“After dinner, Daoud began to speak of the virtues of the talisman; and the Viceroy of the Sultan Shahabeddeen, who was present, was desirous that he should display its wonders before him. Daoud called for the pebble, and struck it with the flint; but the liquid flame did not issue from it; he tried again and again; but it was all in vain. The Viceroy, who considered that Daoud had imposed upon him, was highly incensed; and ordered his black eunuchs, who were in waiting, to inflict the punishment of the bowstring.—It was in vain that he supplicated; the Viceroy commanded that he should die, unless he could, within ten minutes, produce the sentence of truth from the talisman. Daoud attempted once more, but all was fruitless, when the old man took up the pebble, and striking it with the flint, the flame immediately issued, and formed a sentence on the ground—‘I am useless to the wicked.’
“On this, the Viceroy, who was the more enraged, demanded to know of Daoud the history of the talisman, and how he came by it? That wicked wretch, however, told a lie to excuse himself.
“The Viceroy was so dissatisfied with the answers of Daoud, that he demanded of the old Calender that he should obtain again the sentence of truth: The old man obeyed, when the talisman produced the words—‘The saying of Daoud is not true; I belong to Baizeed.’
Baizeed, at the desire of the old man, now threw off the dress of the Calender, and confronted the wicked Daoud, who being unable to say a word in his defence, was instantly strangled by the eunuchs.
“The Viceroy ordered the pebble to be restored to Baizeed, who returned home, transported with joy at having found his precious talisman.
“As soon as Baizeed entered the door of his house, he endeavoured to obtain the sentence of wisdom from the magic pebble; but it only produced the words—‘I am useless to the imprudent.’
“Baizeed was again in anguish and despair, when the old man entered, and told him that the virtue of the talisman would not return to it again until he had, by hard labour, rubbed the pebble so bright, that the rays which had disappeared should again become visible. Baizeed bore this disappointment very patiently, and returned home to his wife Aseecha, when he set to work every day rubbing the pebble, but no rays appeared. At length, after a little time, he began just to see a glimpse of them, and by persevering, they were once more restored. Baizeed now summoned his friends to a feast, at which they appeared again very readily; but when they required the counsel of the talisman, Baizeed demanded from them a recompence for the benefit they would receive; in consequence of which, he got several large sums of money; and having found the old man, offered to pay him the fifty gold mohurs, when the old merchant said, ‘I am richly repaid by your being sensible of the value of the pebble. My son, the mighty Bramah is well pleased when he observes in his children an ingenuous heart, and kind disposition; but dangerous even is the love of our fellow creatures, if we are weak enough to yield to the sweet voice of deceit. Baizeed was tried with the magic pebble, and he squandered away its blessings. The wicked Daoud, whose imagination was at work to obtain the goods of Baizeed, was made the instrument for punishing thy weakness; but he was to become an example also, that vice never prospers. The magic pebble lost its power in his hands, and the object of his covetousness was the cause of his death.’
“As the old man spoke, Baizeed observed that rays of celestial flame surrounded his head, and that his garment was changed into a robe of the purest white. The place was filled with the fragrance of myrrh, aloes, sandal-wood, the jessamine flower and the rose.
“Baizeed fell prostrate on his face; it was the good genius Zemrud, who had appeared as the old merchant. ‘Blessed,’ said he, ‘are the good, and powerful are those who trust in Bramah.’ With these words the genius disappeared, and Baizeed returned home to his faithful Aseecha, satisfied of the goodness of Providence, and resolved never again to forfeit the blessings of the talisman.”
“The desire of being great, or what is called ambition, is laudable, as long as the means resorted to to satisfy it are just and fair, and it is then a blessing; but becomes a curse, the instant we have recourse to base or improper means.—But,” said Mr. Willock, “let us see what is the next picture. What have we here?”