She, to convince him no correspondence was carrying on with her consent, opened the billet, and casting her eye over the first line, burst out into an immoderate fit of laughter, for sure enough “Say, lovely houri!" &c., once more met her eye.

""By Allah! this is too ridiculous," said the prince, when he comprehended the cause of the lady's mirth; 'we must hit on some plot by which these two impudent poets may be punished for their presumption.""

'Nothing, however, could be arranged without a consultation with me. The prince, therefore, on quitting his mistress, came directly to my house, where he as usual threw off his disguise. He mentioned the circumstances which had occurred, commanding me, should the poet, that is, yourself (for, from his description, I guessed it was my sagacious magician) come to enquire into the result of his experiment, by no means to undeceive him, but flatter him with hopes of success, and induce him to consent to the chastisement of Gazub, that one poet might belabour another, and that the lady and himself might be gratified with seeing you undergo the torments you would be so ready to award your rival.

'At the same time he desired me, should you possess soul enough to be above taking so mean an advantage of your rival, to report the same to him, when another plan should be conceived. As, however, you so readily assented to the proposed cruel treatment of Gazub, the prince determined to have no mercy on yourself, and arranged you should be well bastinadoed, whilst Gazub should only have the cane applied to his deformed shoulders.

'When the time approached, however, I succeeded in turning

the prince from his determination of the bastinado, saying that the disgrace of being mounted on an ass, with your verses suspended from your neck, would be sufficient punishment. Your own imprudence and rash conduct, however, in striking the prince, has drawn upon you his anger and severe displeasure, the effects of which you will feel as long as you live.'

The barber here finished his narration and elucidation of the strange events which took place during the week. I could only blame my own imprudence and excessive vanity, which has through life been my ruin.

Gazub visited me, and his first words were, 'Confound your verses !'

'And confound your folly!' replied I, 'to suppose you could succeed with the lady by sending her them. It serves you right, for stealing my compositions and attempting to pass them off as your own. To this Gazub had nothing to say; and it is fortunate for me he was unacquainted with the readiness I had expressed to aid in his chastisement, or he would not have allowed me to remain another moment under his roof. 6 Can we obtain no redress,' enquired I, 'for our cruel treatment ?'

'Oh, brother!' said he, 'you little know the power of the Prince Humza. We must be quiet; and I confess to you my disgrace is such that I intend quitting my situation, and I apprehend you will scarcely have impudence enough to hobble before his majesty, who will doubtless have heard of your folly. Besides, when I retire, the situation is promised to another, more learned than either of us, who will of course provide an assistant from among his own friends.'

'More learned, indeed!' said I, my vanity prompting me to argue the point. 'I should like to see the man who would pretend to cope with me.'

'I am glad you have so high an opinion of your own talents,' said Gazub; 'but were you as wise as Lokhman, or as able a poet as Hafiz, the king would never admit into his presence a fellow whose withered stump would betray the appearance more of a felon than a poet.'

There was sense in this observation, and my golden dreams once more vanished. Gazub allowed me to remain until my wounds were healed; but, as the barber had foretold, I lost the use of my right leg, the foot of which, as your majesty may see, is a withered member. I left Ispahan for ever, and by the help of camel-drivers arrived at Bussorah, where I had the mortification of hearing of the return of Ilm Ali Khan from India, with double the number of followers than when I had seen him.

I felt my life so miserable in Persia, that I determined to quit it until the term of ten years should be expired, when I was to meet my two friends in Yezd. I sailed for India, where I have been a complete vagabond and lame beggar, with difficulty contriving to keep life and soul together. I was seriously meditating suicide, when in this city I beheld, to my surprise and joy, Yusoof begging alms. The unhappy man had, I perceived, lost one eye, and suffered so much from weakness in the other as to be unable to procure an honest livelihood. His astonishment was equal to mine, and we retired, to relate the accidents and adventures that had befallen us.

About a month afterwards, Mohabet Ali suddenly crossed our

path; the poor fellow embraced us with tears in his eyes, so great was his joy at thus unexpectedly beholding us. We were not long together ere we discovered he had lost his right hand. By what accident he was deprived of it he will himself inform your majesty. I have no more to say, but to confess the justice of my punishment for my vanity, arrogance, and meditated ingratitude towards these my true friends.

The Emperor, turning to the other two beggars, desired they would also relate their adventures. Yusoof, the man with only one eye, commenced the tale contained in the following chapter.

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CHAPTER XIII.

THE DYER'S STORY (continued).

WHEN I parted from my friends Yasmin and Mohabet Ali I felt as if all attempts at obtaining riches without their aid must prove abortive, and my present condition shows how well-founded were my apprehensions. The first place I visited was Schiraz, where I hoped to obtain employment under the Governor's collectors. I tried in vain, by sundry well-written petitions, to bring myself to the notice of the Deewan or Vizier, then again to the secretary, to the treasurer, and to all the junior scribes about court. This I soon found was only a waste of paper and time, without the least prospect of benefit, so I at last determined to apply to the secretary in person, although fully aware of the great difficulty in gaining access to him, knowing how little claim I had to his patronage.

I verily believe I might have waited until this moment at his door without seeing him. Rudely hustled by the guards and fortunate persons who enjoyed free ingress to his mansion, losing all patience, and convinced of my presumption in daring to expect that any of the proud men in power would provide for me, I departed from the court, and enlisted as a common soldier. In this capacity I had no idle time; for, what with guarding the