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do happen in Ispahan! Gentlemen do take strange fancies! I am resolved to speak with her."

In consequence of this, to her agreeable, resolution, Tamira entered the apartment.

As to speak, upon any subject, was the delight also of Tangra, the impatience of the learned doctor, and the abrupt manner in which he had departed, without taking her with him, furnished two copious ones, on both of which she descanted with great fluency and success.

"You expected that he would have taken you with him in the carriage?" said Tamira.

"Certainly! could I expect less, after what has passed?"

"I am ignorant of what has passed," continued Tamira, "but I am convinced that it was his desire to visit a patient whose case, it appears, from his precipitation, is desperate, that induced him to leave the house in such a hurry."

"That unpolite, inconsiderate precipitation," said Tangra," which possesses Dr. Nadir, is so like the rudeness of his father. I remember, when the old man came to visit the dying Akbar, though I was then at the height of my beauty, he took no more notice of me

"Did you know Akbar?” cried Tamira.

"Certainly I did! he purchased and brought me up."

"Then you cannot forget Tamira, whom he presented to Nadir." "Oh, Alla!" cried Tangra, "I thought I recollected you; but years"

"Years!" said Tamira.

"The events of life, I mean, have altered us both. My course though splendid, has been full of care."

"And mine, though plain and frugal," added Tamira, "far from unhappy."

This dialogue and rencounter led to mutual explanation, which continued a considerable time; for although Tamira, from the slenderness of her story, was concise, Tangra was diffuse, and with great li

berality of words detailed all that had happened to her. How, in the wreck of the affairs of Akbar, she came into the family of Mirza; the death of the mother of the lovely Zulima; the passion of that young lady for Ismael (at which Tamira expressed more surprise, and almost as much displeasure as her master); the present situation of the daughter of Mirza, and her strong desire to have an interview with Ismael, &c.

This discourse had not been long finished, and Tangra departed, when Nadir returned. He seemed more composed; from which Tamira conjectured that his patient, of whom she had learned the whole history, was better.

If it had puzzled her to endeavour to guess what could induce Tangra to linger so long after the learned doctor had left the house in order to wait upon her mistress, the conversation she had had with her would have developed the mystery; for it appeared from this, that her desire was to see Ismael, and that she ardently and impatiently waited his return, as long, nay longer, than politeness would have prescribed.

This, however, was not the only matter that attracted the attention of Tamira: the situation of Zulima strongly excited her compassion; the impending departure of Ismael, to whom she was both confidante and counsellor, her regret. While he was taking some refreshment, she endeavoured to learn from her master the present state of the young lady's health; but he was impenetrable. She next asked Ismael when he intended to begin his journey; but he was undetermined. "The child of Chance," he said, "his future operations must be governed by circumstances over which he had no controul." Never was curiosity so foiled as that of poor Tamira. How she passed the night, or how she would have existed through the next day, it is impossible to say, had not Tangra most op

portunely appeared, soon after the doctor had left the house to make his morning visits.

The conversation of the preceding afternoon was, by these sage matrons, renewed, perhaps improved on, as we gather from the source that has produced our other materials, that Ismael, the elegant and amiable Ismael, was fortunate enough to be at home to partake of it.

In this part of the history, the sage of Zulpha has, with great propriety, through many pages, descanted on the ancient magi, and the modern gours of Persia, those adorers of fire, and has most philosophi cally defined all kinds of fire, from a glow-worm to the sun, from a spark arising from the collision of flint and steel to a volcano, from an ignis fatuus to the fire of love. But we must observe, and we do it in defiance of all the critics on the whole Indian peninsula, that he has not with sufficient accuracy marked the distinction betwixt physical, metaphysical, and metaphorical flames; for he says, that at the sight of this Adonis of Golconda, the bosom of Tangra, heretofore as cold as snow, glowed with fire equal to that which inflamed the lovely bosom of her mistress. The comparison of the bosom of Tangra, which we know was as brown as mahogany, in any way to snow, is another slip of the pen of the learned sage whom we have quoted; and it has had this bad effect, that it has left the bosom of Zulima without a parallel, as we now have nothing, either celestial or terrestrial, to compare it with, except we bring it to this side the line, and exhibit it against those of our fair compatriots.

The relapse of the lovely convalescent had changed the palace of Mirza, which the prospect of her recovery had enlivened, into the mansion of mourning.

The omrah himself was inconsolable. His dejection spread to the male part of his household; while the female caught the sorrow

ful infection from Lesbia, Tangra, and the other of her principal attendants. In this distressful situation of affairs, every eye was turned upon Nadir; every bosom beat high with expectation of relief to the fair sufferer from his skill; while he was unfortunate enough to know, that the efforts of his skill, even had they been seconded by those of all the physicians in the east, were not of the smallest importance in the case of his present patient.

On a few threads, fine as the filaments of gossamer, his hope of her cure seemed to depend. He knew the ardent affection she bore to her father and her brother; he knew the generosity of her temper; and had, in her lucid moments, heard her declare, that to shield them, or either of them, from sorrow or despair, she would devote her life. Upon this theme he meant, when he had an opportunity, to assail her; but this opportunity did not occur in the present visit; for although he tried to introduce the subject, she seemed insensible to its import, and her whole soul absorbed in the dread she had of the departure of Ismael without an interview.

The sensibility of the doctor induced him to sympathise in his patient's distress. To comply with her desire he knew to be impossible.

The only chance he had of composing her mind upon this subject would, he imagined, be when the ebullition excited by the departure of the youth had in some degree subsided. He therefore almost wished him gone; though his gratitude would not permit him to hint his wish: indeed he would nearly as soon have stated to him the case of his patient, to which he feared he had in a former conversation inadvertently alluded.

Completely dejected with this situation of affairs, as his carriage rolled slowly towards his mansion, he viewed with envy the satisfaction that appeared in the important busy faces which the crowded

streets exhibited, and the smiles indicating happiness, which embellished those of even the lowest ranks of society.

"Foiled in my endeavours to soothe the mind of Zulima, and evince my gratitude to her father," he exclaimed, "I believe that I am the only unfortunate person in Ispahan! Would to Alla that I had never left my old shop in the bazar!" Harassed and fatigued both in mind and body, his repast was taken away almost untouched. From his pipe, which he had formerly considered as his friend in the hour of adversity, he did not seem to derive the least consolation.

The next morning Tamas came to inform him, that his lady seemed more composed.

"Then," said the doctor, "my medicines have done what I never expected they would, procured her sleep. If that be the case, we have still another chance, and I will hasten to her."

Nadir had scarce crossed the marble vestibule of the palace of Mirza, when the omrah met him with open arms. "Saviour of the flower of my family? friend to the house of Mirza !" he cried, "my daughter will be restored to me! she is composed! I am just come from her!"

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"I am glad you are, most noble Mirza," said Nadir; you never did a prudenter thing. You say your daughter is composed; long may she continue so; but you will extremely hazard her health if you suffer her to see these emotions of your mind."

"Your medicines have had the desired effect; she has slept !"

"Restrain these ebullitions, or I must administer them to you," said Nadir.

"I will do any thing for you! I will take any thing from your hands!"

"I shall not," replied the doctor, "consider that as a compli ment, because I have the greatest regard for your health, oh noble Mirza!"

Doctor Nadir, who was a little incredulous as to the effect of his medicines upon the complaint of the lovely Zulima, was, when he saw her, convinced that they could not be praised too highly. She was much more composed than even before her last relapse; her eyes, ever irresistable, had indeed a brilliancy which he did not much like, but he attributed this to some small remains of a fever still lurking in the system. Against this enemy he was induced to level the artillery of a prescription. However, before it was made up, he was determined to try the strength of her understanding he therefore talked to her on a variety of subjects, music, literature, painting, her brother, her father: upon all these she seemed collected, upon some animated. She, in her turn, questioned him respecting his pursuits, the news of Ispahan, and an assemblage of other topics, in which her good sense and judgment were equally conspicuous.

After this colloquy, which might be deemed a trial of skill betwixt the doctor and patient, the former departed, highly satisfied with the wonderful effects of his medicines, which, to this hour, he does not know had never been taken. He, in this case, discovered virtues in them that had hitherto been latent. Upon these he resolved to write a treatise; and, in the mean time, to send his said patient a few doses more the same evening.

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parish of St. Eusebius, the 14th of September, 1781. In her in fancy she made considerable progress in the German and French languages under a Strasburg governess named madame Depuis. This lady having in her youth belonged to a company of the comedie Francaise, possessed some information, and engaged her pupil to apply to study with pleasure, by the amusing means she employed of reciting and explaining, sometimes in the one, and sometimes in the other language, such small pieces of comedy and romance as were within her reach, and obliging her to repeat the same by degrees. It is not improbable, in consequence of so many comic and romantic ideas arising from these amusing studies, that this young lady insensibly conceived a passion for the military profession, and adopted as a maxim, that women might run the course of glory and science as well as men, if they entered on them with equal advantages of instruction and emulation.

At ten years of age she was put under the charge of the nuns of the visitation, an institution in high repute throughout Italy for the education of young ladies; and here she conducted herself so as to obtain and deserve the esteem and friendship of the whole house, for her sweet, amiable, and engaging disposition. Such are the very expressions made use of by the venerable and distinguished superior, madame de Bayanne, to convey her approbation, and the general sense of the nuns of this respectable establish

ment.

Towards the end of 1794 her father, Mr. Joseph Scanagatti, resolved to send his daughter to Vienna as a boarder with a widow lady, in order to improve her in the knowledge of the German language, and to qualify her in the details of house-keeping. On the journey she was dressed in boy's clothes to avoid trouble and impertinence, and she was accompanied by one of her brothers, who intended to stop at Neustadt, in order to attend a course

of military studies in the academy of that town, which is esteemed the nursery of the best officers in the Austrian army. The pupils, to the number of four hundred, mostly officers' sons, are maintained and educated by the imperial court, and, besides the military exercises, are instructed in languages, mathematics, and the belles lettres.

During the journey the brother fell sick, and acknowledged to his sister, what he had not had the courage to avow to his father, that he had neither taste nor inclination for a military life. His sister then strenuously urged him to return home with the servant to re-establish his health: and, having obtained from him the letter of recommendation he carried to M. de Haller, surgeon on the staff of the academy, and at whose house he was to have been boarded, she had the intrepidity to introduce herself, under its sanction, to the gentlemen as the recommended boy, and as such received the kindest welcome. In a short time she had the good fortune to gain the friendship of M. de Haller, his wife, and two lovely daughters, so as to be considered as one of the family. Giving daily proofs of an amiable character and a strong disposition to be instructed, she obtained from court permission to attend the lectures at the academy, and so conspicuously distinguished herself by her exemplary conduct and her progress, that she bore away the prizes of distinction in both the years, 1795 and 1796, that she remained there.

At this Academy she perfected herself in the knowledge of German and French, and also acquired a knowledge of the English language under Mr. Plunket, a clergyman from Ireland, one of the professors of the institution, who declares that he never had the smallest suspicion, of young Scanagatti being a girl, but considered her as a very mild and accomplished boy, of uncommon prudence. Here also she made the most successful application to fencing and military tactics, as

well as to the various branches of her body, or her reserved manners, the mathematics.

In the month of February, 1797, she resolved to address the supreme council of war at Vienna to be admitted an officer in the army, supporting her application by the most honourable testimonies of conduct and talents, which the academy could not refuse her, and accompanying these with more eloquent vouchers, viz., the prizes awarded her during the two preceding years. The supreme council being at this time particularly in want of good officers, to replace the great numbers who had fallen in the preceding campaigns, readily appointed her to an ensigncy in the regiment of St. George.

Her promotion being notified to her through the channel of the academy, she immediately set out for Vienna, whence she received orders to join a transport of recruits in Hungary, and proceeded with it to the Upper Rhine, where the battalion lay to which she was appointed. This battalion was composed of Waradiners, and was commanded by major Seitel. It was stationed on the right bank of the Rhine, in the neighbourhood of Kehl, and at the extremest outposts, when she joined it, but shortly after was obliged to retire to the town of Manheim, the enemy having passed the Rhine between Kilstett and Deershem.

At length the peace of Campo Formio put an end to the campaign, and mademoiselle Scaganatti having passed about sixteen months in ditferent cantonments in the empire, Silesia, and Stira, received an order to repair to Poland, to join the fourth battalion of the regiment of Wenzel Colloredo, then commanded by major Deeber.

She was now stationed in the town of Sandomir; and here she experienced the most distressing inquietudes, through the dread of her sex being discovered. As she frequented the cassino, where the most select company associated, some of the ladies who assembled there, either through the conformation of

conceived and communicated their suspicions. And accordingly one day a young gentleman belonging to the town said to her ingenuously, "Do you know, ensign, what these ladies observe of you?" she immediately suspected where the blow was directed; but, concealing her alarm, she answered she should be glad to know in what respect she had attracted their notice. "Why," replied the gentleman, "they observe in you the air and manner of a lady." On this she fell a laughing, and, with an arch and lively air rejoined, "In this case, sir, as the decision of the question is competent to a lady, I beg leave to select your wife for my judge." This proposal however, he did not think proper to accept, and, wishing to disengage himself, protested that he was far from believing any such thing, and only hinted at what mesdames N. N. had suspected. She withdrew earlier than usual that day, and passed rather an uneasy night. But having fully meditated on her situation, she resolved to bear herself through, put on a good face, appear at the cassino next day, and there hold the most gallant and free discourse with the ladies, in order to remove, if possible, their suspicions. Accordingly, after complimenting them, she brought the matter on the carpet, and declared, that, far from being offended, she found herself highly flattered, in hopes, that the opinion they entertained would render them less difficult to favour her with a verification to enable them to pronounce their judgment with greater certainty. This produced the effect she wished: the ladies, astonished by this military air of frankness, immediately retracted their opinion, saying "You are too gallant, ensign, for us to presume doing you any farther the injury of believing you a lady;" and thus the matter dropt.

Sometime after, having received orders to proceed to Chelm, she had the good fortune to escape the prying looks of the fair-sex there, who

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