me, juftice fhall be done to 
 e HAMET.' Then turning to ALMO- 
 RAN, e Henceforth,' faidhe, 'theking- 
 dom lhall be mine or thine. To go- 
 c vern in concert with thee, is to aflb- 
 
 * ciate with the powers of hell. Th^ 
 c beings that are fuperior to evil, are 
 e the friends of HAMET ; and if thefe 
 
 * are thy enemies, what mail be thy 
 ' defence?' ALMORAN replied only 
 by a contemptuous fmile ; and the af- 
 fembly being difmified he retired to his 
 apartment : and HAM&T and OMAR 
 went out to- the people, who had ga- 
 thered in an incredible multitude about 
 the- palace. 
 
 VOL. I, K CHAP.
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 A Rumour of what had happened 
 within had reached them, which 
 fome believed, and ibme doubted : but 
 when they faw OMAR and HAMET re- 
 turn together, and obferved that their 
 looks were full of refentment and trou- 
 ble, they became filent with attention 
 in a moment; which OMAR obferving, 
 addreffcd them with an eloquence of 
 which they had often acknowledged 
 the force, and of which they never re- 
 pented the effect. 
 
 He told them the tender connexion 
 between HAMET and ALMEIDA, and 
 
 difclofed
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 131 
 
 diiclofed thefubtil hypocrify of ALMO- 
 RAN : he expatiated upon the folly of 
 fuppofing, that the power that was fu- 
 preme in goodnefs and truth, {hould 
 command a violation of vows that had 
 been mutually interchanged, and often 
 repeated; and devote to ALMORAN 
 the beauties, which could only be vo- 
 luntarily furrendered to HAMET. They 
 heard him with a vacant countenance 
 of furprize and wonder ; and while he 
 waited for their reply, they agreed 
 among themfelves, that no man could 
 avoid the deftiny that was written upon 
 his head-, and that if ALMEIDA had 
 thus been taken from HAMET, and 
 given to ALMORAN, it was an event 
 that by an unchangeable decree was 
 appointed to happen ; and that y there- 
 fore, it was their duty to acquiefce. 
 K 2 OMAR
 
 132 ALMORAN AKD HAMET. 
 
 OMAR then beckoned with his hand 
 for audience a fecond time , and told 
 them, that ALMORAN had not only 
 pra6tifed the arts of forcery to deprive 
 HAMET of ALMEIDA, but that he me- 
 ditated a defign to ufurp the fole do- 
 minion, and deprive him of the mare 
 of the government to which he had a 
 right by the will of Solyman his fa- 
 ther. This alfo they heard with the 
 fame fentiments of wonder and ac- 
 quiefcence : If it is decreed, faid they, 
 that ALMORAN mail be king alone, 
 who can prevent it ? and if it is not, 
 who can bring it to pafs ? c But know 
 
 * ye not,' faid OMAR, ' that when the 
 ' end is appointed, the means are ap- 
 
 * pointed alfo. If it is decreed that 
 ' one of you mail this night die by 
 
 * poifonj
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 133 
 
 * poifon, is it not decreed alfo that he 
 
 * fhall drink it ?' 
 
 The crowd now gazed upon each 
 other, without reply, forfome minutes : 
 and at laft they only faid, that no ef- 
 fort of theirs could change the univer- 
 fal appointment of all things ; that if 
 ALMORAN was to be king alone, he 
 would be fo notwithftanding all oppofi- 
 tion ; and that if he was not to be 
 king alone, no attempt of his own, 
 however fupported, could make him 
 fo. ' I will not,' faid OMAR, ' con- 
 
 * tradict your opinion ; I will only tell 
 ' you what I have heard, and leave 
 
 * you to fuffer the calamities which 
 
 * threaten you, with a fortitude and 
 c reflgnation that are fuitable to your 
 principles j having no confolation to 
 
 * K 2 offer
 
 134 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 * offer you, but that HA MET, whofc 
 4 deftiny it was not to make you 
 ' happy, will fuffer with you the evils, 
 ' that neither he nor you could pre- 
 ' vent : the mournful comfort of this 
 ' fellowfhip, he will not be denied ; for 
 4 he loves you too well, to wifh even 
 
 * to be happy alone/ The crowd fixed 
 their eyes upon HAMET, for whom 
 their aftedion was now ftrongly moved, 
 with looks of much greater intelligence 
 and fenfibility ; a confufed murmur, like 
 the fall of the pebbles upon the beach 
 when the furge retires from the Ihore, 
 exprefled their gratitude to HAMET, 
 and their apprehenfions for themfelves. 
 
 OMAR waited till they were again 
 filent, and then improved the advan- 
 tage he had gained. * ALMORAI 
 
 faS
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 135 
 
 faid he, c confiders you as the flaves of 
 ' his power; HAMET as the objects of 
 
 * his benevolence : your lives and your 
 ' properties, in the opinion of ALMO- 
 
 * RAN, are below his notice ; but HA- 
 
 * MET confiders his own intereft as 
 
 * connected with yours. When ALMO- 
 ' RAN, therefore, fhall be unchecked 
 4 by the influence of HAMET ; he will 
 
 * leave you to the mercy of fome dele- 
 
 * gated tyrant, whofe whole power will 
 c be exerted to opprefs you, that he 
 
 * may enrich himfelf.' 
 
 A new fire was now kindled in their 
 eyes, and their cheeks glowed with 
 indignation at the wrongs that threat- 
 ened them ; they were no longer dif- 
 pofed to a6t upon the principles of fa- 
 tality, as they had perverfely under- 
 K 4 flood
 
 136 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 flood them ; and they argued at once 
 like reafonable and free beings, whofe 
 a&ions were in their choice, and who 
 had no doubt but that their actions 
 .would produce adequate effects. They 
 recollected that OMAR had, in the 
 reign of Solyman, often refcued them 
 from fuch oppreflion, as now threat- 
 ened them ; and that the power of 
 HAMET had fince interpofed in their 
 behalf, when ALMORAN would have 
 ftretched his prerogative to their hurt, 
 or have left them a prey to the farmer 
 of a tax. * Shall HAMET,' faid they, 
 be deprived of the power, that he 
 4 employs only for our benefit ; and 
 (hall it center in ALMORAN, who will 
 
 * abufe it to our ruin ? Shall we ra- 
 c ther fupport ALMORANinthe wrong 
 
 * he has done to HAMET, than HA- 
 
 ' MET
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 157 
 
 ' MET to obtain juftice of ALMORAN ? 
 c HAMET is our king; let him com- 
 ' mand us, and we will obey.' This 
 was uttered with a fhout that ecchoed 
 from the mountains beyond the city, 
 and continued near a full hour. In 
 the mean time, the multitude was in- 
 creafmg every moment ; and the troops 
 that lay in and near the city having 
 taken arms, fell in with the ftream : 
 they were fecretly attached to HA- 
 MET, under whofe eye they had been 
 formed, and of whofe bounty they had 
 often partaken ; and their fear being 
 removed by the general cry, which left 
 them no room to apprehend an oppo- 
 fition in favour of ALMORAN, they 
 were now at full liberty to follow their 
 inclinations. 
 
 In
 
 138 ALMORAN AND HA MET. 
 
 In the mean time, ALMORAN, who 
 had retired to the innermoft court of 
 the palace, had heard the tumult, and 
 was alarmed for his fafety : he ran 
 from room to room, confufed and ter- 
 rified, without attempting or directing 
 any thing either for his defence or 
 eicape , yet he fent every moment to 
 know the ftate of the infurrection, and 
 to what end its force would be di- 
 reded. 
 
 Among thofe whom accident rather 
 than choice had attached to the intereft 
 of ALMORAN, were Ofmynand Caled : 
 they were both diftinguilhed by his fa- 
 vour ; and each had conceived hopes 
 that, if he mould pofTefs the throne 
 alone, he would delegate his authority 
 to him, ALMORAN now ordered them 
 
 to
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 13$ 
 
 to take the command of the troops, 
 that were appointed to attend his per- 
 fon as their peculiar duty, with as many 
 others as had not declared for HAMET, 
 and to fecure all the avenues that led to 
 his feraglio. 
 
 OMAR and HAMET were now on 
 horfeback,. and had begun to form the 
 troops that had joined them, and as 
 many others as were armed, which 
 were before mingled together in a con- 
 fufed multitude. An account of this 
 was brought to ALM o R AN by Ofmyn ; 
 and threw him into a perturbation and 
 perplexity, that difgraced his charac- 
 ter, and confounded his attendants. 
 He urged Ofmyn, in whom he moft 
 confided, to difpatch, without giving 
 him any orders to execute ; then turn- 
 i ing
 
 I 4 o ALMORANANDHAMET. 
 
 ing from him, he uttered, in a low 
 and inarticulate voice, the moft paf- 
 fionate exclamations of diftrefs and 
 terror, being ftruck with the thought 
 that his guard might betray him : when 
 he recollected himfelf, and perceived 
 that Ofmyn was ftili preient, he burft 
 into a rage, andfnatching out his poig- 
 nard, he iwore by the foul of the Pro- 
 phet, that if he did not inftantly at- 
 tempt fomething, he would ftab him 
 to the heart. Ofmyn drew back trem- 
 bling and confufed ; but having yet 
 received no orders, he would have 
 fpoken, but ALMORAN drove him 
 from his prefence with menaces and 
 execrations. 
 
 The moment that Ofmyn left him, 
 his rage fubfided in his fears, and his 
 
 fears
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 141 
 
 fears were mingled with remorfe : 
 
 * Which way foever I turn,' faid he, 
 ' I fee myfelf furrounded by deftruc- 
 
 * tion. I have incenfed Ofmyn by un- 
 ' reafonable difpleafure, and caufelefs 
 c menaces. He mud regard me at 
 
 * once with abhorrence and contempt : 
 
 * and it is impoffible, but he mould 
 
 * revolt to HAMET.' 
 
 In this agony, the terrors of futu- 
 rity rufhed upon his mind with all 
 their force ; and he ftarted as if at the 
 bite of a fcorpion : ' To me,' faid he, 
 ' death, that now approaches, will be 
 ' but the beginning of forrow. I mail 
 be cut off at once from enjoyment. 
 6 and from hope ; and the dreadful 
 
 * moment is now at hand.' While he 
 was fpeaking, the palace again fhook, 
 
 and
 
 142 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 and he flood again in the prefence of 
 the Genius. 
 
 ' ALMORAN,' faid the inhabitant of 
 the unapparent world, ' the evil which 
 
 * thou feareft, fhall not be upon thee. 
 e Make hafte, and {hew thyfelf from 
 
 * the gallery to the people, and the 
 4 tumult of faction fhall be ftill before 
 
 * thee : tell them, that their rebellion 
 ' is not againft thee only, but againft 
 ' Him by whom thou reignefl : ap- 
 fc peal boldly to that power for a con- 
 
 * firmation of thy words, and rely for 
 the attefting fign upon me.' ALMO- 
 RAN, who had ftooped with his face 
 to the ground, now looked upward, 
 and found himfelf alone : he hafted, 
 therefore, to follow the directions he 
 
 had
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 143 
 had received ^ and hope was again 
 kindled in his bofom. 
 
 Ofmyn, in the mean time, made a 
 proper difpofition of the troops now 
 under his command , and had directed 
 a felect company to remain near the 
 peribn of the king, that they might at 
 leaft make good his retreat. While he 
 was waiting at his poft, and revolving 
 in his mind the total difappointmenjt , 
 of his hopes, and confidering what he 
 mould do if HAMET mould eftablim 
 himfelf alone, he was joined by Caled. 
 
 Caled had a fecret enmity againft 
 Ofmyn, as his rival in the favour of 
 ALMORAN; but as he had concealed 
 his own pretenfions from Ofmyn, Of- 
 myn had no ill will againft Caled. As 
 
 they
 
 j 44 ALMORANANDHAMET. 
 they were now likely to be involved in 
 one common calamity, by the ruin of 
 the prince whofe party they had ef- 
 poufed; Caled's enmity fubfided, and 
 the indifference of Ofmyn was warmed 
 into kindnefs : mutual diftrefs pro- 
 duced mutual confidence , and Caled, 
 after condoling with Ofmyn on their 
 prefent hopelefs fituation, propofed 
 that they mould draw off their forces, 
 and revolt to HAMET. This propofi 
 tion Ofmyn rejected, not only from 
 principle, but from intereft : ' Now 
 
 * we have accepted of a truft,' faid he, 
 c we ought not to betray it. If we 
 e had gone over to HAMET, when he 
 ' firft declared againft his brother, he 
 6 wojuld have received us with joy, 
 
 * and probably have rewarded our fer- 
 6 vicei but I know, that his virtue 
 
 will
 
 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 145 
 
 ' will abhor us for treachery, though 
 
 ' praftifed in his favour : treachery, 
 
 * under the dominion of HAMET, will 
 e not only cover us with difhonour, 
 
 * but will probably devote us to 
 death. 9 
 
 In this reafoning, Caled could not 
 but acquiefce ; he felt himfelf fecretly 
 but forcibly reproved, by the fuperior 
 virtue of Ofmyn : and while he regret- 
 ted his having made a propofalr, which 
 had been rejected not only as impru- 
 dent but infamous ; he concluded, that 
 Ofmyn would ever after fufpect and 
 defpife him ; and he, therefore, from 
 a new caufe, conceived new enmity 
 againft him. They parted, however, 
 without any appearance of fufpicion 
 VOL. I. L or
 
 146 ALMORAN AND HAMET. 
 
 or difguft ; and, in a fhort time, they 
 were in circumftances very different 
 from their expe&ations. 
 
 END OF VOL. I.
 
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 Los Angeles 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
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 AW 11979 
 
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