"Shall I distrust the providence of God?

"Is it not He must save?

"If Allah wills it not,

"Vain were the Genii's aid."

Whilst he spake, Lobaba's eye,
Full on the distance fix'd,
Attended not his speech.
Its fearful meaning drew

The looks of Thalaba.

Columns of sand came moving on,

Red in the burning ray,

Like obelisks of fire,

They rush'd before the driving wind.

Vain were all thoughts of flight!

They had not hop'd escape,

Could they have backed the Dromedary then, Who in his rapid race

Gives to the tranquil air a drowning force.

High.. high in heaven upcurl'd

The dreadful sand-spouts mov'd,

Swift as the whirlwind that impell'd their way, They rush'd toward the travellers!

The old Magician shriek'd,

And lo! the foremost bursts,

Before the whirlwind's force,

Scattering afar a burning shower of sand.
"Now by the virtue of the Ring,
Save us!" Lobaba cried.

"While yet thou hast the power,
"Save us! O save us! now!"
The youth made no reply,

Gazing in aweful wonder on the scene.

Why dost thou wait?" the Old Man exclaim'd, "If Allah and the Prophet will not save,

"Call on the Powers that will!"

"Ha! do I know thee, Infidel accurst?" Exclaim'd the awaken'd youth.

"And thou hast led me hither, Child of Sin! "That fear might make me sell My soul to endless death!"

"Fool that thou art!" Lobaba cried,
"Call upon him whose name

"Thy charmed signet bears,

"Or die the death thy foolishness deserves!"

"Servant of Hell! die thou!" quoth Thalaba. And leaning on his bow

He fitted the loose string,

And laid the arrow in its resting-place.
"Bow of my Father, do thy duty now!"

He drew the arrow to its point,
True to his eye it fled,
And full upon the breast
It smote the wizard man.
Astonished, Thalaba beheld

The blunted point recoil.

A proud and bitter smile

Wrinkled Lobaba's cheek.

"Try once again thine earthly arms!" he cried. "Rash Boy! the Power I serve

"Abandons not his votaries.

"It is for Allah's wretched slaves, like thou,

"To serve a master, who in the hour of need "Forsakes them to their fate!

"I leave thee!"... and he shook his staff, and called

The Chariot of his charms.

Swift as the viewless wind,
Self-moved, the Chariot came,

The Sorcerer mounts the seat.

"Yet once more weigh thy danger!" he exclaim'd, "Ascend the car with me,

"And with the speed of thought
"We pass the desert bounds."

The indignant youth vouchsaf'd not to reply,
And lo! the magic car begins its course!

Hark! hark!.. he screams.. Lobaba screams!
What, wretch, and hast thou rais'd

The rushing Terrors of the Wilderness

To fall on thine own head?

Death! death! inevitable death!

Driven by the breath of God,

A column of the Desert met his way.

NOTES TO BOOK IV.

How great our fathers were, how little we.-P. 188. The Mussulmans are immutably prepossessed, that as the Earth approaches its dissolution, its sons and daughters gradually decrease in their dimensions. As for Dagjial, they say, he will find the race of mankind dwindled into such diminutive pigmies, that their habitations in cities, and all the best towns, will be of no other fabric than the shoes and slippers made in these present ages, placed in rank and file, in seemly and regular order; allowing one pair for two round families.-Morgan's Hist. of Algiers.

The Cady then asked me, "If I knew when Hagiuge was to come ?" "I have no wish to know any thing about him," said I; "I hope those days are far off, and will not happen in my time." "What do your books say concerning him?" says he, affecting a look of great wisdom. "Do they agree with ours?" "I don't know that," said I," till I hear what is written in your books." Hagiuge Magiuge," says he, "are little people not so big as bees, or like the zimb, or fly of Sennaar, that VOL. I.

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