Page images
PDF
EPUB

high estimation in which great painters have been held, and, as soon as he was able, make him read over and again the lives of the most emi

nent ones.

Would I make him a poet? all his little histories should be in verse: I would read to him the plainest pieces of poetry, and dwell particularly on the rhyming syllables. I would make him read the lives and works of the most celebrated poets, and enlarge upon their great reputation; and, as soon as he was able, make him write verses, attending only to the measure and rhyme; and, as his reason matured, he should attend to the sense. All these he should read over to me. I would carefully point out to him their errors and defects, and reward him with a new poem.

Would I make him a legislator? his little books should be on morals, and the lives of great statesmen and plilosophers. These I would explain to him; as likewise the political occurrences of past and present times. This I would do daily, and his faculties would soon begin to enlarge and comprehend them. I would dwell strongly upon the immense benefits great legislators confer upon mankind. I would often take him to the legislative assemblies, and daily examine him to see what new ideas he had acquired. His rewards should consist in philosophical, moral, and political books.

Would I make him a mechanic? I would give him toys of ingenious construction; these I would pull to pieces and put together again before him, pointing out their particular formation, and the manner in which they acted. I would likewise make him endeavour to put them together, and cut out and construct little trinkets, &c., and always mend his own toys, and, when he succeeded, reward him with a new piece of mechanism. I would take him to different workshops, and point out to him the manner in which the workmen constructed their different articles: I would afterwards

take him to the most curious manufactories, and reward him according to the attention he bestowed upon them. His rewards should consist of new pieces of mechanism and new tools, and I would press much upon him the estimation in which ingenious mechanics are held.

Children and men act equally from a desire of happiness; that is the only end they aim at. In very early age they are not able to comprehend that virtue and wisdom reward themselves; the idea is too large for their infant minds; they therefore look forward to the prettiest toy as the summit of pleasure. At first therefore they must be rewarded with toys (which, as I have before said, should always be conducive to the formation of their genius), but, at the same time, their virtue and merit should be applauded; the desire of applause will thereby insensibly blend itself with the desire of a toy, till by degrees they acquire a strong spirit of emulation. But in infusing into them this spirit, we must be careful not to inspire them with a contempt for other sciences, or lead them to think that the master of any other profession is greater than themselves. The first will render them self-conceited, arrogant, and narrow-minded: it will induce them to entertain too high an opinion of themselves, and to think that they have already attained perfection, and thereby raise an insuperable barrier against further improvement. The latter will disgust them with their own profession, for emulation borders so near upon ambition, that a man strongly filled with it cannot brook a superior; but if he believe himself upon an equality with him, he is satisfied; the higher the other carries his attainments, the more will he redouble his diligence to keep pace with him.

As their reasoning powers enlarge, we should peculiarly dwell upon the excellence of virtue and wisdom, and demonstrate how essentially they are interwoven with their real

happiness. We must not only render them skilful in their particular profession, but endow them with all the requisites of a good man and a good citizen. A moderate degree of literary knowledge is therefore necessary for every person.

"But when the child's genius is strongly fixed another way, how can it be made to acquire it?"

Whatever a child's genius is fixed upon, it takes delight, and is desirous of being occupied in: if then I found that it had imbibed an aversion to literary pursuits, I would select a few books of the most useful information, and before I suffered it to play or study its favourite pursuit, oblige it to read attentively a small quantity. By this means it would soon acquire a sufficiency of this knowledge.

We must be careful not to keep them too long at their studies, especially againt their inclination, or their minds by being fatigued will grow heavy, and lose their elasticity. Moderate recreation is therefore absolutely necessary.

a

Neither should we be too prone to find fault, but, on the contrary, applaud them whenever we can. Harsh treatment always casts gloom upon their spirits, and tends immediately to the destruction of emulation; when they find they cannot please, they lose the desire of pleasing. Gentleness, on the contrary, is the nurse of emulation; the child will labour for a smile, when it believes its reward is sure.

W. W.

For the Literary Magazine.

MAR AND FATIMA; OR, THE APOTHECARY OF ISPAHAN.

(Continued from page 142.)

THE interviews of the learned Nadir with the lovely Zulima were frequent. His morning visit was, by her desire, often protracted till noon; yet she sent for him again early in the evening. With the na

ture of the medicines which the venerable Tamas, the black eunuch with the white beard, was in the daily habit of bringing from the shop of the apothecary, the sage of Zulpha has left us unacquainted; perhaps, as he had once dabbled in physic himself, he was jealous lest such an acquisition to medical science should extend beyond the limits of the haram of the magnificent Mirza, or, at the utmost, beyond the walls of Ispahan: for it is certain, that, whether they appeared in the shape of pills, draughts, juleps, extracts, emulsions, or what not, they had a wonderful effect on the constitution of the beautiful and interesting patient.

While that impatience of controul which we formerly hinted to be a symptom of the disorder of the lovely Zulima subsided, her former fascinating bloom and clearness of of complexion, with all the animating graces that darted from her eyes, and played about her features, and her former affability, also re

turned.

Mirza was in raptures at the restoration of his darling daughter. His liberality to Nadir, whom he extolled as the Persian Esculapius, was unbounded. He presented him with a house near his palace, furnished in a stile that, while it delighted Ismael, was the wonder of Abud and his former neighbours, some of whom were once heard to remark, that "Noblemen took strange fancies." He also procured him a diploma from the college which was founded by Normahal at Delhi, and still retains his name; for the sage and scientific physicians of Ispahan, for some reason which certainly had neither jealousy nor envy for its basis, refused to admit him into their order. Mirza said that their malignity arose from his having dared to soar beyond the limited rules of their practice, and perform a cure which showed the fallacy of fixing principles upon so unsubstantial a foundation as the fluctuations of the human mind, and the instability of the human constitution.

But men who are either influenced by the ebullitions of joy or grief will say any thing.

Leaving the happy father (who, as has been seen, had not without reason obtained the appellation of the magnificent Mirza,) to receive the congratulations, not only of the court of Ispahan, but of the sophy himself, let us turn our telescope, and catch at least a distant view of the scientific Dr. Nadir, settled as he actually was in an elegantly furnished house, surrounded with slaves, with a carriage at his command, and appointed physician, not only to the noble Mirza, but to many other great families; for though the faculty wish to conceal it, we, who are, we think, out of their reach, and therefore care but little for their threats, shall not: he had become the fashion in Ispahan, and of consequence was as sure of becoming the possessor of a brilliant fortune as if he had been the owner of the diamond mine which has been so often mentioned.

Seated on the elevated apex of this mountain of prosperity, Dr. Nadir was still a man of reflection. It was still his habit, as he smoked his morning's or afternoon's pipes, to review his past life, and, as he was also a man of piety, to thank the Omnipotent for the success that had at length attended his indefatigable endeavours.

After Alla and his prophet, the gratitude of Nadir rested upon Ismael. From his arrival he dated the change that had taken place in his circumstances; and all the good fortune that had attended him he deduced from his influence.

"The wise, the amiable Ismael," said he, in the effusion of his gratitude," is certainly a benevolent genii, who has taken me into his protection."

When an idea of this kind gets into the head of a man of learning, it generally spreads. Nadir had, from reflection, convinced himself, that there was something supernatural in the appearance of that being who had come to him as a poor

and way-worn faquir, and now exhibited such splendour. "For myself," he exclaimed, "I am at the height of happiness; and while the divine Ismael continues to reside in this mansion, affluence and content will support its elevated dome!"

"Long may affluence and content, though they may perhaps be deemed the high and the low pillars of society, support the dome of the mansion of the benevolent Nadir," said Ismael, who now entered. “While his fortune," he continued, "extends and increases, may that humility of mind which renders him assailable to the complaints of wretchedness, and that liberality of sentiment which induces him to extend his cares. to all mankind, ever remain with him'!"

"For your good wishes, example, and indeed assistance," replied Nadir, "I am bound, son Ismael! if I may still use that familiar and endearing title, I am bound, I say, to return my sincere acknowledgments. Your generosity, divine and beautiful youth! not only furnished me with the means of being useful to mankind, but set me the example: therefore, if I have any merit, or have had any success, it is entirely owing to your celestial influence."

Ismael is said to have blushed at the sublime stile which the learned doctor had newly adopted, and certainly did betray some marks of uneasiness; when he replied, "There is nothing, my friend! my adviser! my nominal father! either celestial or extraordinary in my composition! I am a mortal, weak, and in many respects unfortunate, and perhaps in none more than in having, from circumstances, determined soon to abandon your protection, and leave this hospitable mansion."

"My fears are realized!" exclaimed Nadir: "let no man hereafter value himself upon his prosperity!"

"Why so?" returned Ismael; "prosperity is by no means connected with me. The child of misfortune! I am borne by the gales of adverse fate from place to place up

on the face of the earth! I shall surely find rest at last!"

"Will you then leave me, oh Ismael! my tutelar genius?" cried Nadir, prostrating himself.

"Rise, oh sage Nadir!" exclaimed Ismael, in the utmost confusion. "The imperative decrees of fate will, perhaps, hurry me away, but never shall I, in any situation, forget my friend!"

"What then," cried Nadir, "will become of the lovely Zulima? Her existence depended upon daily, nay almost hourly, hearing of Ismael! Can I, to soothe her mind, submit to utter the dictates of falsehood? No! Alla and his prophet forbid! Yet if her mind is not attracted to this subject, she will relapse into her former deplorable state of distrac tion. Oh Zulima! beautiful, fascinating Zulima! lily of the vale of Zenderhend! soon will thy head be bowed again to the earth!

Never was astonishment equal to that of Ismael as this passionate exclamation of Nadir's, and the emotion with which it was accompanied. "Zulima! who is Zulima?" he hesitatingly asked, doubtful whether, from the observations he had already had occasion to make in the course of this conversation, some distemper was not operating upon the mind of his friend: however, he again ventured to ask, "Who is Zulima?"

"Zulima!" repeated Nadir; "she is the daughter of Mirza the magnificent! There!" he exclaimed, with increased emotion, "I have again betrayed my lovely patient! I ought to have concealed her name and her weakness!"

"You have not betrayed her to me, I do assure you," returned Ismael; "for I never have heard of her before, and am, from your present emotion, inclined to think, that you are alluding to a being of your own mental creation. However, as your disorder seems to increase, for fear you should be led to say what might be either improper or useless for me to hear, I will retire till you are more composed."

VOL. VIII. NO. XLIX.

"Misfortune," says Mirwa, the philosopher of Zulpha, whom we have so often quoted, "seldom comes alone." Before the sage Dr. Nadir had recovered from the disorder which the late interview occasioned, Tamas the eunuch appeared to request his attendance upon Zulima.

"How is your young lady this morning?" asked the doctor.

"Her brother Omar," answered Tamas, "she has just heard, is well; the army has drawn nearer to Ispahan; she is therefore in higher spirits than usual."

"So much the worse," said Nadir. "The worse!" exclaimed Ta

mas.

"No!" cried Nadir hastily, " mean the better: better or worse, in medicine, are relative terms, and frequently mean the same thing."

"I never knew that before," said the eunuch.

"So much the worse!" cried the doctor.

"I confess myself totally ignorant of physic! I never take any."

"So much the better! You now see," said Nadir," the relation of these phrases to things. In the first of these instances I spoke to you as a doctor, in the second as a friend; in the distinction betwixt these lies all the difference; this is the grand arcanum of the science of medicine."

"Wonderful!" cried Tamas. "Shall I inform my lady that you will come?"

"Certainly! hold! I will go with you. While in conversation, I seem a little to recover my spirits." "Your spirits!"

"Yes! to be sure! how can a physician convey spirits to his patients, if he has none for himself."

"True!" said Tamas. "How little am I acquainted with physic !"

"So much the better, I repeat," said Nadir; "people become acquainted with it as they do with a bailiff, through necessity, and, like him, it is apt to gripe. However, you must learn something of it from me as we ascend the carriage; for

2

you will observe, that this is the first step towards visiting a patient with any professional credit."

To announce the intended departure of Ismael to the lovely Zulima was a task that seemed to tax all the ingenuity of Nadir; for although she had never seen that youth since their short accidental interview in the shop of black Absalom the jew eller, he had been the constant theme of her conversation, and the subject of her contemplation.

Every morning it was the task of Nadir to inform her of the health of Ismael, of his pursuits and avocations, and every evening these interrogatories were renewed. The physician, well knowing how much her health was connected with the object of their constant colloquy, took all the pains in his power, while he exhibited the young Golcondian in the amiable light in which he appeared to him, to repress every overture of the young lady that had a tendency towards an interview, or that even indicated a wish to see him. But although he had used this caution, he still was aware of the danger with which the departure of this object of her adoration would be attended to his lovely patient in her delicate state of mind. Impressed with this idea, yet still apprised of the necessity which there was for preparing her for this event, he, in the course of conversation, mentioned it as thing within the scope of possibility, This hint, slight as it was, alarmed her to such a degree, that when he left her for a short period, he was fearful that her disorder would return.

a

Obliged to take an extensive round, as his patients had so much increased, he did not reach his own house till the afternoon, when, to his great surprise, he found Tangra waiting for him. As he had conjectured, she came to exhibit a melancholy picture of the health of the lovely Zulima. By her account, she seemed to have relapsed into her former extravagance, with this addition, that she raved about Ismael, and, indeed, insisted upon seeing

[blocks in formation]

"Could any danger arise," said the compassionate Tangra, "from a compliance with her request?"

"The greatest to both parties," replied Nadir, with extreme emotion. "Sooner than suffer such an interview, I would end my life in the severest tortures. I will immediately see the fair Zulima: I will endeavour to sooth her sorrows: every indulgence to her unhappy passion, consistent with my duty to Mirza, which honour, nay which she expects from me, shall be allowed. But if she has a lucid interval, of which I have little doubt, I know the rectitude of her mind so well, that I shall instantly convince her that it is impossible I should proceed further in promoting a connection betwixt the daughter of a Persian prince, allied to the sophy, and the son of a jeweller, who, however amiable, does not appear to have a friend or ally in the world."

"Perhaps," continued Nadir, after he had left the apartment, "the departure of Ismael may be necessary to secure the health and repose of Zulima: I shall therefore no longer oppose it."

"Will not my dear master take some refreshment?" cried Tamira, as he descended into the hall.

"Refreshment and repose shall be equally strangers to my body and mind," said Nadir, " till I have endeavoured to relieve the distress of the object of my solicitude.”

"What will be done with the patient up stairs?"

"What patient?" asked Nadir, with quickness.

"Why, the lady that has so long waited for you,” said Tamira.

"Oh! the nurse! She must wait till my return, if she does not chuse to follow me,"

"A nurse!" muttered Tamira, " and so finely dressed! I hope I shall never have occasion to call her mistress; though she does not seem very old, the doctor himself is not very young. Strange things

« PreviousContinue »