which were of a confiderable value. The hard-hearted landlord was fo far from being affected with her tears and intreaties, that he caused her immediately to be fent to a prifon, where, after having languished for about fix weeks, fhe died in the utmoft misery. Such are the tragic events which generally refult from the imprudence of parents, who, instead of guiding, vainly attempt to force the human heart, and facrifice the repofe of their children to fordid intereft. WH REFLECTIONS on POETRY. Hatever is capable of raising noble and generous fentiments in the mind of man, ought not (every one will confefs) to be neglected, but improved, and properly cultivated, efpecially when no real harm can be apprehended from the use of it. Now it will be difficult to find any amufement better calculated for a vehicle of fuch fentiments, or more prevalent in enforcing them, than poetry; which makes it fomewhat furprifing, that the great Mr. Locke, in his excellent effay on education, fhould fo feverely inveigh againft a diversion, which is itself fo innocent, and might be of fo good influence, if well improved; and the more fo, as his entire aim in that treatise feems to be to form the polite gentleman, who is fuppofed to be actuated by a noble fpirit, and to hearken to whatever may contribute to fuch a temper of mind. Had this great man proposed to himself, to inculcate nothing but a ftoical apathy, to have perfuaded us to extinguifh all the paffions, to hearken to nothing which might have the leaft influence on them, and, as a rule of life, to follow the difcipline and dry maxims of Zeno, we should have known from what fource his notions fprung, and fome reafons might have been given for his averfion to poetry, if we may allow it to be confiftent with the character of a stoic to have any averfion. But he has declared himself to be of far different opinion in other refpects, and feems to treat man as indued with paffions, and not as an unembodied fpirit; which does but create a greater furprise. The reasons he has used for his affertions appear very exceptionable, and are what might, with equal truth and juftice, have been urged against our affections receiving any impreffions, or even nature's implanting any paffions at all in us, to be capable of any influence. A perfon addicted to poetry (fays he) will be the fiddle of every jovial company; will run out of his eftate, and defpife the dirty acres of his ancestors. This is fomewhat roundly afferted, but not so true of poetry above other amusements; all are more engaging and pleasant than bufinefs, and may equally deferve this objection, particularly musick, which is more likely to produce this effect, and, in the moft literal sense, make one the fiddle of every jovial company; but this he allows, and does not object to. Besides all this, what a wild, hair-brained creature' must that be, to fuffer himself to be thus affected; one who is endued with reason, and educated accord-. ing to his maxims, can never be acceffary to fuch a perverfion. It is no contradiction to suppose that a lively representation of things may be made, and proper principles conveyed and instilled into men's minds by poetry, without rendering them unfit for other purposes and purfuits. Amiable and illuftrious may the acts of fome appear in a poetic garb; yet not fo enchanting as to bereave him of common sense, who was ever endued with the faculties of reason. In fhort, if we would form a mere tradesman, we ought not to instruct our pupil in any of the liberal sciences, as being all deftructive of that defign; but poetry will always be an ornament to the character of a gentleman. From these reasons we may conclude Mr. Lock's averfion to poetry, to have been a private prejudice, and not to have naturally flowed from that great difcernment and good fenfe, which he was master of. Lord Ba-con has given us his fentiments in this matter, which will give fome fanation to what has been faid, and serve to conclude this fhort effay. "Poetry, especially heroical, feems to be raised altogether from a noble foundation, which makes much for the dignity of man's nature: for feeing this fenfible world is in dignity inferior to the foul of man, poefy feems to endow human nature with that, which history denies; and to give fatisfaction to the mind, with at least the fhadow of things, where the fubftance cannot be had. For if the matter be thoroughly confidered, a ftrong argument may be drawn from poefy, that a more ftately greatness of things, a more perfect order, and a more beautiful variety, delight the foul of man, than any way can be found in nature fince the fall. Wherefore seeing the acts and events, which are the subjects of true history, are not of that amplitude as to content the mind of man, poefy is ready at hand to feign acts more heroical: because true history reports the fucceffes of bufinefs not proportionable to the merit of virtues and vices; poefy corrects it, and prefents events and fortunes according to defert, and according to the law of providence: because true history, through the frequent fatiety and fimilitude of things, works a distaste and misprision in the mind of man, poefy cheareth and refresheth the foul, chanting things rare and various, and full of viciffitudes. So as poefy ferveth and conferreth to delectation, magnanimity, and morality; and therefore it may feem defervedly to have fome participation of divinenefs, because it doth raise the mind, and exalt the fpirit with high raptures, by proportioning the fhews of things to the defires of the mind, and not fubmitting the mind to things, as reafon and hiftory do. And by these allurements and congruities, whereby it cherisheth the foul of man, joined alfo with confort of mufick, whereby it may more fweetly infinuate itself, it hath won fuch access, that it hath been in eftimation even in rude times and barbarous nations, when other learning ftood excluded." ABDALLAH. An Eaftern TALE. IN the city of Samarcand, while Jenghizcan fwayed the imperial fceptre of the Eaft, lived Abdallah, the fon of Mirza; profperity awaited his call, and fuccefs crowned all his endeavours: nor was he deaf to the the voice of virtue. His benevolence diffused itself far and wide, as the fragrance of the spicy groves wafted on the balmy wings of the eastern breeze. Abdallah, the rich, the happy, and the virtuous, was ecchoed from where the fun firft tinges the morning clouds with purple, to where his revolving chariot finks into the embraces of the western ocean. Amongst the crouds who frequented his house was one Haly, a man of a feeming melancholy difpofition, and folitary turn of mind. When Abdallah one day had shewn him all his sumptuous apartments, and all the fplendor of immenfe riches, and asked his opinion of what he faw; he replied coldly, "Allah and our prophet are my witneffes, that I efteem a folitary reclufe far happier than thee with all thy riches." While Abdallah ftood amazed at this reply, he thus continued-" In the wilds of Sara lives Aladin, the fon of Aboulcafem, the herbs of the field fupply his table, and the running ftream flakes his thirst; regardlefs of the luxuries of life, he covers not the fpices of Arabia, nor the glittering gems of Irak. Content to him fupplies the place of riches, and a chearful mind the want of power:---fon of Mirza, this is the man whofe ftare I account far preferable to thine; and fo wouldft thou thyself, couldft thou be capable of enjoying the sweets of retirement." He ceafed, and his words left a deep impreffion on the heart of his friend; he became eager to try by experience the truth of what Haly. had faid; often would he fend for him, and question him more concerning the dervife whom he had mentioned, till at last he perfuaded himself that felicity refided only in the fcenes of fimple nature; and foon actually put an end to his anxiety, by taking a sudden journey unattended, to the place which had been pointed out to him for the habitation of Aladin. When firft he arrived at the retreat, he was fo well pleased with the unruffled calm of a folitary life, that he thought himself more than compenfated for all the pleasures he had left behind; but, alas! how unstable are the refolutions of youth!---the daughter of vifier Abdelaziz, lovely as one of the Houri, had heard by fome means of his retirement, and followed him into thofe fhades, to diffuade him from fo ftrange a refolution. Amiable as he was, it was no wonder she had conceived a paffion for his perfon. While he was mufing under the fhadow of a tree, fanned by the refreshing evening breeze, the approached him, and drew afide her veil.---The fight of fo much beauty (for he had never before beheld her, though he had often seen him) was too strong for the youthful heart of Abdallah; and when the difcovered herself, and told the motive of her journey, nothing could equal his perplexity. When he turned away from her, he retained his old refolutions of quitting the world, but when he caft a glance on her beauties, they were all overthrown.-He was in this perplexing fituation, when the dervise Aladin fuddenly appeared, and (the lady withdrawing) thus addreffed him:" "Wonder not, fon of Mirza, that Iam fully informed of all that concerns thee: this night the prophet has vifited me in a vifion for thy fake. |