What I have here said, may serve as a Moral to an Arabian Fable, which I find translated into French by Monsieur Galland. [2]

The Fable has in it such a wild, but natural Simplicity, that I question not but my Reader will be as much pleased with it as I have been, and that he will consider himself, if he reflects on the several Amusements of Hope which have sometimes passed in his Mind, as a near Relation to the Persian Glass-Man.

Alnaschar, says the Fable, was a very idle Fellow, that never would set his Hand to any Business during his Father’s Life.  When his Father died, he left him to the value of an hundred Drachmas in Persian Mony. Alnaschar, in order to make the best of it, laid it out in Glasses, Bottles, and the finest Earthen Ware.  These he piled up in a large open Basket, and having made choice of a very little Shop, placed the Basket at his Feet, and leaned his Back upon the Wall, in Expectation of Customers.  As he sat in this Posture with his Eyes upon the Basket, he fell into a most amusing Train of Thought, and was over-heard by one of his Neighbours, as he talked to himself in the following manner:  This Basket, says he, cost me at the Wholesale Merchant’s an Hundred Drachmas, which is all I have in the World.  I shall quickly make two hundred of it, by selling it in Retail.  These two hundred Drachmas will in a very little while rise to four Hundred, which of course will amount in time to four Thousand.  Four Thousand Drachmas cannot fail of making Eight Thousand.  As soon as by this means I am Master of Ten Thousand, I will lay aside my Trade of a Glass-Man, and turn Jeweller.  I shall then deal in Diamonds, Pearls, and all sorts of rich Stones.  When I have got together as much Wealth as I can well desire, I will make a Purchase of the finest House I can find, with Lands, Slaves, Eunuchs and Horses.  I shall then begin to enjoy my self, and make a noise in the World.  I will not, however, stop there, but still continue my Traffick, till I have got together an Hundred Thousand Drachmas.  When I have thus made my self Master of an hundred thousand Drachmas, I shall naturally set my self on the foot of a Prince, and will demand the Grand Visier’s_ Daughter in Marriage, after having represented to that Minister the Information which I have received of the Beauty, Wit, Discretion, and other high Qualities which his Daughter possesses.  I will let him know at the same time, that it is my Intention to make him a Present of a thousand Pieces of Gold on our Marriage-Night.  As soon as I have married the Grand Visier’s Daughter, I’ll buy her ten black Eunuchs, the youngest and best that can be got for Mony.  I must afterwards make my Father-in-Law a Visit with a great Train and Equipage.  And when I am placed at his Right-hand, which he will do of course, if it be only to Honour his Daughter, I will give him the thousand Pieces of