tment: 'What
have I gained,' said he, 'by absolute dominion! The slave who, secluded
from the gales of life and from the light of heaven toils without hope
in the darkness of the mine, riots in the delights of paradise compared
with me. By the caprice of one woman, I am robbed not only of enjoyment
but of peace, and condemned for ever to the torment of unsatisfied
desire.'

OMAR, who was impatient to apprize him that he was not alone, and to
prevent his disclosing sentiments which he wished to conceal, now threw
himself upon the ground at his feet. 'Presumptuous slave!' said ALMORAN,
'from whence, and wherefore art thou come?' 'I am come,' said OMAR, 'to
tell thee that not the caprice of a woman, but the wishes of ALMORAN,
have made ALMORAN wretched.' The king, slung with the reproach, drew
back, and with a furious look laid his hand upon his poignard; but was
immediately restrained from drawing it, by his pride. 'I am come,' said
OMAR, 'to repeat that truth, upon which, great as thou art, thy fate is
suspended. Thy power extends not to the mind of another; exert it,
therefore, upon thy own: suppress the wishes, which thou canst not
fulfill, and secure the happiness that is within thy reach.'

ALMORAN, who could bear no longer to hear the precepts which he
disdained to practice, sternly commanded OMAR to depart: 'Be gone,' said
he, 'lest I crush thee like a noisome reptile, which men cannot but
abhor, though it is too contemptible to be feared.' 'I go,' said OMAR,
'that my warning voice may yet again recall thee to the path of wisdom
and of peace, if yet again I shall behold thee while it is to be found.'

CHAP. XIII.

ALMORAN was now left alone; and throwing himself upon a sofa, he sat
some time motionless and silent, as if all his faculties had been
suspended in the stupefaction of despair. He revolved in his mind the
wishes that had been gratified, and the happiness of which he had been
disappointed: 'I desired,' said he, 'the pomp and power of undivided
dominion; and HAMET was driven from the throne which he shared with me,
by a voice from heaven: I desired to break off his marriage with
ALMEIDA; and it was broken off by a prodigy, when no human power could
have accomplished my desire. It was my wish also to have the person of
ALMEIDA in my power, and this wish also has been gratified; yet I am
still wretched. But I am wretched, only because the means have not been
adequate to the end: what I have hither