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"But what does the Sahib, the gentleman, say to my tale?" said the prince, turning towards me with great deference of manner. "I hope he has done me the honour to approve.' I did not fail to express myself extremely delighted; I complimented the prince upon his manner of expressing himself, but particularly upon his invention; for, said I," you really have given the appearance of truth to that which must, in it nature be fabulous." "How is this?" said he, "will you not believe that such things can be? All the members of this company are ready to believe, and even take their oaths, if necessary, to the truth of what I have related, and why too should not you believe?" "A very long discussion, indeed, would ensue," said I, were I to endeavour to show you why I cannot believe in supernatural agencies exercised locally, partially, and for objects which do not apparently comprehend the well-being of the whole of God's creation, and which are not so fully established by proof and witnesses, as entirely to overcome my unbelief." Then recollecting the old story of the flying fish and Pharaoh's chariot wheel, I said, " But do not be angry if I refuse to give credence to what you have related, however much delighted I may be with the story; perhaps I, too, may assert some facts relating to my own country, to which you may not be willing to give credence, but to the truth of which, I, in my turn, am ready to take my oath.' "Ohi-oh, well said and well done," said the prince, his words echoed by the poet, and repeated by the rest of the company. "Speak on-let us hear-our ears are all open. We have given up our souls to you." I then said, "Perhaps every one present has seen a ship, and though they may not have sailed in one, have remarked how it is impelled by wind; perhaps, too, some may have been caught in a tempest, or observed its effects on the sea. Now, we have ships in my country, which, in defiance of storms and tempests, will make their way right in the teeth of the wind, and thus perform voyages from one end of the world to the other." I paused awhile after having made this assertion, to hear the remarks of the company. I could perceive incredulity in every face; a little scorn and contempt, perhaps, was associated with that feeling, but it was plain no one believed my words. "Sahib ekhtiar. You are at liberty, of course, to affirm what you please," said the Prince, "but to me, it appears that what you have advanced is wholly impossible." "What words are these?" said another. "You might as well say that I can thrust a spear through my enemy's body, and he not bleed, as to say a ship will go ahead against wind." I heard the word "derough, derough-lie! lie!" whispered about from mouth to mouth throughout the assembly, and I became convinced that I was totally disbelieved. I then tried them upon another subject. "There is another thing," said I, "to the truth of which I am ready to take my oath. my country, our cities are lighted at night by the means of lanterns suspended on iron pillars. A subterranean vapour is made to circulate through our streets, which is led to the summit of the said pillars, and at a given hour, men run about the city, carrying a lighted taper in their hands, which they merely present to a small spiral tube, whence a flame is seen to issue, which keeping alive the night through, illuminates the city like. day, the inhabitants meanwhile sleeping soundly, unapprehensive of evil consequences. Where, in the name of Allah," said the prince, "have

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you found words to affirm such things? A subterranean fire running under ground all through your streets, and nobody afraid! Yours must be a world different from ours, inhabited by men of a different formation to Persians. I cannot believe what you say." People may talk of Persians being liars," said one of the company, "but as there is but one Allah, and Mahommed is his prophet, and Ali his lieutenant, let them go to the Franks for the future. Wonderful assertions have we heard to-day!" "Now I begin to understand," said a man of the law who was present, "why Franks are unbelievers of our faith, the ever blessed and only true faith of Islam, why they reject our prophet and despise his sayings, while they adhere with so much pertinacity to their own. See this Sahib-he

tells us of things which cannot be true, and believes in them, whilst events which may occur every day, which so many people here present, men of respectability and worthy of confidence, have seen and heard of, he rejects. Is it not plain that the reputation which Persia has acquired for the sagacity and acuteness of her sons, has been well acquired, whilst all the rest of mankind are kept in a state of total blindness? Let the Sahib forgive my words," said the speaker, turning himself to me, "but in truth, our holy prophet legislated with all wisdom when he said, 'As for the unbe, liever, all that is left for him is katl, katl, slay, slay." "May your shadow never be less," said I, laughing, addressing the man of the law, whilst I assumed a mock humility of manner: may your house flourish-we are grateful-we kiss the dust of your slippers!" My words and manner seemed to amuse the prince and his guests, for instead of siding with the man of the law, they most good-humouredly laughed outright, and evinced by their conduct how little they partook of the holy man's zeal. This circumstance produced the effect of turning the conversation into a new channel, and I was questioned on the right hand and on the left, upon the nature of our institutions in Frangistan, for so they call Europe, with a pertinacity and liveliness of curiosity, which exhibited one of the most striking characteristics of the Persians in its strongest colours, namely, their love of hearing and knowing of strange things. Sir," said one berai khoda, "in the name of Allah, is it true that you never see the sun in your country?" "We can't believe," said another, "what is currently reported here, that you cut your horses' tails off, and also go to the trouble of cutting your dogs' tails off too." Close upon this question followed another. Forgive me," said a third, "but swear by the soul of your father and mother, is it true that your kings dance like luties? And is it also true that women may rule over you, and that they too dance in public?" Before I could satisfy any one of these questions, I heard a voice crying out from a distance: "Tell me, O Sahib, can you belong to a nation which holds nothing unclean, to people who may even eat of a dog, and not be defiled? This passes our comprehension." At length, our host, the prince, who was too well bred to allow of my being more questioned and teazed, seeing it impossible for me to satisfy every one's curiosity, called for kalians, as a signal for breaking up the assembly.

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We conclude with Mr. Morier's account of the extravagancies of Persian phraseology, and of the practical reduction of their exaggerations.

He says,

"During my stay in that country, which took place during the reign of the late king, Fatteh Ali Shah, I became acquainted with many Persians of various ranks and denominations, from the king on the throne, to the lowest tent-pitcher and muleteer. At first, I felt as any other of my countrymen would feel; I was startled by their unceasing adulation, and petrified by their unblushing falsehoods, however pleased I might be with their winning manners; but as I became more acquainted with the genius and character of the nation, I learnt to place a more proper value upon their professions, and to give a truer interpretation to their assertions, for I found much of the disgust which I had at first felt, proceeded from their forms of speech, which I can compare to nothing better than to a redundant paper currency, which begins by being of doubtful value, and ends by being worth nothing at all. How would it surprise Mr. A. if riding with Mr. B. in the park, Mr. A. praising the beauty of his companion's horse, Mr. B. were immediately to say-"You do me honour-it is a present to youit belongs to you forthwith-I will send it to you." And if, in utter confusion, Mr. A. felt himself bound to accept it, how much more surprised would he be to hear Mr. B. turn round and make the same present and the same speech to the next person who should happen equally to praise his horse! So it is in Persia. This sort of intercourse takes place on every common occurrence, and it would be deemed ill breeding, and a want of knowledge of life, if the language of falsehood, flattery, and hyperbole, were not used the more abundantly, the more in consonance with the character of the people. The Persians have aptly been called the Frenchmen of the East; vanity is, in truth, their besetting sin, and that circumstance alone may, perhaps, account for the lust for compliment and adulation which exists in both nations."

ART. VII.-The Glory and Shame of England. By C. EDWARDS LESTER. 2 vols. Bentley.

Ir is wholesome for us when a sensible foreigner points out the plague-spots of our condition and our manners. There is much about us that demands amendment and healing. Not a few of our gross evils either almost entirely escape our own notice, or we have become so familiar with them as to experience little or no shame when they are looked upon. It is therefore good that we should be frequently mirrored in the looking-glasses of strangers, even although with such distortions as an imperfect reporter, an irregularly grained material, may return. It is proper that we should

see ourselves as others see us.

We have often said that we regard with a special interest the testimony of citizens of the United States of America who may happen to visit us. It is not alone that they are remarkably inquisitive, or even that they are unscrupulous inquirers and barefaced revealers of whatever may engage their attention in the privacy of

domestic confidence; but especially because there is so much which is common to the two nations, that they mark the differences with a peculiar zeal, although, we believe, with less accuracy and liberality than other foreigners who are not everlastingly testing us by some kindred feature amongst themselves, and thus reducing all differences-the slighter these are, with the greater illiberality-to their own standard.

Still, whatever may be our distrust generally of an American's report of England, it is seldom that we do not feel the special interest in it to which we have alluded; and often also a considerable degree of entertainment. There are exceptions, however; such as when ignorance and conceit, or stupidity and vulgarity, characterize the writer. Allowance may be made for jealousies, and even for strong dislikes; but it is not easy to look upon an egregious fool who affects to be a moralist with other than utter disgust; and above all if that fool be a lump of morbidity, and as sickly as he strives to be smooth. It is in this last-mentioned squad that we rank the author of the "Glory and Shame;" for we have not been able to bring ourselves to the conclusion at which some have arrived, viz., that the work is a sheer imposition, and the trick of a needy literary hack. No: we are persuaded that there is such a gull as Mr. Lester; one who in every respect answers the character that would concoct in earnest such a work as the present, a superficial, credulous, prejudiced Yankee; one whose fluency is so feeble, and sentiments are so unhealthy, as to render all his attempts at picturing misery the reverse of being suggestive of pity, and at putting to shame, the occasion of loathing towards himself. That he has gone zealously to work, we doubt not; that he has made himself particularly busy in questioning the folks he met with in the Guildhall coffee-house about the glories and the shames is more than probable, just as it is that not a few have made it their fun to "sell him bargains," as we believe the sailors designate their waggeries; while others have recommended to his investigation parliamentary reports, Poor Law papers, O'Connell's speeches, and other rare sources of information for his particular study, and as texts for his practical hints. These circumstances have manifestly attended this person's efforts; his own pious colourings being fulsomely laid over whatever the wags communicated, and his personal researches discovered. A considerable amount of these researches might just as successfully have been pursued in Yankee-land as in England; and, as for the rest, his continual tendency to invent, unless it has all through been imposition, would have been as satisfactorily exercised towards us on the other side of the Atlantic as on this. There is nothing real, practical, or essentially true in the book; there is nothing that can be truthlike even to an utter stranger to our country, institutions, and con

dition. Let us exhibit portions of our philanthropist's incidents and pictures: they consist chiefly of "shames." Our glories are few, except when he meets with a lord; and then his worshippings are anything but democratic. On the other hand, our Indian empire is a foul spot. However, let us meet with him on his landing at Liverpool, where at once he ferrets out touching histories, and acts charities with extraordinary lavishness:

As I was passing from the office to the cars, a very pretty but pale-faced girl came up to me, with a basket of books on her arm, and in a sweet voice inquired if I did not wish to get a companion. I answered, “That will depend entirely upon the character-a gentleman or a lady?"—"Oh, sir," she said, with a smile, "a Companion that will be of more service to you than either: more intelligent than a gentleman, and less troublesome than a lady;" at the same time handing me, "The London, Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester Railway Companion." I was interested in the girl's appearance, and I asked her a few questions. "Pray how did you know I was an American ?"—"Well, Sir, I can hardly tell you; but there is something about American gentlemen that strikes me the first moment I see them; and I always try to find them, for they almost always buy my Companions. But they for ever ask me if I can't take less than a crown for the book; and when I say I am a poor girl, and have, by selling books, to support my mother, who is in a consumption, and a little brother, who had both his arms crushed by the machinery of the factory; and that all the rest of us are dead (except William, who is in New York), then they don't ask me to take less, and then very often give me more."—" Did you ever hear Robert Hall preach ?"-" Oh yes, Sir; we used to go to Mr. Hall's chapel, and many a time has he come to tea at our house; and when he came he always had his pockets full of something good for us. But he has gone to heaven now, if any one goes there."-"Could you understand his preaching?"—"I was very young, and had not much education, and I could not understand much of his preaching on the Sunday; but I could understand almost every word when he lectured in the evening, and every time he came to see us, he would read the Bible, and explain it as he went along, and pray and talk to us about religion; and then I could understand every word. What made me like Mr. Hall so much was because he was so kind to the poor: he never was ashamed to speak to them in the street, or anywhere he met them. Do you have such ministers in America?"-"We have a great many good ministers, but not many, I fear, like Mr. Hall. How many hours a day do you spend here?"-"I am here when every train goes out, and I sleep between whiles.' "Don't this injure your health?"-"Yes, Sir; for, when I came here, I was not the pale girl you see now: I was as ruddy as any girl in Lancashire."

The slut's cunning was very thin; and yet it imposed upon Mr. Lester. She did not "want to complain;" not she. She remembered that "Mr. Hall used to say that we are all treated better than we deserve, and that we should not complain when God afflicts us." These pious and trustful expressions made our author exceed