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At thefe words, the merchant, without feeming much abash-. ed, told him he was forry he had offended him; but that he thought freedom had been dearer to him than he found it was.

19. However, added he, as he turned his back, you will reflect upon my propofal, and perhaps by to-morrow you may change your mind. Hamet difdained to answer, and the merchant went his way.

20. The next day, however, he returned in compa-" ny with his fon, and mildly accofted Hamet thus; The abruptnefs of the propofal I yesterday made you might perhaps aftonish you; but I am now come to difcourfe the matter more calmly with you, and I doubt not, when you have heard my reasons

21. Chriftian, interrupted Hamet, with a fevere, but compofed countenance, ceafe at length to infult the miferable with propofals more fhocking than even these chains. If thy religion permit fuch acts as thofe, know that they are execrable and abominable to the foul of every Mahom. etan; therefore, from this moment let us break off all farther intercourse, and be ftrangers to each other.

22.

No, answered the merchant, flinging himself into the arms of Hamet, let us from this moment be more closely linked than ever! Generous man, whose virtues may at once difarm and enlighten thy enemies! Fondnefs for my fon first made me interested in thy fate; but from the moment that I faw thee yesterday, I determined to fet thee free. Therefore, pardon me this unneceffary trial of thy virtue, which has only raifed thee higher in my efteem.

23. Francifco has a foul which is as averfe to deeds of treachery and blood, as even Hamet himfelf. From this moment, generous man, thou art free; thy ranfom is already paid, with no other obligation than that of remembering the affection of this thy young and faithful friend; and perhaps, 'hereafter, when thou feeft an unhappy Christian groaning in Turkish fetters, thy generofity may make thee think of Venice.

24. The feelings of Hamet at this unexpected deliverance are not to be described. Francifco put him on board a fhip, which was bound to one of the Grecian islands, and, after taking leave of him in the tendereft manner, forced him to accept of a purfe of gold pay his expenfes. 25. Affectionate

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25. Affectionate was the parting of Hamet with his ittle friend, whom he embraced in an agony of tenderness, wept over him, and implored Heaven to grant him all the bleffings of this life.

26. About fix months afterwards, one morning, while the family were all in bed, Francifco's house was discovered to be on fire, and great part of the house was in flames before the family was alarmed. The terrified fervants had but just time to awaken Francifco, who was no fooner got into the street, than the whole staircase gave way, and fell into the flames.

27. If the merchant thought himself happy on having faved himself, it was only for a moment, as he foon recollected, that his beloved fon was left behind to the mercy of the flames. He funk into the deepest defpair, when upon inquiry he found, that his fon, who flept in an upper apartment, had been forgotten in the general confufion.

28. He raved in agonies of grief, and offered half his fortune to any one who would rifk his life to fave his child. As he was known to be very rich, feveral ladders were inftantly raised by thofe who wifhed to obtain the reward; but the violence of the flames drove every one down who attempted it.

29. The unfortunate youth then appeared on the top of the houfe, extending his arms, and calling out for aid. The unhappy father became motionlefs, and remained in a state of infenfibility. At this critical moment, a man rufhed through the crowd, and afcended the talleft ladder, seemingly determined to refcue the youth, or perish in the attempt.

30. A fudden gust of flame bursting forth, led the pecple to fuppofe he was loft; but he prefently appeared defcending the ladder with the child in his arms, without receiving any material injury. A univerfal fhout attended this noble action, and the father, to his inexpreffible fur-' prife, on recovering from his fwoon, found his child in

his arms.

31. After giving vent to the first emotions of tendernefs, he inquired after his generous deliverer, whofe features were fo changed by the fmoke, that they could not We diftinguished. Francifco immediately prefented him

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with a purfe of gold, promifing the next day to give him the reward he had offered..

32. The ftranger replied, that he should accept of no reward. Francifco ftarted, and thought he knew the voice, when his fon flew to the arms of his deliverer, and cried out," It is my dear Hamet! it is my dear Hamet !"

33. The astonishment and gratitude of the merchant were equally excited; and retiring from the crowd, he took Hamet with him to a friend's houfe. As foon as they were alone, Francifco inquired by what means he had been a fecond time enflaved.

34. I will tell you in a few words, faid the generous Turk. When I was taken by the Venetian gallies, my father fhared in my captivity. It was his fate and not my own, which fo often made me fhed thofe tears, which first attracted the notice of your amiable fon.

35. As foon as your bounty had fet me free, I flew to the Chriftian who had purchafed my father. I told him, that as I was young and vigorous, and he aged and infirm, I would be his flave instead of my father.

36. I added too the gold which your bounty had beftowed on me, and by thefe means I prevailed on the Christian to fend back my father in that fhip you had provided for me, without his knowing the caufe of his freedom. Since that time I have ftayed here a willing flave, and Heaven has been fo gracious as to put it into my power to fave the life of that youth, which I value a thousand times more than my own.

37. The merchant was aftonished at fuch an inftance of gratitude and affection, and preffed Hamet to accept of the half of his fortune, and to fettle in Venice for the remainder of his days. Hamet, however, with a noble magnanimity, refused the offer, faying, he had done no more than what every one ought to do in a fimilar fituation.

38. Though Hamet feemed to under-rate his paft fervices to the merchant, yet the latter could not fuffer things to pafs in this manner. He again purchafed his freedom, and fitted a fhip out on purpofe to take him back to his own country. At parting, they mutually embraced each ether, and, as they thought, took an eternal farewel.

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39. After many years had elapfed, and young Francifco was grown up to manhood, beloved and refpected by every one, it fo happened that fome business made it necef fary for him and his father to vifit a neighboring city or the coaft; and as they supposed a paffage by fea would be more expeditious than by land, they embarked in a Venetian veffel, which was bound to that port, and ready to fail.

40. A favorable gale foon wafted them out of fight, and promised them a speedy paffage; but, unfortunately for them, before they had proceeded half their voyage, they were met by fome Turkish veffels, who, after an obftinate refiftance from the Venetians, boarded them, loaded them with irons, and carried them prifoners to Tunis. There they were expofed in the market place in their chains, in order to be fold as flaves.

41. At laft, a Turk came to the market, who feemed to be a man of fuperior rank, and after looking over the prifoners, with an expreffion of compaffion, he fixed his eyes upon young Francifco, and afked the captain what was the price of that young captive.

42. The captain replied, that he would not part with him for less than five hundred pieces of gold. The Turk confidered that as a very extraordinary price, fince he had feen him fell others, that exceeded him in ftrength and vigor, for lefs than a fifth part of that money.

43. That is true, (replied the captain) but he fhall either fetch me a price that will repay me the damage he has occafioned me, or he shall labor all the rest of his life at the oar. The Turk afked him, what damage he could have done him more than the rest of the crew.

44. It was he (replied the captain) who animated theChriftians to make a defperate refiftance, and thereby proved the deftruction of many of my braveft feamen. We three times boarded them with a fury that feemed in vincible, and each time did that youth attack us with a cool and determined oppofition fo that we were obliged to give up the conteft, till other ships came to our affistance. I will therefore have that price for him, or I will punish him for life.

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45. The Turk now furveyed young Francifco more attentively than before; and the young man, who had hitherto fixed his eyes in fullen filence on the ground, at length raised them up; but he had no fooner beheld the person who was talking to the captain, than, in a loud voice, he uttered the name of Hamet. The Turk, ftruck with astonishment, furveyed him for a moment, and then caught him in his arms.

46. After a moment's paufe, the generous Hamet lifted up his hands to heaven, and thanked his God, who had put it in his power to fhow his gratitude; but words cannot exprefs his feelings, when he found that both father and fon were flaves. Suffice it to fay, that he instantly bought their freedom, and conducted them to his magnificent houfe in the city.

47. They had here full leifure to difcourfe on the Arange viciffitudes of fortune, when Hamet told his Venetian friends, that after their generofity had procured him Fiberty, he became an officer in the Turkish army, and happening to be fortunate in all his enterprifes, he had been gradually promoted, till he arrived at the dignity of Bafhaw of Tunis.

48. That in this fituation, he found the greateft confolation in alleviating the misfortunes of the Chriftian prifoners, and always attended the fales of those unhappy flaves, to procure liberty to a certain number of them. And gracious Allah (added he) has this day put it in my power in fome measure to return the duties of gratitude.

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49. They continued fome days with Hamet, who did every thing in his power to amafe and divert them ; as he found their defire was to return to their own country, he told them that he would not detain them against their wifhes; and that they should embark the next day in a fhip bound for Venice, which would be furnished with a paffport to carry them fafe there.

50. The next day, he difmiffed them with every mark of tenderness and affection, and ordered a party of his own guards to attend them to the veffel. They had no fooner got on board, than they found, to their inexpreffiolet furprife and joy, that they were in the very fhip in which they had been taken, and that, by the generofity of Hamet,

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