THE DERVISË
A dervise, travelling through Tartary, being arrived at the town of Balk. Went into the king's palace by mistake, thinking it to be a public inn or caravansary. Having looked about him for some time, he entered into a long gallery, where he laid down his wallet, and spread his carpet, in order to repose himself upon it, after the manner of the eastern nations. He had not been long in this posture, before he was discovered by some of the guards, who asked him what was his busi-
ness in ihat place. The dervise told Ihem lie inlended lo lake up his nighl's lodging in Ihat caravansary. The guards lel him know, in a very angry manner, Ihal the house he Nvas in, TS'as not a caravansary, but Ihe king's palace. Il happened Ihal Ihe king hiniself passed Ihrough the gallery, during this debate, and, srailing al Ihe mislake of Ihe dervise, asked him how he could possibly be so dull, as nol to distingiiish a palace from a caravansary, « Sire )),says Ihe dervise, « give me Icave to ask your majesly a question or two. Who -were Ihe persons thaï lodged in ihis house.. \vhen il was firsl built? » The king replied, his ancestors. «And who)), says Ihe dervise, « was thelasl personlliat lodged hère ?))The king replied, «his father». «And who is il », « says ihe dervise,» ihallodgeshercal présent? « The king told him, thaï il was he himself. «And who», says thedervise, «willbehereafîeryou?»Theking answered, the young prince his son. « Ah, Sire »! said Ihe dervise, a house Ihal changes ils iiihabitanls so oflen, and receives such a perpétuai succession of guesls, is nol a palace, but a caravansary. »
(Speclator.) 5. A TURKISH TALE.
We are told thaï the sultan Mahmoud, by his perpétuai wars abroad, and his tyranny al home, had lilled his dominions wilh ruin and désolation, and half unpeopled the Persian empire. The visier lo ihis great sultan — whelher a humorisl or an enthusiasl,we are nol informed — pretended to hâve learned of a certain dervise, lo undersland the language of birds, so thaï Ihere was nol a bird Ihal could open his mouth, but the visier knew whal it was he said. As he was one evening wilh Ihe emperor, in Iheir relurn from hunling, Ihey saw a couple of owls upon a Iree ihal grew near an old wall, oui of a heap of rubbish. « I would fain know », says ihe sultan, « whal ihose iwo owls are saying lo one anolher : listen to Iheir discourse, and give me an accounl of il. » The visier approached Ihe Iree, pretending to be very attentive to the two owls. Upon his relurn lo the sultan, « Sire », says he, « I hâve heard part of Iheir conversation, but dare nol lell you whal it is. » The sultan would nol be satisfled wilh such an answer, bud forced him to repeat, word for word, every Ihing thé owls had said. « You musl know Ihen », said Ihe visier, « Ihal one of ihese owls bas a son, and Ihe olher a daughter, between whom
tlieyare now upon a treaty of niarriage. Tlie fallier of Ihesonsaid to tlie father of Ihe daugliter, in niy hearing: Brolhcr, I consent lo this marriage, provided you will setlle upon your dauglUer fifly ruincd villages for lier portion; to which ihe father of tlie daugliter replied : Instead of Hfty, I will glve her five hundred, if you please. God granl a long life to sultan Mahmoud ; while he reigns over us, \ve shall never want ruined villages. »
The story says, the sultan was so touched wilh ihe fable, tliat he rebuilt the towns and villages which had been destroyed, and from Ihat time forward consulted the good of his people. (Spectator.)
