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the gentlemen of the robe have no other clients in the ' world befides us two; that when they have nothing else to do, they make us plaintiffs and defendants, though they were never retained by either of us; that they traduce, condemn, or acquit us, without any manner of regard to our reputations and good names in the world. Your petitioners therefore (being thereunto encouraged by the favourable reception which you lately gave to our kinfman Blank) do humbly pray that you would put an ⚫ end to the controverfies which have been fo long depending between us your faid petitioners, and that our enmity may not endure from generation to generation; it being our refolution to live hereafter as it becometh men of peaceable difpofitions.

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And your petitioners (as in duty bound) fhall ever pray, &c.'

Monday, Auguft 9.

Eque feris humana in corpora tranfit,

N° 578.

Inque feras nofter

Ovid. Met. 1. 15. v. 167.

Th' unbodied fpirit flies—

And lodges where it lights in man or beast.

T

Dryden.

HERE has been very great reafon, on feveral accounts, for the learned world to endeavour at fettling what it was that might be faid to compofe perfonal identity.

MR Locke, after having premifed, that the word perfon properly fignifies a thinking intelligent being that has reafon and reflection, and can confider itself as itfelf; concludes, that it is confcioufnefs alone, and not an identity of fubftance, which makes this perfonal identity of fameness. Had I the fame confcioufnefs (fays that author) that I faw the ark and Noah's flood, as that I faw an overflowing of the Thames laft winter; or as that I now write; I could no more doubt that I who write this

now,

now, that faw the Thames overflow laft winter, and that viewed the flood at the general deluge, was the fame Self, place that Self in what fubftance you pleafe, than that I who write this am the fame Myfelf now while I write (whether I confift of all the fame fubftance material or immaterial or no) that I was yesterday; for as to this point of being the fame Self, it matters not whether this present Self be made up of the fame or other substances.

I WAS mightily pleafed with a story in fome meafure applicable to this piece of philofophy, which I read the other day in the Perfian tales, as they are lately very well tranflated by Mr Philips; and with an abridgment whereof I shall here prefent my readers.

I SHALL only premife, that thefe ftories are writ after the Eastern manner, but fomewhat more correct.

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· FADLALLAH, a prince of great virtues, fucceed⚫ed his father Bin-Ortoc, in the kingdom of Moufel. He reigned over his faithful fubjects for fome time, and lived in great happinefs with his beauteous confort queen Zemroude; when there appeared at his court a young Dervis of fo lively and entertaining a turn of wit, as won upon the affections of every one he converfed with. His reputation grew fo faft every day, that it at last 'raised a curiofity in the prince himself to fee and talk with him. He did fo, and far from finding that common fame had flattered him, he was foon convinced that every thing he had heard of him fell fhort of the truth. FADLALLAH immediately loft all manner of relifh for the converfation of other men; and as he was every day more and more fatisfied of the abilities of this ftranger, offered him the firft pofts in his kingdom. "The young Dervis, after having thanked him with a very fingular modefty, defired to be excufed, as having made a vow never to accept of any employment, and preferring a free and independent ftate of life to all

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other conditions.

THE king was infinitely charmed with fo great an example of moderation; and though he could not get him to engage in a life of business, made him however his chief companion and first favourite. H

VOL. VIII.

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As they were one day hunting together, and happened to be separated from the reft of the company, the Dervis entertained Fadlallah with an account of his travels and adventures. After having related to him feveral curiofities which he had feen in the Indies, It was in this place,' fays he, that I contracted an acquaintance with an old Brachman, who was fkilled in the most hidden powers of nature: he died within my arms, and with his parting breath communicated to me "one of the most valuable of his fecrets, on condition I fhould never reveal it to any man.' The king immediately reflecting on his young favourite's having refufed the late offers of greatnefs he had made him, told him, he prefumed it was the power of making gold. "No, Sir,' fays the Dervis, it is fomewhat more won❝derful than that; it is the power of reanimating a dead body by flinging my foul into it.'

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WHILE he was yet speaking a doe came bounding by them, and the king, who had his bow ready, shot her through the heart; telling the Dervis, that a fair opportunity now offered for him to fhew his art. young man immediately left his own body breathless on the ground, while at the fame inftant that of the do was reanimated; fhe came to the king, fawned upon him, and after having played several wanton tricks, fell again upon the grafs; at the fame instant the body of the Dervis recovered its life. The king was infinitely pleafed at fo uncommon an operation, and conjured his friend by every thing that was facred to communiit to him. The Dervis at firft made fome fcruple of violating his promife to the dying Brachman; but told him at laff, that he found he could conceal nothing from fo excellent a prince; after having obliged him therefore by an oath to fecrecy, he taught him to repeat two cabalistic words, in pronouncing of which the whole fecret confifted. The king, impatient to try the experiment, immediately repeated them as he had been taught, and in an inftant found himself in the body of the doe. He had but little time to contemplate himfelf in this new being; for the treacherous Dervis fhooting his own foul into the royal corpfe, and bending

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the prince's own bow against him, had laid him dead on the fpot, had not the king, who perceived his in< tent, fled fwiftly to the woods.

THE Dervis, now triumphant in his villany, returned to Moufel, and filled the throne and bed of the un'happy Fadlallah.

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THE first thing he took care of, in order to fecure himfelf in the poffeffion of his new acquired kingdom, ટૂં was to iffue out a proclamation, ordering his fubjects to deftroy all the deer in the realm. The king had perished among the reft, had he not avoided his purfuers by reanimating the body of a nightingale which he saw lie dead at the foot of a tree. In this new fhape he winged his way in fafety to the palace, where perching, on a tree which stood near his queen's apartment, he filled the whole place with fo many melodious and melancholy notes as drew her to the window. He had the mortification to fee that, inftead of being pitied, he only moved the mirth of his princefs, and of a young female flave who was with her. He continued however to ferenade her every morning, till at last the queen, charmed with his harmony, fent for the bird-catchers, and ordered them to employ their utmoft fkill to put that • little creature into her poffeffion. The king pleased with an opportunity of being once more near his beloved confort, eafily fuffered himself to be taken'; and when he was prefented to her, though he fhewed a fearful"nefs to be touched by any of the other ladies, flew of his ' own accord, and hid himself in the queen's bofom. Zemroude was highly pleafed at the unexpected fondness of her new favourite, and ordered him to be kept in an open cage in her own apartment. He had there an opportunity of making his court to her every morning, by a thousand little actions which his fhape allowed him. • The queen paffed away whole hours every day in hearing and playing with him. Fadlallah could even have ⚫ thought himself happy in this ftate of life, had he not frequently endured the inexpreffible torment of feeing the Dervis enter the apartment, and carefs his queen even in his presence.

THE ufurper, amidst his toying with the princefs, would

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'would often endeavour to ingratiate himself with her nightingale; and while the enraged Fadlallab pecked at him with his bill, beat his wings, and fhewed all the marks of an impotent rage, it only afforded his rival and the queen new matter for their diverfion.

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ZEMROUDE was likewife fond of a little lap-dog which fhe kept in her apartment, and which one night happened to die.

THE king immediately found himself inclined to quit the shape of the nightingale, and enliven this new body. • He did so, and the next morning Zemroude faw her 'favourite bird lie dead in the cage. It is impoffible to exprefs her grief on this occafion, and when the called to mind all its little actions, which even appeared to have fomewhat in them like reafon, fhe was inconfolable for her lofs.

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'HER Women immediately fent for the Dervis to come and comfort her, who after having in vain reprefented to her the weaknefs of being grieved at fuch an accident, touched at last by her repeated complaints; Well, "Madam,' fays he, I will exert the utmost of my art "to please you. Your nightingale fhall again revive every morning, and ferenade you as before.' The queen

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beheld him with a look which easily fhewed fhe did not believe him; when laying himself down on a fofa, he 'fhot his foul into the nightingale, and Zemroude was • amazed to fee her bird revive.

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THE king, who was a fpectator of all that paffed, lying under the fhape of a lap-dog, in one corner of the room, immediately recovered his own body, and running to the cage with the utmost indignation, twisted off the neck of the falfe nightingale.

· ZEMROUDE was more than ever amazed and concerned at this fecond accident, till the king intreating her to hear him, related to her his whole adventure.

THE body of the Dervis, which was found dead in the wood, and his edict for killing all the deer, left her no room to doubt of the truth of it: but the ftory adds, that out of an extreme delicacy (peculiar to the Oriental ladies) fhe was fo highly afflicted at the innocent adul< tery in which he had for fome time lived with the Dervis,

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