THE ARABIAN. 25

to her, ‘my soul, my heart! must I be so un-
fortunate as to have thee sold to so many
masters, and not to keep thee myself? lam
poor, my antelope! Thou knowest it well, my
darling! I brought thee up in my dwelling as
my child; I did never beat nor chide thee; [
caressed thee in the proudest manner. Allah
preserve thee, my beloved! Thou art beau-
tiful, thou art sweet, thou art lovely! Allah
defend thee from envious eyes !’

‘There is another story of the same kind,
Boys, which is still more affecting, and which at
the same time affords a good specimen of the
florid and impassioned style of the Arabs :—

“The whole stock of a poor Arab of the de-
sert consisted of a mare, which the French
consul at Said wished to purchase, with the
intention of sending her to Louis XiV. The
Arab hesitated long, but, being pressed by po-.
verty, he at length consented, on condition
of receiving a very considerable sum, which he
named. The consul wrote to France for per-