Every thing being ready for this purpose, and the avenues of the temple thronged with innumerable people; the King, followed by his whole court, came up to the door of the sanctuary, and taking the royal infant from his nurse, gave it to the high priest, who placed it upon the tripod.

After the sacrifice of a hecatomb, the priest ascended the steps of the altar, and pronounced these words:

"Thou art approved, O Dorus, by the gods, and they have given thee this child as a token of their love; but I see something in futurity concerning him: it is not perfectly revealed: it is dreadful. A kindred hand is raised against him; and who shall save him from the blow?"

These fatal words threw the whole assembly into confusion, and the King returned to his palace overwhelmed with grief,

When he had a little recovered his recollection, he began to think how the blow that was threatened might be intercepted, and went immediately to the Queen's apartment, to consult her upon the subject. He found her already acquainted with the Oracle, and in an agony that greatly endangered her life. It was, however, at length proposed by the King, that the child should be sent from court, as the most effectual way of keeping him at a distance from his relations, and educated privately, under the flattering hope, that time, or the favour of the gods, might produce some event in his favour; the queen was not able to reply, but fainting on her pillow, the physicians prevailed upon Dorus to retire.

His attention was now divided between his child and his wife; but as he could do nothing to assist the queen, and as no time was to be lost with respect to the prince, he sent for Orixis, a man of deep knowledge, and extensive views, who had formerly been the associate of his arms in battle, and now presided over the affairs of his state; he was of an ambitious spirit, yet he had conducted himself irreproachably, except that he had sometimes attained his purposes by slight deviations from strict rectitude.

To this man the King disclosed his fears, and applied for advice; and it was at length agreed between them, that Orixis should conduct the child, with his nurse, and two female attendants, in the middle of the night, to a private recess in the depth of a thick forest, which, he said, had been the residence of a hermit, and was known only to himself.

This expedient was scarcelyagreed upon, before word was brought that the Queen was dead; having spent her last moments with the high priest, no other person being present but the child and its nurse.

The scheme concerted between the King and Orixis, was carried into execution, and the child continued many years in the recess of the forest, with no attendant but his nurse and her son, a child of the same age as himself, who was called Agenor, and the two women. The King went often to see him, and observed a great affection between him and the companion of his infancy, whom he therefore caressed for the sake of his child.

When the Prince was about fifteen years old, the King thought it proper to bring him to court; time had, in some degree, effaced the impression that had been made by the Oracle; the whole kingdom was in a state of profound peace, without factions at home, or enemies abroad,

When the King communicated this purpose to his son, he received it with proper expressions of affection and duty; and only requested that whithersoever he went, his companion, Agenor, might go with him. The King consented, and the Prince and Agenor were brought, in the same splendid equipage, from the forest to the court, attended by an innumerable multitude, and perpetual acclamations.

From this time, the Prince and Agenor were educated together; they made an equal progress in learning, and a mutual emulation soon redeemed the time that had been lost in the forest.

The King, however, in order to qualify his successor for the trust that was to devolve upon him, thought proper to place him under the tuition of Orixis, his first minister. Orixis, who was pleased with this new honour, neglected nothing that could make his house agreeable to the Prince, who was still accompanied by his friend Agenor.

Orixis had only one child, a daughter, whose name was Ismena: she was now in the bloom of youth, and was equally eminent for the graces of her person and her mind,

The young Prince very soon forgot the principal intention of placing him with Orixis, and Agenor at the same time became equally sensible of the charms of Ismena, though he took great care to conceal it from the Prince,

The Prince's attachment was very soon discovered by Orixis, whose ambition led him to encourage it; by his contrivances, therefore, he had opportunities of seeing the young lady whenever he pleased, and was consequently more and more enamoured..

It was impossible that he should not communicate the state of his mind to his friend. "How lovely (says he) is this dear girl, and how. happy shall I be, if I can inspire her with love. At present she seems to be in the same state of quiet insensibility as that in which my own passions have slumbered till now. If I cannot warm her with my own fires, I shall be wretched; what shall I do? What is your opinion? Is she sensible to my passion or not? Shall I speak first to her father or to my own? Will she be offended at an application to either?" "Oh! my dear Prince (said Agenor, who now perceived his own love to be hopeless) it is impossible she should be insensible to a passion like your's." "Come, then (says the Prince) my dear friend, let us run, let us fly; I will make a declaration of my passion this moment, you shall second me, and love shall owe part of his felicity to friendship."

This was the state of the Prince's mind, when they set out to visit Is, mena. Agenor, at the same time, suffered a conflict, which gave him great pain; he adored Ismena, he found it absolutely necessary to renounce her; and he thought he could renounce her with pleasure, in favour of his friend. The Prince had several advantages over him, which could not be disputed; he flattered himself, however, that he had discovered in the eyes of Ismena, certain indications that she knew the state of his heart; he thought her looks seemed to say-Why are not you the Prince? How happy could we be together! When they arrived at Ismena's apartment, the Prince threw himself at her feet, declared that he had loved her to distraction from the first moment he saw her, and that his fate was in her hands. She expressed her astonishment, and seemed about to retire; he repeated his declaration; she reminded him of his rank. "I expect, said the Prince, every thing from the indulgence of my father, and I am confident, that my happiness solely depends upon you; my dear Agenor, says he, plead the cause of love

for me: Agenor, Madam, is no stranger to my sentiments, he is my other self, he is sensible of your worth, and of my sincerity." This address threw Ismena into some confusion, her face was covered with blushes, and her eyes fixed upon the ground. Agenor was by no means less embarrassed, but he recovered himself so far as to assure Ismena that the Prince's declaration was sincere; "I am acquainted (said he) both with his passion and his designs, and am sensible that your virtues merit all the honour that he intends you." To this Ismena replied, that she hoped no expectations of greatness would ever make her forgetful of her duty, and immediately retired.

She left the Prince greatly discouraged, and though Agenor might have drawn very flattering conclusions from her behaviour, yet he was so touched with the distress of his friend, that there was room for no other sentiment in his heart. 66 My dear Prince (says he) I do not see that you have any just reason to be thus alarmed; possibly the sense of duty may have surmounted her inclination; and, being conscious of the distance between a subject and a sovereign, she may conceal her passion, lest she should afterwards be ashamed to have confessed it. First endeavour to obtain her of the King; his love for you will make your happiness the first object; and his greatness has already set him above ambition. When the King's consent is once secured, you will find Ismena less timid or less coy; and she will then readily confess a passion which probably she feels already." The Prince approved this advice of his friend, and immediately followed it.

Dorus consented, after a short struggle, and the Prince went instantly to Orixis, and acquainted him with his good fortune. Orixis received it with joy, which he endeavoured to conceal by expressions of humility and duty, and went immediately to share it with his daughter, who, he made no doubt, would be delighted in the highest degree at so important a conquest,

He found, however, to his great mortification and astonishment, that he was mistaken; she received his intelligence with a look of disappointment and dejection, and after a short silence burst into tears; he reproached her, but with tenderness, and her reply was full of duty and submission: "Forgive me (said she) my Lord, but a royal lover, if he has other duties that absorb his love, will soon degenerate into a tyrant." Just at this crisis they were interrupted by the Prince, who could no longer restrain his impatience; the embarrassment of Orixis, and the tears of Ismena left him no room to doubt the situation of her heart; he expressed his disappointment and despair with a vehemence suitable to his passion, and would have retired, but Orixis detained him. daughter (says he) however ungrateful and insensible, knows her duty, and shall fulfil it." "No, (replied the Prince) the submission of duty shall never be exacted on my behalf: this would render me for ever odious in her eyes, and despicable is my own. Time and assiduity may perhaps incline her to my wishes. Make yourself easy (said he) my dear Ismena, your father shall not abuse his authority; and if he attempts it, be assured that all my power shall be exerted in your defence."

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The Prince then retired, and, for a moment, he felt a pleasure from this exertion of virtue, which suspended the pangs of disappointed love; they returned, however, like the durable realities of nature, after the transient and unsubstantial images of a dream.

Orixis, in the mean time, felt his tenderness overborne by his ambition; and he dismissed his daughter with the severest menaces and reproach. He was sufficiently acquainted with the human heart to know that the Prince could be refused from no principle but the love of another; he knew too that his daughter, if she loved, must have a confidant; he, therefore, by applying to her women, at last found with whom she had trusted her secret, and learnt that the Prince had been refused for Agenor. From that moment he resolved his destruction.

In the mean time the Prince sunk into a silent melancholy, which rendered him averse to every thing that tended to dissipate it. His only companion was Agenor, and hunting the only amusement he could be persuaded to share. It happened one day that having lingered with his friend, behind the rest of the company, he was assaulted by four men, disguised and armed, one of whom cried out," It is in your behalf, Agenor, why do you not assist us?" Agenor, who was sensible only to the danger of his friend, threw himself before him, performed wonders of valour in his defence, and having put the assailants to flight, conducted him in safety to the palace.

"Alas! my dear friend (said the Prince) thou hast enemies who are at once formidable and secret; what has just happened proves it to demonstration, and I fear much more for your life than for my own." He had scarcely pronounced the words, when a party of soldiers took Agenor into custody. The Prince was preparing to resist, but the officer who commanded the party, told him that it was by the King's order. "Though Agenor should be now innocent (says he) he will become guilty by resistance." The Prince then embracing his friend, resigned him with a sigh, and went immediately to the King.

The King, as soon as he saw him, cried out, " The gods, O! my son, have now restored and secured thee to thy father; the traitor who would have assassinated thee, is taken in his own snare. The Oracle declared

at thy birth, that a kindred hand should be raised against thee. This wretch was the brother of thy choice, the partner of thy heart, the companion of thy childhood, cherished in thy bosom, and bound to thee by ties which could not be broken, but by the violation of nature. Let the guilty perish, and this danger be forgotten."

"Alas! my Lord (replied the Prince) you are deceived. No life is attempted but that of Agenor. The attack upon me was a feint to destroy him. He exposed himself to real danger in my defence, but the wiles of cunning have circumvented him. I know the merit of my friend; and it is known also to some wretch, in whose breast it could excite no passion but envy; and who is, therefore, seeking his destruction." While the Prince was thus pleading the cause of his friend, the rumour of his supposed crime was spread in the city; the multitude ran to the palace demanding justice; and the King, to quiet the tumult, ordered that he should immediately be put to death.

Ismena, whose apartments were in the most retired part of the palace, was the last that heard of an event in which she was the most interested. The first shock suspended her faculties, and endangered her life; but, soon recovering her recollection, and suspecting the hand which had given the blow, she made no doubt but that in a few hours Agenor would publicly be put to death. She accused herself as the cause of his misfortunes, by discovering a passion which she could never hope to gratify, and therefore ought to have concealed. She concluded, that at all events she ought to prevent an evil, to which she alone had ex

posed him, and therefore, without regard to her sex or her rank, to the forms of decorum, or the laws of duty, she ran to the prison in which her lover was confined, and, by making use of her father's name, obtained admission." It is I, said she, Agenor; in this dreadful moment I owe thee a confession of my love. Thy misfortune claims it as a debt, and my father's crime calls upon me for expiation. His ambition has devoted thee to death, that he may place me upon a throne which I abhor. He employed the wretches who made a shew of assassinating the Prince, and has induced them to declare that they were employed by thee. His fate is henceforth in thy hand; but remember, that however cruel and perfidious, he is still my father!" "That (said Agenor) shall live upon my memory when all else is forgotten: as your father, I must always prefer his life to my own; and as the discovery of the secret which would demonstrate my innocence to the King, would at once deprive him of life, and overwhelm you with disgrace, I will bury it in my bosom, and carry it with me to the grave. Let Ismena forget a passion which the gods can never bless; let her live to reign and to be happy, with a Prince whose virtues are worthy of her own.'

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In the mean time, the Prince having, with great difficulty, obtained a respite for Agenor till the next morning, ran immediately to the prison, where he was soothing the despair of Ismena, and urging her to leave a place in which it was neither prudent nor decent to remain. As soon as the door was opened, he rushed to the arms of his friend, but was at once fixed motionless as a statue by the sight of Ismena: a chillness like death instantly thrilled through his veins; his tongue became speechless, and his sight failed him a dreadful silence increased the horror that surrounded them, till the Prince, with a feeble and interrupted voice, cried out," Agenor! Ismena! what daggers have ye planted in my bosom! What powerful motive has brought the daughter of Orixis to this dungeon? Whom dost thou seek in this dreadful haunt of darkness and despair? Have ye then both betrayed me; and have I found treachery only, where I sought a friend, that I might save his life, or perish with him!" "Leave an unhappy wretch to his fate (said Agenor) without reproaching him: I shall die without regret; yet, alas! I now find that death is dreadful, for I shall die under the imputation of guilt. It is indeed true, that I love Ismena; that is my involuntary offence; but in a few moments thou wilt have nothing more to apprehend from a rival, whom perhaps thou mayst think would have been thy murderer; yet the day will come when thou shalt remember my misfortunes with pity; thou shalt at last discover the malice of my enemies; but my fate has decreed, that I must leave the vindication of my honour to time."

While these events were taking place, Dorus, who had received intelligence that his son and Ismena had gained access to Agenor in prison; dispatched an officer to force them away. This officer arrived just as the Prince had thrown himself into the arms of his friend, and intreated him to forgive his injurious suspicions. The jealousy which the presence of Ismena had excited, gave way to sentiments of grief and tenderness, which were inspired by the danger of Agenor. He could express the passions that struggled in his bosom only by tears, and enquired of Is mena, with a faultering voice, what could yet be done for the deliver ance of his friend. Ismena, overwhelmed with despair and confusion, was unable to reply; the officer was pressing to have the King's orders obeyed, and Agenor himself urged them to submit. "Leave me (said hej I shall soon be beyond the reach of misfortune: I quit nothing with