They said, "We are endowed with strength, and endowed with keen violence: but the bidding is thine; see then what it is that thou wilt bid."

She said, "Verily, kings when they enter a city despoil it, and make mighty ones of its people the meanest; thus it is they do! So verily I am going to send them a gift, and will wait to see with what the messenger will return."

And when he came to Solomon, he said, "Do ye proffer me wealth, when what God has given me is better than what he has given you? nay, ye in your gifts rejoice! return to them, for we will surely come to them with hosts which they cannot confront; and we will surely drive them out therefrom mean and made small!"

Said he, "O chiefs! which of you will bring me her throne before they come to me resigned?

Said a demon of the ginns, "I will bring thee it before thou canst rise up from thy place, for I therein am strong and faithful."

He who had the knowledge of the book said, "I will bring it to thee before thy glance can turn." And when he saw it settled down beside him, he said, "This is of my Lord's grace, and he may try me whether I am grateful or ungrateful; and he who is grateful is only grateful for his own soul, and he who is ungrateful — verily, my Lord is rich and generous."

Said he, "Disguise for her the throne; let us see whether she is guided, or whether she is of those who are not guided.' And when she came it was said, "Was thy throne like this?" She said. "It might be it"; and we were given knowledge before her, but we were resigned.

But that which she served beside God turned her away: verily, she was of the unbelieving people. And it was said to her, "Enter the court"; and when she saw it, she reckoned it to be an abyss of water, and she uncovered her legs. Said he, "Verily, it is a court paved with glass!" Said she, "My Lord! verily, I have wronged myself, but I am resigned with Solomon to God and the Lord of the worlds!"

And we sent unto Thamud their brother Zali'h, "Serve God"; but behold, they were two parties who contended!

Said he, "O my people! why do ye hasten on evil acts before good deeds? why do ye not ask forgiveness of God? haply ye may obtain mercy." They said, "We have taken an augury concerning thee and those who are with thee." Said

he, "Your augury is in God's hands; nay, but ye are a people who are tried!"

And where there were in the city nine persons who de spoiled land and did not right: Said they, "Swear to each other by God, we will surely fall upon him by night and on his people; then we will surely say unto his next of kin, 'We witnessed not the destruction of his people, and we do surely tell the truth."" And they plotted a plot, and we plotted a plot, that we destroyed them and their people altogether!

Thus are their homes overturned, for they were unjust; verily, in that is a sign to people who do know!

But we saved thus who believed and did fear.

And Lot when he said to his people, "Do ye approach an abominable sin while ye can see? do ye indeed approach men lustfully rather than women? nay, ye are a people who are ignorant." But the answer of his people was only to say, "Drive out Lot's family from your city! verily, they are a folk who would keep pure."

But we saved him and his family except his wife; her we destined to be of those who lingered; and we rained down upon them rain, and evil was the rain to those who were warned.

Say, "Praise belongs to God; and peace be upon his servants whom he has chosen! Is God best, or what they associate with him?" He who created the heavens and the earth; and sends down upon you from the heaven water: and we cause to grow therewith gardens fraught with beauty; ye could not cause the trees thereof to grow! Is there a god with God? Nay, but they are people who make peers with him! He who made the earth, settled and placed amongst it rivers; and placed upon it firm mountains; and placed between the two seas a barrier: is there a god with God? nay, but most of them know not! He who answers the distressed when he calls upon him and removes the evil; and makes you successors in the earth: is there a god with God? little is it that ye are mindful. He who guides you in the darkness of the land and of the sea; and who sends winds as glad tidings before his mercy: is there a god with God? exalted be God above what they associate with him. He who began the creation and then will make it return again; and who provides you from the heaven and the earth: is there a god with God? so bring your proofs if you do speak the truth!

Say, "None in the heavens or the earth know the unseen save only God; but they perceived not when they shall be

raised!"-nay, but their knowledge attains to somewhat of the hereafter; nay, but they are in doubt concerning it! nay, but they are blind!

And those who disbelieved said, "What! when we have become dust and our fathers too, shall we indeed be brought forward? We were promised this, we and our fathers before us: this is nothing but old folks' tales!"

Say, "Journey on through the land and see how was the end of the sinners! and grieve not for them, and be not straitened at what they plot."

They say, "When shall this treat be if ye do tell the truth?" Say, "It may be that there is pressing close behind you a part of what ye would hasten on!" But verily, thy Lord is full of grace to men, but most of them will not be thankful; and verily, thy Lord knows what their breasts conceal and what they manifest; and there is no secret thing in the heaven or earth, save that it is in the perspicuous book!

Verily, this Qur'an relates to the people of Israel most of that whereon they do dispute; and verily, it is a guidance and a mercy to the believers. Verily, thy Lord decides between them by his judgment, for he is mighty, knowing. Rely thou then upon God: verily, thou art standing upon obvious truth. Verily, thou canst not make the dead hear, and thou canst not make the deaf to hear the call when they turn their back on thee; nor art thou a guide to the blind, out of their error; thou canst only make to hear such as believe in our signs, and such as are resigned.

And when the sentence falls upon them, we will bring forth a beast out of the earth that shall speak to them [and say] that "Men of our signs would not be sure."

And the day when we will gather from every nation a troop who said our signs were lies; and they shall be marshaled until they come, and he will say, "Did ye say my signs were lies, when ye had compassed no knowledge thereof? or what is it that ye were doing?" and the sentence shall fall upon them for what they did wrong, and they shall not have speech.

Did they not see that we have made the night for them to rest in, and the day to see by? Verily, in that are signs to believe who believe.

And the day when the trumpet shall be blown and all who are in the heavens and earth shall be startled, save whom God pleases! and all shall come abjectly to him. And thou shalt

see the mountains which thou dost deem solid, pass away like the passing of the clouds; the work of God who orders all things: verily, he is well aware of what ye do!

He who brings a good deed shall have better than it; and from the alarm of that day they shall be safe: but those who bring an evil deed shall be thrown down upon their faces in the fire. Shall ye be rewarded save for what ye have done?

I am bidden to serve the Lord of this country who has made it sacred, and whose are all things; and I am bidden to be of those who are resigned, and to recite the Qur'an: and he who is guided, he is only guided for himself; and he who errs, say, "I am only one of those who warn!"

And say, "Praise be to God, he will show you his signs, and ye shall recognize them; for thy Lord is not heedless of what ye do!"

CONCERNING ALMSGIVING.

IF ye make your alms to appear, it is well; but if ye conceal them, and give to the poor, this will be better for you, and will atone for your sins; and God is well informed of that which ye do. The direction of them belongeth not unto thee; but God directeth whom He pleaseth. The good that ye shall give in alms shall redound unto yourselves; and ye shall not give unless out of desire of seeing the face of God. And what good things ye shall give in alms, it shall be repaid you. They who distribute alms of their substance night and day, in private and in public, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall no fear come, neither shall they be grieved.

CONCERNING USURY.

THEY who devour usury shall not arise from the dead, but as he ariseth whom Satan hath infected by a touch. This shall happen to them because they say, "Truly selling is but as usury"; and yet God hath permitted selling and forbidden usury. He therefore who, when there cometh unto him an admonition from his Lord, abstaineth from usury for the future, shall have what is past forgiven him; and his affair belongeth unto God. But whoever returneth to usury, they shall be the companions of hell-fire; they shall continue therein forever.

COUNT DE LABORDE.

COUNT JOSEPH LOUIS ALEXANDRE DE LABORDE, a French writer of travels, born in Paris, Sept. 17, 1773; died there, Oct. 24, 1842. He was a soldier, accompanying Napoleon to Spain and Austria, and a politician.

THE DEPARTURE FOR SYRIA.

(LE DÉPART 1809, POUR LA SYRIE.)

[The music of this song, which was composed by Queen Hortense, mother of Napoleon III., became the national air of the French Empire.]