sation and society would be a solace in his old age, and by exercising your needle you will amuse your leisure hours, and in some degree preserve your favourite independence. I will take care the old man shall have every comfort, and, though I shall be far distant, my heart will be often with you.'

To be continued.)

THE TURBAN.

A Turkish Tale.

As Mustapha, the Beglerbeg or Lord of Bagdat, was riding along the bank of the Tigris, his horse, which in point of spirit and animation was the first of the Chaldean breed, started at some broken columns which had lately fallen, and now impeded the way, and giving a plunge, which almost shook the Serene Beglerbeg from his seat, began curveting among the horses of his attendants, which set them also to prancing, so that the whole troop was thrown into confusion.

Mustapha, who was reckoned one of the best horsemen in Assyria, Mesopotamia, or Chaldea, countries as famous for equestrians as Tartary, resolved to tame his beast, or at least to render him less susceptible of accidental impressions. He therefore goaded him on, with an intention to make hin overleap the broken columns

which so unfortunately formed a barrier against the prosecution of his journey.

Mustapha, although a good and pious Mussulman, was obstinate: Bucephalus, his horse, possessed that virtue in a still greater degree.

Mustapha therefore spurred without being able to make Buce. phalus advance, and Bucephalus kicked and plunged without being able to dismount Mustapha.

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The contest on either side was carried on with equal spirit, and persevered in with equal pertinacity; how it would have ended it is impossible to divine, had not the accidental sound of a village pipe decided it for the present in favour of the Beglerbeg, though in the sequel somewhat to his disadvan tage, for the moment that this shrill and piercing sound reached the susceptible ears of Bucephalus it seemed to have electrified him in fact, it caused him to do the very! thing which all the exertions of his a master were not able to make him perform. He flew over the broken columns with the celerity of an arrow, and lighting upon his feet left the Serene Beglerbeg Mustapha upon the ground, vent ing execrations against an animal, who but a few minutes before he would have wagered against the horse, ass, or mule Aberack, upon whose back the Arabian prophet Mahomet, who, it is well known, close him in preference to any

other vehicle, ascend to the diamond gate of the third Paradise.

The violence of Bucephalus had such an effect upon the horses in his train, that it caused them to fly different ways, in the moment when the assistance of his attendants was so necessary to the BegKerbeg:

The Turban of Mustapha had, in this contention, fallen off, and while he was in the act of execrating Bucephalus, he struck his head with his hand, and missing that tegument, he exclaimed “Oh! holy Alla, what a misfortune have I sustained by that infernal horse! what a disgrace! Mussulman to lose his Turban !"

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"It is not lost most illustrious and sublime Mustapha," answered a voice, the accents of which vibrated upon his ear like the sweetest music, "I hold it in my hand.”

The rage of Mustapha subsided the instant he turned his eyes and beheld one of the most beautiful objects that ancient or modern Assyria or Greece had ever produced. A slight covering of white callico so transparent, that it might rather be said to shade than conceal her person, was tied under her bosom with a zone of azure, which confined the upper part, while the symmetry of her form and elegant disposition of her limbs threw her flowing drapery into the most picturesque folds that it is possible for the imagination, fired

by passion; and aided by genius, to conceive. Her redundant hair was, according to the fashion of the Grecian maidens, which had probably been imported into Assyria, partly divided into three braids which hung below her waist, the rest wandering in ringlets over her neck and bosom ; a small chaplet of flowers crowned her head, from which was suspended a veil of white gauze, and blue sandals adorned her feet

A much longer time than has been spent in this description, the enraptured Mustapha had gazed upon her in speechless admiration. The virgin unconscious of her own attractions, and wondering at his silence,again offered him his Turban, which she still held in her hand. The Beglerbeg, without paying the least attention to her offer, perhaps, without know ing she had made it, asked her if she was an Assyrian.

'Certainly, replied the girl.

What is your name?'
Zeña,' she replied

What, oh! Tovely Zelia, are your parents?' before she could answer this question the attendants of Mustapha arrived exclaiming,

The youth, whose ill-toned and ill-timed music frightened Bucephalus, and at the same instant endangered the precious life of your excellency.'

'Come along dog; he has the very countenance of a Christian,' cried the attendants, dragging forward a youth in the dress of a Beduoine, that is to say, a loose robe and drawers of coarse camel-hair cloth, who had to a ribband suspended an Assyrian flute, which was, perhaps, the prototype of the daric.

With respect to the girl,' replied Zornestan, I am of your lordship's opinion. She is indeed, loveliness itself; but with regard to the youth, I must humbly beg leave to dissent from it; I remember you in your juvenile days.'

was, Mustapha, grave as he suffered his features to relax into a smile; and after pausing a minute said, "I must, as the day wears apace return to Bagdat; therefore let Zelia and this youth follow me."

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The presses in this city and other parts of the union, daily teem with the productions of some visionary brain and those bantlings of fancy are eagerly bought up and read with avidity; the good with the bad all go down indiscriminately; if it is but a novel or romance, it certainly must be charming!-I most readily allow, that there are many works, the substance of which never had existence only in the mind of the author, which are both instructing and amusing; in every well written treatise, wherein virtue and morality are forcibly incu'cated,

whether it be of the novel kind or otherwise, cannot fail of carrying with it a salutary effect; the only mischief emanating from books of fiction, proceeds from a want of proper care in the selection, and as novelty and romance form fur the largest part of a Ladies library, I am led to hazard a few remarks (as it regards themselves) upon that miscief.

That females are more addicted to the foregoing species of reading than the males, is obvious, and can very naturally be accounted for; after the years of infancy are passed, their education take a quite different turn; the man who has to contend with the storms, tempests. and bustle of life, pursues a system that tends to strengthen and nerve his faculties, in order to meet the shocks necessarily incident to him upon his passage. The vividity of changing scenery, and various situations keeps his mind fully occupied, without his having recourse to books of light and trifling amusement. The female on the contrary, is generally instructed in the more fanciful arts; a tolerable good English education, drawing, embroidery, music. and dancing are usually the sum of her attainments, and by a continuity of those minor accomplishments, her mind becomes SO. weakened, that she feels no relish for studies of an abstruse nature, her situation in the world being for the most part stationary, time frequently becomes wearisome, and. then it is that Novels and Legends are called in as auxiliary agents to help drive away the troublesome guest.

Some Novelists write for gain, some for pleasure, and others (who have themselves lost sight of virtue) with the express purpose of undermining that of their readers. It is astonishing what depredations. upon innocence, are almost imper