lue, our Disappointment will be greater than our Pleasure in the Fruition of them. If we hope for what we are not likely to poffefs, we act and think in vain, and make Life a greater Dream and Shadow than it really is.

MANY of the Miseries and Miffortunes of Life proceed from our want of Confideration, in one or all of these Particulars. They are the Rocks on which the fanguine Tribe of Lovers daily split, and on which the Bankrupt, the Politician, the Alchymift and Projector are caft away in every Age. Men of warm Imaginations and tow'ring Thoughts are apt to overlook the Goods of Fortune which are near them, for fomething that glitters in the Sight at a diftance; to neglect folid and fubftantial Happiness, for what is fhowy and fuperficial; and to contemn that Good which lies within their reach, for that which they are not capable of attaining. Hope calculates its Schemes for a long and durable Life; preffes forward to imaginary Points of Blifs; and grafps at Impoffibilities; and confequently ve-. ry often enfnares Men into Beggary, Ruin and Dishonour. WHAT

WHAT I have here faid, may ferve as a Moral to an Arabian Fable, which I find tranflated into French by Monfieur Galland. The Fable has in it fuch a wild, but natural Simplicity, that I queftion not but my Reader will be as much pleased with it as I have been, and that he will confider himself, if he reflects on the feveral Amusements of Hope which have sometimes paffed in his Mind, as a near Relation to the Perfian GlassMan.

ALNASCHAR, fays the Fable, was a very idle Fellow, that never would fet his Hand to any Business during his Father's Life. When his Father died, he left him to the value of an hundred Drachmas in Perfian Money. Alnafchar, in order to make the beft of it, laid it out in Glaffes, Bottles, and the finest Earthen - Ware. These he piled up in a large open Basket, and having made choice of a very little Shop, placed the Basket at his Feet, and leaned his Back upon the Wall, in expectation of Customers. As be fat in this Pofture with his Eyes upon the Basket, he fell into a most amufing Train of Thought, and was o

ver

ver-heard by one of his Neighbours, as he talked to himself in the following manner: This Basket, fays he, cost me at the Wholefale Merchant's a hundred Drachmas, which is all I have in the World. I Shall quickly make two hundred of it, by felling it in Retail. These two hundred Drachmas will in a very little while rife to four hundred, which of course will amount in time to four thousand. Four thousand Drachmas cannot fail of making eight thou fand: As soon as by this means I am Ma fter of ten thousand, I will lay afide my Trade of Glafs-Man, and turn Jeweller. I fhall then deal in Diamonds, Pearls, and all forts of rich Stones. When I have got together as much Wealth as I can well defire, I will make a Purchase of the fineft Houfe I can find, with Lands, Slaves, Eunuchs and Horfes. I fhall then begin to enjoy my felf, and make a noise in the World. I will not, however, stop there, but ftill continue my Traffick, till I have got together a hundred thousand Drachmas. When I have thus made my felf Master of a hundred thousand Drachmas, I shall naturally fet my felf on the foot of a Prince, and will demand the Grand Vifier's Daughter in Marriage, after having represented to that Minifter the Information which I

bave

have received of the Beauty, Wit, Difcretion, and other high Qualities which his Daughter poffeffes. I will let him know at the fame time, that it is my Intention to make him a Present of a thousand Pieces of Gold on our Marriage-Night. As foon as I have married the Grand Vifier's Daughter, I'll buy her ten black Eunuchs, the youngest and beft that can be got for Money. I must afterwards make my Father-in-Law a Vifit with a great Train and Equipage. And when I am placed at bis Right-hand, which he will do of course, if it be only to honour his Daughter, I will give him the thousand Pieces of Gold which I promised him, and afterwards, to bis great Surprize, will prefent him with another Purfe of the fame Value, with some Short Speech; as, Sir you fee I am a Man of my Word: I always give more than I promise.

WHEN I have brought the Princess to my Houfe, I fhall take particular care to breed in her a due Refpect for me, before I give the Reins to Love and Dalliance. To this end I fhall confine her to her own Apartment, make her a fhort Vifit, and talk but little to her. Her Women will reprefent to me that he is inconfolable by reafon of my Unkindness, and beg me with Tears

to

to carefs her, and let her fit down by me; but I fball ftill remain inexorable, and will turn my Back upon her all the firft Night. Her Mother will then come and bring ber Daughter to me, as I am feated upon my Sofa. The Daughter with Tears in her Eyes, will fling her felf at my Feet, and beg of me to receive her into my Favour: Then will I, to imprint in her a thorough Veneration for my Perfon, draw up my Legs and fpurn her from me with my Foot, fin fuch a manner that fhe fhall fall down feveral Paces from the Sofa.

ALNASCHAR was entirely fwallowed up in this chimerical Vifion, and: could not forbear acting with his Foot what he had in his Thoughts: So that unluckily ftriking his Basket of brittle Ware, which was the Foundation of all his Grandeur, he kicked his Glaffes to a great distance from him into the Street, and broke them into ten thousand Pieces.

Fri