sleep. Meanwhile, what was the loving Elma doing? Having lost all hopes of ever meeting with her lover again, and in order to avoid the disgraceful pursuit of the steward, she had returned to the rural spot where every object seemed to reflect the image of the man she adored. There she spent her days in deep melancholy and solitude. Upon the first report of Nadir’s disasters, Alzor went to visit her; but, contrary to his usual habit, condescended to speak to the innocent maid. He gave her a brief account of our hero’s different metamorphoses, which twice put her to the blush. He easily prevailed on her to accompany him; and it may as easily be guessed, towards what part they directed their course. Wrapped up in a cloud, they could hear whatever Nadir said: Alzor was delighted at the sensations which every word created in the agitated mind of Elma, who cast upon the sprite a glance, of which he plainly understood the meaning, and he presented her Nadir’s pardon and discharge. To Love it was reserved to break off the ponderous fetters. Alzor next touched Nadir’s eye-lids with the lock of hair. Our hero started, and his eyes were scarcely opened when he met those of Elma.—How is their ecstacy to be expressed!
Alzor carried the two lovers to the spot where they had first enjoyed happiness. He united them, gave them salutary advice, and would often come to witness the felicity which was the result of their adherence to it. He intended at first to bestow on Nadir a gift to forget his own history; but upon second thoughts, he was satisfied with saying: “The experience we derive from the errors which we have committed, and the fatal consequences that have attended them, must in future guard us against either.”
As soon as I had pronounced aloud the above moral sentence, I held my tongue. The company that had been listening to me, then exclaimed, in a chorus:—“You might very well have dispensed taking the trouble of translating that little work. Except Elma’s fidelity, it is all as in Babylon.”
And they all went away, regretting Alzor’s little book.
YOUTHFUL ERRORS AMENDED, AND THE REWARD OF CONJUGAL FIDELITY.
A TALE FROM THE SPANISH.
There is no city more famed for the exercise of science and every liberal art, than that of Toledo; there the youth of Spain receive the best instruction, and there they have an opportunity of obtaining that fine polish of manner, which enables them to shine in the first classes of society. At the same time it is a dangerous situation for those who know not how to master their passions and inclinations, as it is the abode of pleasure, as well as of learning, and it abounds with women of the most fascinating beauty and manners, who are very far from cruel.
Don Ferdinand was a nobleman of an ancient and illustrious family of Castille, and he soon became a victim to the licentiousness too much practiced at Toledo, and engaged in those scenes of excess which were held out to him by young libertines of the same age as himself. His fortune by no means answered to his birth; and being allowed but a very moderate pension from his father during the time of his studies, he lent an ear to the dangerous advice of those by whom he was surrounded, and had recourse to gambling and other kind of arts unworthy of a gentleman, in order to satisfy his thirst for pleasure. All these vices were concealed under a fair outside, and by the most sprightly and insinuating manners, so that he was always a welcome guest among the ladies. He was very ambitious of being introduced to a young stranger, who had lately lost her father and mother, and having no other relations left, she lived at Toledo, and might be said to be entirely her own mistress.
Her extreme vivacity made her only desirous of seeing amongst her numerous ad-
