Crœsus, his son, who had been born dumb, and had so continued to that hour, from the mere impulse of natural affection, seeing his father in such imminent danger, suddenly cried out, "O man, kill not Cræsus;" and continued to enjoy the faculty of his speech all the rest of his life.

MILTIADES, a famous Athenian commander, died in prison, where he had been cast for debt. His son Cimon, to redeem his father's body for burial, voluntarily submitted himself a prisoner in his room, where he was kept in chains till the debt was paid.

OLYMPIAS, the mother of Alexander the Great, was very morose and severe towards him: yet when Antipater, Alexander's deputy in Europe, wrote letters of great complaint against her to Alexander, the latter sent the following answer: "Knowest thou not, that one little tear of my mother's will blot out a thousand of thy letters of complaint?"

As some Christian captives at Algiers, who had been ransomed, were going to be discharged, the cruisers brought in a Swedish vessel, among the crew of which was the father of one of those ransomed captives. The son made himself known to the old man; but their mutual unhappiness at meeting in such a place may well be conceived. The young man, however, considering that the slavery his father was about to undergo would inevitably put an end to his life, requested that he might be released, and himself detained in his room; which was immediately granted. But when the story was told to the governor, he was so affected with it, that he caused the son likewise to be discharged, as the reward of his filial and exemplary tenderness.

BOLESLAUS the Fourth, King of Poland, had a picture of his father, which he carried about his neck, set in a plate of gold; and when he was going to say or do any thing of importance, he took this pleasing monitor in his hand, and kissing it, used to say, "My dear father, may I do nothing remissly, or unworthy of thy name!"

Among the incredible number of persons who were proscribed under the second triumvirate of Rome, were

the celebrated orator Cicero, and his brother Quintus. When the news of the proscription was brought to them, they endeavoured to make their escape to Brutus in Macedon. They travelled together for some time, mutually condoling their bad fortune: but as their departure had been very precipitate, and they were not furnished with money, and other necessaries for the voyage, it was agreed that Cicero should make what haste he could to the sea-side to secure their passage, and that Quintus should return home to make more ample provision. But, as in most houses there are as many informers as domestics, his return was immediately made known, and the house in consequence filled with soldiers and assassins. Quintus concealed himself so effectually that the soldiers could not find him. Enraged at their disappointment, they put his son to the torture, in order to make him discover the place of his father's concealment: but filial affection was proof in this young Roman against the most exquisite torments. An involuntary sigh, and sometimes a deep groan, was all that could be extorted from the generous youth. His agonies were increased; but, with amazing fortitude, he still persisted in his resolution not to betray his father. Quintus was not far off; and it may better be imagined than it can be expressed, how the heart of a father must have been affected with the sighs and groans of a son expiring in torture to save his life. He could bear it no longer: but, quitting the place of his concealment, he presented himself to the assassins, beseeching them with a flood of tears to put him to death, and dismiss the innocent child, whose generous behaviour the triumvirs themselves, if informed of the fact, would judge worthy of the highest approbation and reward. The inhuman monsters, however, unmoved by the tears of the father or the son, answered that they both must die; the father because he was proscribed, and the son because he had concealed his father. Upon this a new contest of tenderness arose, who should die first; which however, the assassins soon decided, by beheading them both at the same time.

The Emperor of China on certain days of the year pays a visit to his mother, who is seated on a throne to receive him; and four times on his feet, and as often on his knees, he makes her a profound obeisance, bowing his head even to the ground. The same custom is also observed throughout the greatest part of the empire; and if it appears that any one is negligent or deficient in his duty to his parents, he is liable to a complaint before the magistrates, who punish such offenders with much severity. This, however, is seldom the case; no people, in general, expressing more filial respect and duty than they.

Sir Thomas Moore seems to have emulated this beautiful example; for, being Lord Chancellor of England at the same time that his father was a Judge of the King's Bench, he would always on his entering Westminster Hall, go first to the King's Bench, and ask his father's blessing, before he went to sit in the Court of Chancery, as if to secure success in the great decisions of his high and important office.

During an eruption of Mount Etna, many years since, the danger it occasioned to the inhabitants of the adjacent country became very imminent, and the flames flying about, they were obliged to retire to a greater distance. Amidst the hurry and confusion of such a scene (every one flying and carrying away whatever they deemed most precious) two sons, the one named Anapias, the other Amphinomus, in the height of their solicitude for the preservation of their wealth and goods, recollected their father and mother, who, being both very old, were unable to save themselves by flight. Filial tenderness set aside every other consideration; and, "Where (cried the generous youths) shall we find a more precious treasure than those who begat and gave us being ?" This said, the one took up his father on his shoulders, the other his mother, and so made their way through the surrounding smoke and flames. The fact struck all beholders with the highest admiration; and they and their posterity ever after called the path they took in their retreat, "The Field of the Pious," in memory of this pleasing incident.

A woman of distinction in Rome had been condemned to a capital punishment. The prætor accordingly delivered her up to the triumvir, who caused her to be carried to prison, in order to be put to death. The gaoler, who had orders to execute her, was moved with compassion, and could not resolve to kill her: he determined therefore to let her die of hunger: besides which, he suffered her daughter to see her in prison, taking care, however, to have her diligently examined, lest she might bring her sustenance. As this continued many days, he was surprised that the prisoner lived so long without eating and suspecting the daughter, he watched her, and discovered that (like the famous Xantippe, daughter of Cymon) she nourished her parent with the milk of her own breasts. Amazed at so pious, and at the same time so ingenious a device, he ventured to tell the fact to the triumvir, and the triumvir mentioned it to the prætor, who thought the circumstance worthy of being related in the assembly of the people. The criminal was pardoned; a decree passed, that the mother and daughter should be subsisted for the residue of their lives at the expense of the public, and to crown the whole, that a temple, "Sacred to Piety," should be erected near the prison.

EPAMINONDAS, the Thebean general, being asked what was the most pleasing event that had happened to him in his whole life, cheerfully answered, "It was that he had obtained his glorious victory over the Leuctrians at a time when his father and mother were both living to enjoy the news."

While Octavius was at Samos, after the famous battle of Actium, which made him master of the universe, he held a council in order to examine the prisoners who had been engaged in Anthony's party. Among the rest was brought before him Metullus, oppressed with years and infirmities, disfigured by a long beard and dishevelled hair, but especially by his clothes, which, through his ill fortune, were become very ragged. The son of this Metullus sat as one of the iudges, and at first could not easy discriminate his father through his deplorable appearance: at length however, after viewing him narrowly, having recollected

his features, instead of being ashamed to own him, he ran to embrace the old man, and cried bitterly. Then returning toward the tribunal, " Cæsar (said he) my father has been your enemy, I your officer; he deserves to be punished, and I to be rewarded. The favour I desire of you is, either to save him on my account, or to order me to be put to death with him." All the judges were touched with commiseration at this affecting scene; and Octavius himself, relenting, granted to old Metullus his life and liberty.

DARIUS invaded Scythia with all the forces of his empire: the Scythians retreated by little and little, until they came at length to the uttermost deserts of Asia. Here Darius sent his ambassador to them, to demand where it was that they proposed to conclude their retreat, and when they intended to begin fighting. They returned him for answer, with the spirit so peculiar to that nation. "That they had no cities, nor cultivated fields, for the defence of which they should give him battle: but when he was come to the place of their fathers' sepulchral monuments, he should then understand in what manner the Scythians used to fight:" So great a reverence, had even that barbarous nation for the ashes of their ancestors!

The Emperor Decimus, intending and desiring to place the crown on the head of Decius his son, the young prince refused it in the most strenuous manner, saying, "I am afraid lest, being made an emperor, I should forget that I am a son. I had rather be no emperor, and a dutiful son, than an emperor, and such a son as hath forsaken his due obedience. Let then my father bear the rule; and let this only be my empire to obey with all humility, and to fulfil whatsoever he shall command me." Thus the solemnity was waved, and the young man was not crowned: unless it be thought that this signal piety towards an indulgent parent was a more glorious diadem to the son than that which consisted merely of gold and jewels.

LAMPROCLES, the eldest son of Socrates, fell into a violent passion with his mother. Socrates was a witness to this shameful behaviour, and attempted the correction of it in the following gentle and rational