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XI. Dishonesty punished.

AN ufurer, having loft an hundred pounds in a bag, promised a reward of ten pounds to the perfon who fhould reftore it. A man having brought it to him, demanded the reward. The ufurer, loath to give the reward now that he had got the bag, alleged, after the bag was opened, that there were an hundred and ten pounds in it when he loft it. The ufurer being called before the judge, unwarily acknowledged that the feal was broke open in his prefence, and that there were no more at that time but a hundred pound in the bag. "You fay," fays the judge, "that the bag you loft had a hundred and ten pounds in it." "Yes, my lord." "Then," replied the judge, "this cannot be your bag, as it contained but a hundred pounds: therefore the plaintiff must keep it till the true owner appears; and you must look for your bag where you can find it.”

XII. The Pitture.

SIR WILLIAM LELV, a famous painter in the reign of

Charles I. agreed before-hand for the price of a picture he was to draw for a rich London Alderman, who was not indebted to nature either for fhape or face. The picture being finished, the alderman endeavoured to beat down the price, alleging, that if he did not purchase it, it would lie on the painter's hand. "That's your miftake," fays Sir William ; "For I can fell it at double the price I demand." "How can that be," fays the alderman, "for 'tis like nobody but myself?" "True," replied Sir William; "but I will draw a tail to it, and then it will be an excellent monkey." Mr Alderman, to prevent being expofed, paid down the money demanded, and carried off the picture.

XIII. The two Bees.

ON a fine morning in May, two bees fet forward in queft of honey; the one wife and temperate, the other careless and extravagant. They foon arrived at a garden enriched with aromatic herbs, the most fragrant flowers, and the most delicious fruits. They regaled themfelves for a time on the various dainties that were

fpread

fpread before them; the one loading his thigh at intervals with provisions for the hive against the diftant winter; the other revelling in fweets, without regard to any thing but his prefent gratification. At length they found a wide-mouthed phial, that hung beneath the bough of a-peach-tree, filled with honey ready temper ed, and expofed to their tafte in the moft alluring manner. The thoughtless epicure, spite of all his friend's remonftrances, plunged headlong into the veffel, refolving to indulge himself in all the pleasures of fenfuality. The philofopher, on the other hand, fipped a little with caution; but, being fufpicious of danger, flew off to fruits and flowers; where, by the moderation of his meals, he improved his relish for the true enjoyment of them. In the evening, however, he called upon his friend, to inquire whether he would return to the hive; but he found him furfeited in Tweets, which he was as unable to leave as to enjoy. Clogged in his wings, enfeebled in his feet, and his whole frame totally enervated, he was but juft able to bid his friend adieu, and to lament with his latest breath, that though a tafle of pleasure might quicken the relifh of life, an unreftrained indulgence is inevitable deftruction.

XIV. Beauty and Deformity.

A YOUTH, who lived in the country, and who had not acquired, either by reading or converfation, any knowledge of the animals which inhabit foreign regions, came to anchester to fee an exhibition of wild beafts The fize and figure of the elephant ftruck him with awe; and he viewed the rhinoceros with aftonishment. But his attention was foon withdrawn from these animals, and directed to another of the most elegant and beautiful form; and he stood contemplating with filent admiration the gloffy fmoothness of his hair, the blackness and regularity of the freaks with which he was marked, the fymmetry of his limbs, and, above all, the placid fweetness of his countenance. What is the name of this lovely animal, faid he to the keeper, which you have placed near one of the ugliest beafts in your collection, as if you meant to contrait beauty with deformity? Beware, young man, replied the intelligent keeper, of be

ing fo eafily captivated with external appearance. The animal which you admire is called a tiger; and, notwithflanding the meekness of his looks, he is fierce and favage beyond defcription: I can neither terrify him by correction, nor tame him by indulgence. But the other beaft, which you defpife, is in the highest degree docile, affectionate, and ufeful. For the benefit of man, he traverfes the fandy deserts of Arabia, where drink and pafture are feldom to be found; and will continue fix or feven days without fuftenance, yet ftill patient of labour. His hair is manufactured into clothing; his fiefh is deemed wholesome nourishment; and the milk of the female is much valued by the Arabs. The camel, therefore, for fuch is the name given to this animal, is more worthy of your admiration than the tiger; notwithftanding the inelegance of his make, and the two bunches upon his back. For mere external beauty is of little eftimation; and deformity, when affociated with amiable difpofitions and useful qualities, does not preclude our refpect and approbation.

XV. Remarkable inftance of Friendship.

DAMON and Pythias, of the Pythagorean fect in philofophy, lived in the time of Dionyfius the tyrant of Sicily. Their mutual friendship was fo ftrong, that they were ready to die for one another. One of the two (for it is not known which) being condemned to death by the tyrant, obtained leave to go into his own country to fettle his affairs, on condition that the other fhould confent to be imprifoned in his ftead, and put to death for him if he did not return before the day of execution. The attention of 'every one, and efpecially of the tyrant himself, was excited to the highest pitch, as every body was curious to fee what fhould be the event of fo ftrange an affair. When the time was almoft elapfed, and he who was gone did not appear, the rafhnefs of the other, whofe fanguine friendship had put him upon running fo feemingly defperate a hazard, was univerfally blamed. Eut he fill,declared, that he had not the leaft fhadow of doubt in his mind of his friend's fidelity. The event fhowed how well he knew him. He came in due time, and furrendered himself to that

fate

fate which he had no reason to think he should escape; and which he did not defire to efcape by leaving his friend to fuffer it in his place. Such fidelity foftened even the favage heart of Dionyfius himself. He pardoned the condemned; he gave the two friends to one another, and begged that they would take himself in for a third.

XVI. Dionyfius and Damocles.

DIONYSIUS, the tyrant of Sicily, fhowed how far he was from being happy, even whilst he abounded in riches, and all the pleafures which riches can procure. Damocles, one of his flatterers, was complimenting him upon his power, his treafures, and the magnificence of his royal ftate, and affirming that no monarch ever was greater or happier than he. "Have you a mind, Damocles," fays the king, "to tafte this happiness, and know by experience what my enjoyments are, of which you have fo high an idea?" Damocles gladly accepted the offer. Upon which the king ordered, that a royal banquet fhould be prepared, and a gilded couch placed for him, covered with rich embroidery, and fide-boards loaded with gold and filver plate of immenfe value. Pages of extraordinary beauty were ordered to wait on him at table, and to obey his commands with the greatest readiness and the most profound fubmiffion. Neither ointments, chaplets of flowers, nor rich perfumes were wanting. The table was loaded with the most exquifite delicacies of every kind. Damocles fancied himself amongst the gods. In the midft of all his happiness, he fees let down from the roof, exactly over his neck, as he lay indulging himself in ftate, a glittering fword hung by a fingle hair. The fight of deftruction thus threatening him from on high, foon put a stop to his joỹ and revelling. The pomp of his attendance, and the glitter of the carved plate, gave him no longer any pleafure. He dreads to ftretch forth his hand to the table; he throws off the chaplet of rofes; he haftens to remove from his dangerous fituation; and at lait begs the king to restore him to his former humble condition, having no defire to enjoy any longer fuch a dreadful kind of happiness.

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XVII.

XVII. Character of Catiline.

LUCIUS CATILINE, by birth a Patrician, was by nature endowed with fuperiour advantages both bodily and mental; but his difpofitions were corrupt and wicked From his youth, his fupreme delight was in violence, flaughter, rapine, and inteftine confufions; and fuch works were the employment of his earliest years. His conftitution qualified him for bearing hunger, cold, and want of fleep, to a degree exceeding belief. His mind was daring, fubtle, unfteady. There was no character which he could not affume and put off at pleafure. Rapacious of what belonged to others, prodigal of his own, violently bent on whatever became the object of his purfuit. He poffeffed a confiderable fhare of eloquence, but little folid knowledge. His infatiable temper was ever pufhing him to grafp at what was im moderate, romantic, and out of his reach.

About the time of the disturbances raised by Sylla, Catiline was feized with a violent luft of power; nor did he at all hesitate about the means, fo he could but attain his purpose of raising himself to fupreme dominion. His reftlefs fpirit was in a continual ferment, occafioned by the confufion of his own private affairs and by the horrours of his guilty confcience; both which he had brought upon himself by living the life above defcribed. He was encouraged in his ambitious projects by the general corruption of manners which then prevailed amongst a people infected with two vices, not lefs oppofite to one another in their natures than mifchievous in their tendencies; I mean, Luxury and Avarice.

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XVIII. Avarice and Luxury.

'HERE were two very powerful tyrants engaged in a perpetual war against each other: the name of the first was Luxury, and of the fecond Avarice. The aim of each of them was no lefs than univerfal monarchy over the hearts of mankind. Luxury had many generals under him who did him great fervice; as Pleafure, Mirth, Pomp, and Fashion. Avarice was likewife very ftrong in his officers, being faithfully ferved by Hunger, Induftry, Care, and Watchfulnefs: he had

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