THE FISHERMAN. 21

how great then was his disappointment in discovering only a
large pannier or basket, filled with sand and mud. “O fortune!”
he exclaimed, in the greatest affliction, and with a melancholy
voice, “cease to be enraged against me. Persecute not an
unfortunate being who thus supplicates thee to spare him. 1
came from home to seek after life, and you announce my death.
I have no other trade by which I can subsist, and even with all
my care, I can hardly supply the most pressing wants of my
family. But wherefore should I complain of thee, who takest a
pleasure in abusing the virtuous, and leaving great men in
obscurity, while thou favourest the wicked, and exaltest those
who possess no virtue to recommend them?”

Having thus vented his complaints, he angrily threw aside the
pannier, and washing his nets from the mud, he threw them a
third time. He brought up only stones, shells, and filth. It is
impossible to describe his despair, which almost deprived him
of his senses. The day now began to break, and, like a good
Mussulman, he did not neglect his prayers, to which he added
the following :—“ Thou knowest, O Prophet, that I throw my
nets only four times a day , three times have I cast them into
the sea without any profit for my labour. Once more alone
remains ; and I entreat thee to render the sea favourable, as
thou formerly didst to Moses.”

When the fisherman had finished this prayer, he threw his
nets for the fourth time. Again he supposed he had caught a
great quantity of fish, as he drew them with as much difficulty
as before. He nevertheless found none; but discovered a vase
of yellow copper, which seemed, from its weight, to be filled
with something; and he obscrved that it was shut up and
fastened with lead, on which there was the impression of a seal.
“T will sell this to a founder,” said he, with joy, “and with the
money I shall get for it I will purchase a measure of corn.”

He examined the vase on all sides; he shook it, in order to
discover whether its contents would rattle. He could hear
nothing ; and this, together with the impression of the seal on
the lead, made him think it was filled with something valuable.
In order to find this out, he took his knife, and got it open
without much difficulty. He directly turned the top down.
wards, and was much surprised to find nothing come out; he
then set it down before him, and while he was attentively