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⟨improved⟩. I am enabled to look back with pleaſure, and forward with hope; ⟨and⟩ I ſhall now rejoice ſtill to be the ⟨ſhadow⟩ of thy power at Tauris, and to ⟨keep⟩ thoſe honours which I ſo lately ⟨wiſhed⟩ to reſign."—The King, who had ⟨liſtened⟩ to Mirza with a mixture of ſurprize and curioſity, immediately gave the ⟨letter⟩ to Coſrou, and commanded that it ⟨ſhould⟩ be read. The eyes of the court were at once turned on the hoary ſage, whoſe countenance was ſuffuſed with an ⟨honeſt⟩ bluſh; and it was not without ⟨ſome⟩ heſitation that he read theſe words.
"To Mirza, whom the wiſdom of Abbas, our mighty lord has honoured with ⟨dominion⟩, be everlaſting health! When ⟨I⟩ heard thy purpoſe to ⟨withdraw⟩ the bleſſings of thy government from the ⟨thouſands⟩ of Tauris, my ⟨heart⟩ was wounded with the arrow of affliction, ⟨and⟩ my eyes became dim with ſorrow. But who ſhall ſpeak before the king, when he is troubled? And who ſhall boaſt of knowledge, when he is distreſſed by doubt? To thee I will relate the events of my youth, which thou haſt renewed before me; and thoſe truths which they