great good will, and began to chuckle in his

turn.

When the hour for music was come, he was summoned again to the antechamber, where he had the boldness, whilst he waited, to steal a peep through a crevice of the silken curtain, and discovered that his countrywoman was quite as beautiful a person as his fancy had suggested. He had taken care to compose some fresh words for the occasion, as well as to set them to another air, which he had not sung on any of the preceding nights: it had also a part for two voices, which the lady happened to know, and the Sultan was so delighted with the liveliness of the music, that he made them sing it to him several times over. At last, just as they were commencing the chorus for the fourth time, his face very suddenly altered, from the greatest pleasure to a look of gloom; and he turned his brows with such a frown upon the lady, that she stopped short in the middle of a note.

"How is this ?" said he "I understand nothing of the language, but I can perceive that you sing different words to the music every time that it is repeated."

Angelina blushed and hung down her head at this abrupt question, for she could invent verses with far more facility than excuses. At last she told him, that it was usual in Italy to leave the words of such airy little songs to the fancy of the singers, and that, except when those happened to be persons of wit and genius, the verses were always composed of the most common-place expressions.

The Sultan listened to this explanation with a very grave look, and after meditating a while, spoke thus: "Madam, you must not take it ill of me, but hereafter I shall desire the Dragoman (or Interpreter) to partake with me in the delight of hearing you. He is as fond of music as I am, and will be able to satisfy me whether the poetry of what you sing is answerable, in sentiment, to the music.

The lady and Benetto both suspected, from these expressions, that the Sultan entertained some mistrust of them; and therefore, when they sang again, it was with some quaverings which did not belong to the composition. The Sultan at length signifying that he had heard enough, the singers desisted, and Benetto was dismissed, for this once, without any piece of gold, the Sultan intending secretly to reward him on the morrow with two hundred stripes of the bastinado.

As soon as Benetto found his opportunity, he repaired therefore to the garden, convinced that it was time to put his design into execution. The skies fortunately were full of clouds, making the night very obscure, except at some intervals, when the moon broke through the vapours; so that he set about his work in the gloom with the greater confidence. Having learned at least the art of transplanting during his service in the gardens, his first step H 2

was to convey the tree, which has been already mentioned, towards the apartment of Angelina.

Now, her chamber opened upon a long gallery or balcony on the outside of the harem, against which Benetto rested the tree as securely as he could: nor was this an easy performance, for it was as heavy as he could well carry, so that his joints even cracked beneath the weight. After resting awhile to regain his breath, he began to mount up his extempore ladder; and as the branches were very close together, the ascent was quite an easy affair. Thus, he was able to look in at the lady's window in a very few seconds; but, alas! though he had not wasted a minute that could be saved, he was already too late, as will presently appear.

It is a barbarous custom with the Turks, when they conceive any jealousy or disgust of their mistresses, to tie them up in sacks and cast them into the water; the sea, which is the object

of marriage with the Venetian Doges, being to the Ottoman Sultans the instrument of divorce. As soon, then, as Benetto looked in at the window, his eyes were shocked by the sight of three black savage-looking slaves, who were preparing for this cruel ceremony, the victim being no other than his own unfortunate countrywoman. Her mouth having been gagged beforehand, she could not utter any cries; but with her hands she made the most piteous supplications to the cruel Moors, two of whom held the mouth of the gaping sack wide open, whilst the other with his rude profane hands endeavoured by force to bind her delicate limbs.

The terrified Benetto, who comprehended this scene at the first peep, felt such a shock as a sleeper who oversteps a precipice in his dream. A sudden swimming in his head made him ready to tumble off the tree; but luckily his body was leaning against the rail-work of the gallery, so that he could not fall in the meantime he was quite exposed to view from the window, but