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so sorely beleaguered. An officer in rich apparel, who had just dismounted from a noble horse, all foaming with the speed he had made, now entered the court, and, followed by several soldiers, approached the tower. At the entrance he was met by Ibrahim Khan, covered with sweat and dust and blood. Who art thou?' cried the officer. Hussun Allee Beg,' exclaimed Ibrahim Khan, in reply, is it thou? Welcome, by the hand of my brother! welcome, in any season, to the soul of Ibrahim! but doubly so, when, like the water of life to a dying man, thou comest so opportunely in the time of need.""

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This danger past, they reach the camp of Nader without further accident. The character of this great chieftain is on the whole, perhaps, the happiest effort of the book. Stern, noble, and ferocious, not naturally bloody, yet shedding blood in profusion when it can advance his cause; generous, yet unrelenting, rigid in exacting discipline, but profuse in rewarding valour; full of talent and energy, Nader is represented not only in perfect accordance with historical truth, but with a strength and vigour of delineation, indicative of very high power in the artist. Ismael is intro duced by Ibrahim to this great chieftain, and Nader is pleased with his appearance, and the account given by Ibrahim of the skilful and courage ous manner in which he bore himself in the combat with the Toorkomans. Nader, however, is not accustomed to take things on trust, and directs our hero to give, without delay, a taste of his qualities as a warrior. The following is the issue :

"After gazing steadily on me for a while, the chief turned to his brother, and said in a familiar under-tone, The youth's appearance is not against him; he is young, but hardy-looking, and quite an Affshar in countenance. Young man,' continued he, turning to me, thou hast commenced thy career favourably; the Zoheir-udowlut is satisfied with thy conduct, and his good report goes far with me. Thou shalt have employment, and fair scope to shew thy own value. Men here receive the esteem and promotion which their own merits determine,-nor, however partially we may be disposed towards thee, for thy services to our brother, or our ancient friendship for thy father, shall the course adopted with regard to thee be different. For the present, Hussun Allee Beg shall provide for thy wants; thou needest refreshment and repose; retire and enjoy them freely.'

"I bowed low, and was retiring, when

the thong which suspended the quiver at my side, accidentally becoming loose, it fell to the ground, and the few remaining arrows it contained tumbled out. The accident attracted the eye of Nader: Truly, young man,' said he, thy quiver looks like that of a soldier returning from the field; thy shafts have been spent, and spent to purpose, I hear. They say thy arrows tell sharply and true; come hither, let me see thee use them.' I stood a moment irresolute, and uncertain of his meaning: 'String thy bow,' cried Nader, giving the wellknown word of command in use among our tribe:-it carried me back to the Desert,

and I instinctively obeyed; old habits rushed upon my mind, and awakened all its energy. Will your Highness permit me to have my horse ?'-said I to my chief, turning round at the same time to look for Boorrauk. Nader smiled at my eagerness. • What is a bow without a string?-what is a Toorkoman without his horse ?-let it straight be brought.' He praised its figure and its spirit, and turning to Ibrahim, remarked that we were both wild, active creatures, well suited to each other. Yah, Hyder!-Yah, Allee!' cried I mentally, as I mounted help a good Sheah at his need! for much may depend on this mo

ment.'

"I now mounted and waited for orders

to proceed. The Maidaun before the tents of the chief was the place appropriated to military exercises, nor were there wanting butts and poles upon which to hang marks for the archers to practise at. The motion of Nader's arm pointed out the mark at which I was to aim: the crowd opened wide in the same direction, and I started at full speed after the Toorkoman fashion. Three times I passed the lofty pole within a moderate distance, each time discharging an arrow once in approaching, once in retreating, and once in the act of wheeling

and each time I was fortunate enough to make them ring upon the basin which hung suspended by a thong from its summit. It happened that, as I returned a fourth time, a blue pigeon, numbers of which built their nests in the wells and watercourses of the neighbourhood, flew over the plain, and whether alarmed and confused by the noise, or sent by Allee expressly to do me service, it alighted upon the top of the pole at which I had been shooting. The thought of making this the mark for my last arrow, struck me as I observed it, and I urged my horse to fuller speed, lest the bird should take wing before I came within distance: just as I reached within a long and difficult shot, I saw the first flutter of its wing upon the rise; but my bow was drawn, I uttered an ejaculation to Moorteza Allee, and saw my shaft strike the bird before it had well quitted the pole. It Auttered and fell, while the cries of the

crowd rent the air, and Barik illah!' • Mashallah!' Mashallah!' echoed on all sides. Many years have passed since that day, but I still can remember the thrill of delight with which I picked up the bird, and galloping to the tent, with glowing cheeks laid it at the feet of Na

der.

"By the head of my father! youth,' said he, Ibrahim has not belied thee in his praises of thy archery or thy horsemanship: these thou hast now fairly proved; let thy skill and conduct in other things be but equally conspicuous, and thou shalt not lack advancement. But this is enough for one day: thyself and thy horse need rest, and, in truth, he is a brave beast, and should be well dealt with; -where didst thou get him? but I need not ask, for every hoof and sinew speaks him desert-bred, as well as thee. Thou art, in truth, a strange youth, and I must hear thy story at large;-but not now. Get thee gone for the present-thou art welcome!'

"It now occurred to me, that the General had taken a fancy to my horse. I knew that when a great man has once sig nified his admiration of anything belonging to a dependent, it is deemed equivalent to a demand, and expected that the coveted article shall forthwith be tendered as an offering to conciliate his favour. In the elation of the moment, I felt that I could even bear the bitter pang of parting with my faithful steed; particularly when I considered, that my future fortune might depend upon the sacrifice. Respectfully bowing, therefore, and taking the bridle in my hand, I said, May the favour of your Highness never diminish! may your servant find grace in your eyes! the horse of your servant is unworthy of your notice -but, pardon the poverty of your slave, and deign to accept his humble offering So saying, I offered the bridle to an attendant. No, no, young man!' replied Nader; the horse is a good one, and thou meritest him well; keep him, and tend him as he deserves; I promise thee thou shalt need his best service. Meantime, it is thou, rather, who mayest look to me for a token of favour: thou hast exhausted thy arms; the stock shall be replenished-now go thy ways! May the happy fortune of your Highness increase! may your favour never diminish towards your servant!' cried I, bowing once more, and left the presence with Hussun Allee Beg."

Ismael finds favour in the eyes of Nader, and is constituted one of his Gholaums, or Life-guards, an honour bestowed only on persons of distinguished merit. The narrative, till the end of the first volume, is occupied chiefly by an account of the prosecu

tion of the war in which Nader was engaged against Malek Mahmoud, and of the events which terminated in the recovery of the Holy shrine from the grasp of that usurper.

The commencement of the second

volume finds the army of Nader in quiet occupation of the city of Mushed. We now acquire some insight into the modes of life and manners of the civil portion of the community, though this part of the subject engrosses less of the author's attention than might be wished. During the period of idleness which ensues, the young military men of Nader s army, as might be expected, get into all sorts of dissipation. In this respect our hero forms no exception; and we confess, that some of the incidents in this portion of the story are not altogether to our taste, and savour too much of the Arabian Nights, with which work, linked as it is with a thousand delightful memories, it must always be perilous to provoke a comparison.

In stating this our trivial solitary objection, we would wish by no means to be understood as withholding our belief in the truth of the pictures of Persian life presented by the adven tures in this portion of the narrative; or as denying the probability of such incidents in a state of society similar to that of Khorasan. But we think, that in themselves they possess little interest, and, with the great powers of invention which the author has evidently at command, he could have had little difficulty in supplying their place by others, of a character better calculated to elicit the sympathies of his readers.

There is really only one scene in the work in which we think any striking failure is discernible. We allude to that in which an attempt is made to interest the feelings of the reader, by a picture of the revolting_horrors connected with the deaths of Fatimah and Zeeba. The lowest of all human sympathies is that which is excited by mere physical suffering. It is felt, perhaps, by the rudest of mankind as powerfully as by the most refined. But the chord of this feeling is one which a skilful writer will generally refrain from touching. In the details of torture and bloodshed, there is ever something shocking to the ima gination. Our alms to the beggar, who displays his mutilated and dis

torted members, are always accompanied with loathing. Thus it is, too, in description. Scenes which human nature would shrink from beholding, should not be obtruded on the imagination. Mind is the proper object of sympathy with mind. True, bodily anguish may occasionally be thrown in to heighten the effect, and deepen the colouring, of the picture of mental agony, but it must never be suffered to become the chief object in the group. Least of all, can we tolerate a picture, in which the mere horrors of corporeal suffering engross the whole powers of the artist's pencil. We are not quite sure, that in these remarks we have expressed ourselves very clearly, but we trust to our author's intelligence to seize the precise extent and bearing of our objections, and to his candour to give them such weight as they may appear to merit.

Passing over, therefore, this portion of the story, we come to a long episode, which is somewhat clumsily introduced, in the story of a young merchant, with whom Ismael becomes acquainted in the course of his adventures in Mushed. By this digression we think an unpleasant break is occasioned in the continuity of the story, though considered as an isolated story it is altogether unexceptionable. The merchant is a great traveller, and carries us through many lands, giving pleasant sketches of the manners of the different nations, among whom his erratic calling had made him a sojourner. We then return to the adventures of Ismael, in whose society we continue to travel on, both plea santly and profitably, till the end of the work. Nader goes on from conquest to conquest; Sultan Mahmoud is vanquished and slain; and the glory of the feeble Shah is completely over shadowed by that of his victorious commander. All this portion of the narrative is full of descriptions of martial exploits, which are executed by a masterly hand. Whether the author belongs to the military profession we know not, but his knowledge, not only of the general character of Eastern warfare, but of all minute circumstances connected with its tactic and strategy, is evidently very extensive. His military sketches are complete in all their particulars, and he never falls into the error of fighting mere European battles on Persian

ground. In matters of this sort he is a complete Bourgognoni, vivid, vigo rous, and spirit-stirring, in all his delineations of broil and battle. Our readers shall not take all this praise upon trust. Let them read the following extract, and charge us with exaggeration if they dare:

sight to see them bearing down upon us, "It was a gallant and spirit-stirring more than thirty thousand strong, all admirably armed and equipped. Hundreds of the small flags of companies, so much in use among the Affghauns, waved over their heads; and the points of their spears, and their drawn swords, gleamed with a flickering above the dark and compact masses. Two of these bodies were entirely composed of cavalry, while that which occupied the centre consisted both of cavalry and infantry, accompanied by the greater part and in good order to the brink of the ri of their artillery. They moved on gently ver's bed below them: it was an object with their leaders, no doubt, to pass this obstacle without the confusion which might attend a more rapid course. But scarcely

had they formed upon the nearer bank, than uttering a fearful yell, the greater part of their cavalry dashed forward at full speed to the charge.

"The space between the water-course and our position might be something less than half a mile, but we were quite prepared for this onset; the word was rapidly passed along to keep steady till the signal should be given, and then to pour upon the advancing enemy the full discharge of our matchlocks and arrows. On they came; the thunder of their innumerable hoofs increasing every moment till it shook the very earth; their spears in rest and their naked scymetars gleaming over their heads, filling the air with their war-cries. It was sound was to be heard throughout our host a moment of breathless suspense; not a until the foremost of the Affghauns had reached within eighty yards. Human nature could have endured no longer, when the report of three cannon parting in quick succession rose above the uproar. Instantly they were answered by a volley from forty or fifty other pieces, and by the quick dropping fire of muskets, which soon increased to a continued roar. The whole

line was enveloped in smoke, which for a few moments hid the enemy from our view; but when the light breeze of morning wafted it in part away, a striking change was

seen in their condition. From the close order of the enemy, who had charged in a dense body, every shot we fired must have taken effect, and the front ranks were therefore almost totally destroyed: the plain was now strewed with men and horses, and those behind, who were spur

ring up at full speed, increased the confusion by stumbling over the bodies of their fallen friends. The deadly fire of matchlocks and of arrows still continued ; and ever and anon the cannon scattered havoc among the amazed Affghauns, who, confounded at a resistance so determined, wavered, drew up, and then turned and fled beyond reach of our shot.

"A strong body of cavalry from each wing was immediately dispatched to take advantage of their disorder, and for a while the fugitives were slaughtered almost unresistingly; but as they fell back upon their reserve, and our fire ceased, they recovered somewhat from their panic, and drawing off on either hand, left our horsemen exposed to a heavy fire from the cannon and musketry of their centre division. This checked us in our turn; but instead of forming and making an orderly retreat, as they should have done, our men, flushed with success, thought only of carrying all before them-of galloping on, and cutting down the topechees of the Affghauns at their guns. This unlucky mistake was observed simultaneously by Nader and the enemy: the latter detached a farther force of horsemen to complete the confusion which their fire was fast effecting among our men, while his Highness pushed forward a strong body of cavalry, including the remainder of his own guards, to support and bring them off; and moved on himself in good order, with the matchlockmen and infantry, to act as circumstances should determine.

"The engagement now became general and furious: what the Affghauns lacked in discipline, they possessed in personal strength and courage. They charged the most compact bodies of our cavalry in parties of ten or twenty, and often broke them with great loss, by dint of determined bravery; and though their desultory devotion generally proved fatal to them in the end, it was not without a serious expense of lives to ourselves. So bloody was the struggle, that even the portion of his Highness's guards which had accompanied the first detachment in pursuit, thinned by discharges of cannon in front, and furiously assailed on either flank by the heavy battle-axes and long spears of the horsemen, began to fall into confusion and give back. I had hastily collected a small number of men to rally another corps of cavalry, which was shrinking under its heavy loss, when, casting my eyes towards my own companions, I saw them struggling with a fresh and powerful troop of Cadanharaes, who were led by some of the Sultaun's gholaums. The crisis was urgent in the extreme: calling out to my followers, and shouting aloud the wellknown cry of the Shurtee Naderee!' we charged the new assailants, who, thinking VOL. XXIV.

that a fresh reinforcement had come up, were checked in their career.

"At this moment, I observed Caleb Allee Beg, who was actively cheering on his men, hurled with great violence from his horse to the earth. A cannon-shot had struck him on the shoulder, and carried off his arm, with half the muscles of his side. I flew to him as he lay gasping on the ground, when, gazing wildly at me for a moment, he recognised me, and said with a ghastly smile, Ah, my friend, you will not laugh at me now! But go-you are required; take my place and do your duty; mine is over!' There was, truly, no time for delay; consigning him to the care of two trusty men, I flew to the front, where the ground was still hotly contested, though the superiority of the enemy became every moment more decided. My presence and my voice, calling on them to remember who they were, exhorting them to fight for Nader, who was even now at hand with assistance, restored their sinking spirits; and by a strenuous effort, we once more gained ground upon our adver saries, and placed them between us and their own cannon. The junction of a party of our comrades, who succeeded in cutting their way through to where we stood, enabled us to support the struggle with better advantage; but by this time I discovered that the body of the guards, of which I was now the leader, had been completely separated from the rest of the army in the fluctuations of the fight, and was opposed,' unassisted, to a large force of cavalry, with the infantry and artillery still threatening in front. There was nothing for it but to fight while we could; so, shouting out once more to those around me, that Nader was driving them before him on our left, and that we must open ourselves a path to join him, called on them to close their ranks, and charge in that direction.

"The name of Nader, echoed from hundreds of tongues in reply, startled the enemy, and aided the force of our charge. Their horsemen were borne down and fed before it, and we found ourselves fast closing with the line of artillery and musketeers. But from them we did not meet the reception I expected;-they seemed to have their attention divided. 'Charge them also,' cried I; 'charge them, in the name of God, and they are ours!' The spirits of my companions were elevated by the success of our first effort, and the effect of this order was electrifying; scarcely was there time for the guns to be fired, when the gunners were cut and trampled down, and their infantry were flying in all directions. At this moment an unlucky shot struck our banner-man, and the colours, as they fell, were seized upon by one among the enemy more bold than the rest; fortu

I

nately I saw the accident, and, clapping stirrups to my horse's side, reached and cut down the Affghaun, whose sacrilegious hand had dared to touch the sacred ensign, catching it in my left hand, so that it ne ver touched the ground. Burning with enthusiasm, I cleared a path to the right and left with the sweep of my scymetar. 'Onward! onward!' cried I; who will abandon his colours?-who fears to follow his leader?' and, gallantly followed by the whole of my remaining band, I plunged into the thickest of the enemy.

"But though surprised and confounded, the Affghauns by no means gave way to their first panic. They turned upon us, and hemmed in our greatly diminished troop on all sides, depriving us of the power to charge them, as, with their long sharp swords, they rushed upon our horses, and dealt them ghastly and disabling wounds, while their riders were engaged with other assailants. And now did I suffer a loss which cost me a keener pang than many a graver misfortune in life;my faithful Boorrauk had been severely wounded during our first successful charge, by a spear which broke in his chest: yet still he bore me gallantly through the fight, and trampled down many a one who attempted to assail his master. But the sword of an Affghaun reached his side at last, and inflicted another fearful wound. I saw the deed and revenged it dearly; for, with a blow of my sword, I clove the villain from shoulder to chest; but my un. fortunate horse, staggering forward a pace or two, sank on his knees with a convulsive shudder; and scarcely had I time to disengage myself, when he fell on his side, and giving me one look with his bright in. telligent eye, stretched out his quivering limbs, and breathed his last. Had my dearest friend been murdered at my feet,

the pang
I felt could not have been more
keen, nor my indignation greater, than that
which I experienced at the loss of this most
faithful and invaluable companion of my
toils.

"The colours were still safe, and, entrenched behind my slaughtered horse, I kept all assailants at bay; but how long we could have held out against the odds opposed to us, I cannot say, for the unequal struggle was brought to a sudden close. Loud cries were heard on the left; and even through the infernal din which surrounded us, I could distinguish the loud and terrible voice of Nader shouting out his orders, and encouraging his men. All now was over; the shout was returned by every one of us that remained alive; the enemy, assailed in rear, broke, and melted from before us like snow in the April sun; and we, who but a moment before had been gasping and struggling for our lives, were left undisputed possessors of the ground, now covered with the flying foc.

"Too much exhausted to pursue them, we were resting, panting on our arms, when his Highness, accompanied by a strong party of gholaums, rode up to us at speed. Checking his horse, he threw a single keen glance at us, and then gave rapid orders to several of his attendants to go and stop the pursuit, which had already led some of the troops too far. place of encampment for this night is yonder, on the ground deserted by the enemy;

The

go! Let the several corps be mustered there, and let me have immediate returns of our loss in killed and wounded; leave only Muhabut Allee and half-a-dozen gholaums with me-I shall find guards enough here, and trusty ones too. What news?-how fares it, Ismael? No children's play this-you have found enough to do, it seems ?-these fellows have fought like devils as they are.-Come, muster the men now; you must be my guard to camp. But how is this? on foot ?''Your Highness sees my horse,' replied I, pointing to poor Boorrauk. What! my old acquaintance?-your friend of the Desert ? This is in truth a loss; but we must try to repair it; meantime, some of you give him a horse.' Your Highness has sustained a greater loss-Caleb Allee Beg.'' Punahbe-khodah! killed ?' demanded Nader, in a voice of great emotion. Struck by a cannon-shot, while bravely leading your Highness's guards;-he cannot survive, if not already dead.' Where is he? let me once more see my old and faithful servant,' said Nader, stifling a groan; and motioned immediately to lead the way. The spot where I had left Caleb Alee was not far in our rear, for every inch of ground had been hotly contested, and we had advanced but little. We found him attended but by one aged soldier, for many years under his command, who bent over his mangled officer with a look of fixed sorrow, while his tears, mingling with the blood that trickled from a large wound in his head, dropped heavily on the breast of the dying man. A party of Affghauns, who swept this part of the plain after we had quitted it, had cut down the other attendant, and wounded this old man ; but when they observed his white beard, and saw how he was occupied, the blow was not repeated ;-they left him to himself, and, wounded as he was, he had propped up the body of the unfortunate Caleb Allee, supporting his head in his lap, and, covering his ghastly wounds with his garments, thus awaited the painful struggle of expiring nature."

We now approach the conclusion of the story, which may be briefly told. Ismael fights like a tiger, and is raised by Nader to the dignity of a Khan. He encounters his old friend Selim, and through his means is restored to the young and beautiful Shireen, who

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