happened to justle a beau, who carried the lap-dog of his mistress. Down came the delicate quadruped; Favori, alas! sends forth a most piteous yell, and the lady faints. Her lover, who held a bamboo in his hand, applied it across the shoulders of Nadir, who instantly repaid the compliment. All present interfere, the fair ladies side with the offended mistress of the dog; and the gentlemen unanimously declare, that according to the most noble custom of their ancestors, a duel is become indispensable. The two heroes, in consequence, repair to a neighbouring wood. The one, with a feeble hand shoots an inoffensive arrow; the other, with equal vigour and skill, lodges his weapon in the shoulder of his antagonist. Nadir, on being surrounded by a cluster of people, thought that he was ruined; but he was soon undeceived, and agreeably surprised, when his wounded opponent declared himself his friend, invited him to get into his palanquin, and carried him to his own home.
Phanor (so was the young man called,) had an uncle, who happened to be one of Nadir’s judges. By this means, and owing to numberless visits, which in the common language are denominated solicitations, our hero, after the revolution of thirteen moons, obtained from the tribunal a gratuitous verdict, that entitled him to enter into possession of his deceased father’s estates. Two-thirds of the property, however, he was under an obligation of distributing amongst the good people who had interfered in his behalf, and the public opinion was, that he had got off very cheap.
Upon his first arrival in the metropolis, Nadir used to write daily to Elma, from whom he also heard every day. Her letters he would read to Phanor, who, indeed treated with indifference a passion which he termed romantic, and of which he endeavoured to cure his new friend. He instructed Nadir in the arts of dressing in style, of assuming fashionable airs, of shamming levity, and of composing extempore declarations. In the forenoon he would take him to the toilette of some celebrated belles; in the evening he introduced him into the circles of ton. Not unfrequently Phanor would destroy Nadir’s letters, so that not only days but months elapsed without the latter hearing from Elma. “Is she not a female?” would Phanor say, and our hero remained involved in thought, when one day his gay companion apprized him, most abruptly, that he was going on a long journey. He was to repair first, unaccompanied by any one, to a villa, where, undoubtedly, he was expected by a sprightly nymph whom Nadir might well know; and then, without answering any question whatever, he bade him a hasty farewell, and left him. Nadir stood rather amazed at such a conduct.
But our hero was still in the prime of life, and a prey to that irresolute ardour which prompts us to relinquish our actual situation, with a view of soaring towards another sphere which we fancy to be more beauteous and resplendent, merely because it is unknown to us. With a jealous eye would he behold such as were richer than himself, more powerful, or greater favourites among the sex; nay, he grew curious of renowned poets, his own compositions being but of an inferior cast. Too violently agitated by his contending desires, and his sorrowful ideas, Nadir, at day-break had not been able to close his eyes, when on a sudden he thought of the sprite that had presided at his birth, and who had promised, over his cradle, to grant his most ardent wish. “Hast thou forsaken me,” exclaimed Nadir, “or canst thou not read to the very bottom of my heart? Come, fly to my assistance, illustrious, though neglectful Alzor!”
The invocation was rather in a familiar style; nevertheless a sudden beam of light pierces through the blinds, bearing Alzor, who, gently descending, alights on the sofa of his protegée, presents him with a little volume bound in blue morocco, with gilt edges, casts an amicable look upon him, and seated on his beam, returned as he had come, through the blinds. In case that sprite, occasionally, took unavailing steps, it cannot be said, however, that his discourse was to be misconstrued. I know several loquacious, tedious individuals, who harass us with their monotonous, endless visits, and would act wisely if they were to go to silent Alzor’s school.
Nadir hastened to open the book, and read several times over the following directions:—
“Pronounce aloud the words at the top
