as he saw him, "recollect the excess of my
favours, and of your ingratitude! Let the recollection of these, and
your remorse, be to you the preludes of the punishment that awaits
you! Your head is soon to fall upon the scaffold."

The fury and threatening of the King could not change the countenance
of the innocent and unfortunate Aladin. No trouble altered the beauty
of his features: he preserved that sweet, modest, and firm air which
had hitherto gained him the goodwill of the monarch. He began to
speak, and ingenuous candour flowed from his lips.

"Sire, my fault was an involuntary one. If an indiscretion on my part
reduced me to a situation in which, during some time, I was deprived
of the use of reason, so that it was no longer my guide, and allowed
me to fall into a very gross mistake, the rest was the work of the
cruelty of fate. My heart, overcome by your favours, and entirely
devoted to your Majesty, has hitherto felt no pleasure but in the
happiness of serving you. But, alas! what avail the best intentions,
and all the exertions of zeal, if a superior law, ruling our destiny,
can put a different appearance on the purity of the motives by which
we are influenced?--if a single action of our life, and that, too,
done from the momentary disorder of our senses, can expose us to the
apparent guilt of a crime, although all our inclinations are virtuous?
Hurried from the summit of happiness into the horrors of disgrace, I
must submit to the decree which inflicts the blow, like the merchant,
whose memorable story is known even in your Majesty's palace."

"What merchant do you mean?" said the King. "What connection has his
story with thy crime? I allow you to relate it."

THE HISTORY OF KASKAS, OR THE UNLUCKY MAN.

Sire, there lived at Bagdad a very wealthy merchant, whose manners and
knowledge rendered him worthy of public confidence. His name was
Kaskas. Fortune had hitherto seconded his labours so well, that he
could boast of success in all his enterprises; but fate soon declared
against him. He could now no longer send a commission, or receive a
return, without being obliged to make considerable sacrifices. He
determined at length to change the nature of his commerce. He sold his
stock, and laid out one-half of the money in buying grain, in hopes
that this article would rise in its price during the winter.
Circumstances, however, were against his speculation, for grain fell
in its value. To avoid this loss