characteristic, and its interest to Christian readers is not a little enhanced by its showing that, if the Arabs have no longer the genius which they formerly had, their love of story-telling remains undiminished. The plot is not so romantic as that of other stories in the same collection, but it is more ingenious. Abd-er-rahman, being left in possession of a large fortune by his father, a wealthy merchant of Alexandria, devotes himself zealously to study, and makes a proficiency which he flatters himself is unparalleled. Feeling no disposition to put his light under a bushel, he prepares narratives to read to his friends. He presents himself as a story-teller ten times, but on every occasion his auditors go to sleep and some misfortune or other happens to himself for his pains. The tenth evening reduces him to poverty, and consigns him to the Morestán, or lunatic asylum of Cairo. His first attempt at story-telling was made to his slaves; before he had concluded his manuscript all had fallen asleep, leaving the doors and gates unfastened. The naïb, or chief of police, regarding this as culpable negligence, ordered his men to nail up the doors and inflicted a heavy fine on Abd-er-rahman for having offered such temptation to robbers. He thought he would next assemble a more enlightened audience, and with this mind he got up a magnificent entertainment, to which he invited his friends; but the final result was pretty nearly the same. Only four persons had remained awake when the story was read. These he complimented highly on their taste and love of learning. They in return said that they felt so deeply interested in his narrative it would please them very much to see the historical authorities on which it was founded, if they were at all convenient. This increased the author's delight; he went to his study at once, but as the historical authorities had to be searched for it took him some time to find them. But when he returned his admirers had left, and taken with them the whole of a rich service of plate, with the exception of one salver on which Al Harrami, the notorious robber, had written some lines thanking him for his entertainment.

Thus do the incidents succeed each other rapidly, the results of each reading presenting fresh novelties. Finally the hero is induced to marry, recollecting that the Koran directs him to do so. He thinks his wife and children, at least, will be good listeners, and so break the charm of the malignant genius who has hitherto put all his auditors to sleep, with the sole exception of the robbers. But his misfortunes

are only increased by marriage, and it is in vain that he marries one lady after another, until he has the number allowed by law; for she from whom he expects most good, does him most mischief, though without any intention on her part to do so. Necessarily passing over several curious incidents, we come to that stage in which the hero becomes an inmate of the asylum. Here his mild and agreeable demeanor soon gained him the good will of his keepers, who allowed him to walk about in the courts and converse with such of the inmates as attracted his attention. He thus became acquainted with three persons, who had lost their ears and been made lame, and he soon learned from them that, like himself, they retained their senses, although inmates of a lunatie asylum.

These resemblances in their circumstances naturally led them to wish to be informed of each other's calamities; and it was accordingly agreed that each should relate his history. When the narratives commenced, many other supposed lunatics came to listen to them, and among their number Abd-er-rahman recognised his perfidious cousin and his faithless wife Zahara. The number of narrators was thus increased; and each story possesses a peculiar interest. The most characteristic is that of Ratif, the squinting astrologer of Alexandria, but it is so very long that we can only make room for one of the episodes; we select this because it gives such a graphic view of the ignorant and debasing jugglery and charlatanism which in modern times have taken the place of the learning and science which illuminated the whole world for nearly four centuries. And with this we must take leave for the present of Arabian literature, our remarks on the subject having already extended further than we had intended :

"When evening came, I sat down sorrowfully at the end of the long pier which forms the harbor, reflecting on my sorrowful position; not knowing where I could procure shelter for the night, whose shades were thickening around me, nor food for my empty stomach, which was manifesting its uneasiness by audible grumblings. My glances were mechanically turned to my left over the long promontory, which, extending into the sea, closed the gulf on that side and hid from view the summits of the lofty mountains of Kribrús (Cyprus). All at once I saw near me a tall, stiff, and meagre figure, which seemed to me a real ghost. This being, whose approach I had not observed, and whose presence froze me with horror, had two piercing eyes, a countenance of cadaverous paleness; his bones seemed ready to burst through a skin as dry as parchment; his brows were thick and beetling, and a long white beard hung in wild disorder below his chest, he wore a dark-colored robe, and his motions were as precise and regular as if they had been the result of machinery. His eyes were fixed on the starry heavens, and he directed his view success

ively to different stars, using instruments of curious construction, the like of which I had never seen.

"I felt assured that this strange being was a magician, practising some of his diabolical arts, and I expected that the evil genii would immediately assemble around him, in obedience to his necromantic spells. Fear kept me motionless; I kept my eyes fixed upon him, attentively watching his movements; they were all new to me, and I expected momentarily to become their victim. My danger appeared to increase when I saw this mysterious and awful being lower his looks to me, and his glance met mine. After some moments of mutual and silent observation, during which drops of cold perspiration streamed from my forehead, he addressed me in a hoarse voice, whose tones, however, were not at all menacing. 'Friend,' said he, I see with pleasure that you share my tastes and pursuits; during the last half hour, I perceive that your looks have been directed toward that brilliant sky, which extends its splendid canopy over the summit of Mount Taurus, and now your eyes, directed to the zenith, seem anxious to penetrate through the group of nebulous stars directly over our heads. Tell me, which is the constellation that has thus engaged your attention?'

Reassured by hearing a human voice from this frightful body, which I had taken for some supernatural being that haunted this solitary place, I was about to reply, but he did not give me time. You may,' he continued, bless your fate and the constellations that protect you. I am the celebrated Abd-al-nejúm (servant of the stars), whose high acquirements in astronomy have procured him the surname al Feleky (the Celestial). * *Perceiving you just now, with your eyes fixed on the starry heaven, I easily divined that you were impelled by some insurmountable impulse to my favorite study. I immediately observed with care the aspect of the heavens; I have found it favorable to you, and it has enjoined me to cultivate your taste for such exalted knowledge. Come, then, with confidence, my son; Abd-al-nejúm will, in your company, penetrate the palace of science; come with me, my house shall be your residence and your academy.' The astronomer took me by the hand. Delighted by such an unexpected invitation I permitted him to lead me in silence, dreading that too speedy an explanation might lead him to change his benevolent purpose. We passed through several narrow streets in the meanest quarter of the town, and after several turnings stopped before a small house, whose appearance was far from sumptuous. Abd-al-nejúm opened the door himself, a circumstance which convinced me that he had neither slaves or servants. Taking me again by the hand he led me in the dark to a coufined spot, where he desired me to sit down. Having lighted an old lamp he turned to examine his new guest. He appeared surprised at the poverty of my dress, which the darkness had hitherto prevented him from noticing; his tone immediately changed, his kind proffers gave place to stern and imperious questions. Not being able to avoid a reply I related without disguise the circumstances that had brought me to the place where he had found me; and where my glances were vaguely directed over the surface of the western waters, instead of being elevated, as he supposed, to the brilliant sky of the east. I testified my gratitude for the kind offers he had made, but did not conceal that food was with ine a more pressing want than lessons in astronomical science. * * Abd-al-nejúm sat down on a wretched mat, which was almost the only article of furniture in his room, and, resting his head upon his hands, seemed lost in thought. At length he proposed to take me into his service, on condition that I should ask no wages, but be content with bed and board, promising that if I proved faithful he would make me his heir.

"I lived with him very miserably for twelve years; when I asked

him for instructions, he said that nature herself had forbidden me to become an astronomer. Every day he repeated that the stars promised him great wealth and length of life; but, nevertheless, I found him one morning dead in his bed, and conformably to his promises I was his sole heir. The inheritance however, was only some few articles of furniture, and his mathematical instruments. The owner of the house soon gave me notice to quit. I made a little money by the sale of the furniture, and carefully preserving the astronomical instruments of my deceased master, I sought another lodging. I obtained it in the house of an old woman who lodged in the suburbs, to whom I had sold some pieces of paper covered with figures, on which my master had written his scientific calculations, which she purchased as talismans, to increase the fertility of her pigeons, and keep them from vermin. I had no difficulty in persuading her that I had inherited the knowledge as well as the instruments of my old master; and her neighbors of both sexes flocked to obtain the aid of my astrological talents. All my master's old papers, on which he had scribbled figures, were successively sold as talismans.

Finding this new trade very successful, I resolved, like Abd-al-nejúm, to draw horoscopes, and predict future events from the stars. I had picked up from his conversation the names of some of the constellations, but I did not know what was their position in the sky; however, I hoped that I would easily acquire this knowledge by making use of the instrument. In vain I tried in every way to imitate what I had so often seen my master do; but somehow or other I never could distinctly see through the telescope the stars that my master saw, or perhaps only pretended to see. I have always thought that he designedly injured the instruments before his death, for fear lest the fame of my science might eclipse his own.

* *My reputation increased every day, and unfortunately for me it extended too far. My fame reached the governor of the city. He was about to become a father, and summoned me to draw the horoscope of the unborn child. I went boldly, pretended to make some observations, drew some whimsical figures, made some idle calculations, and unhesit atingly declared that he would soon be the father of a boy. I did not know that my new employer had brought, at a great expense, another astronomer from Antakyeh (Antioch). He was posted in another part of the house, and announced that the child would be a girl. They brought us together, that we might compare our different horoscopes. I could make nothing of my adversary's scheme; he easily demonstrated that mine was composed only of figures drawn at random, calculations either absurd or insignificant, and marks that had no connection or relation. For want of good argument, I overwhelmed my adversary with reproaches, and he retorted as well as he could. From words we were about to come to blows, when we received a piece of news which put an end to our quarrel. The woman who had been summoned to attend the lady announced that she was not pregnant, but dropsical." Contes Arabes du Cheikh al Mohdy.

ART. IV.-1. Memoirs of the Life, Writings, and Discoveries of SIR ISAAC NEWTON. By SIR DAVID BREWSTER, 2 vols. Edinburgh. 1855.

2. Philosophia Naturalis Principia Mathematica. Auctore ISAACO NEWTONO, Eq. Aur. Perpetuis Commentariis Illustrata, Communi Studio PP. THOME LE SEUR ET FRANCISCI JACQUIER, ex Gallicana Minimorum Familia, Math. Proff. Edito Nova Summa Cura recensita. 2 vols. Londini. 1853.

3. Commercium Epistolicum, J. COLLINS et aliorum, &c., Edit. par MM. BIOT et LEFORT. Paris. 1858.

NOTHING is so well calculated to show at once how great and how little is man as the study of the life and character of those who have rendered themselves illustrious by their works. If this does not teach us to set a moderate estimate on our own labors, and to make allowance for the failings and imperfections of our neighbors, nothing will. There is not one who has benefited mankind whose life does not teach lessons of this kind; but no life does so to such an extent as that of Newton. In delaying the consideration of his discoveries in this journal until now, and giving precedence to those of Kepler, Leibnitz, Laplace, and Galileo, we have not, therefore, been influenced by any opinion or feeling unfavorable to the claims of the illustrious demonstrator of the power of gravity on the gratitude of the human race. We have done so partly because we prefer to introduce our readers to those with whom their acquaintance is but slight, rather than to those with whom they are comparatively familiar, and partly because there are some incidents in the life of Newton of so delicate a character that we have no wish to discuss them, although such is their nature that they must not be regarded as casting the slightest stain on the undying lustre of his fame.

The future philosopher was born at the little village of Woolsthorpe, in the county of Lincoln, on Christmas day, 1642, the same year that Galileo died. His father was a respectable farmer of limited means, but without any energy either physical or intellectual. He died three months before the birth of his only son Isaac, who was so weak and small in his infant state that it was generally thought he could not live; and the few who differed from this opinion predicted that at all events he would never possess much vigor, but would be weak and sickly like his father. His mother seems