MENTAL AND CORPOREAL SUFFERING.

There is a Persian apologue on the difference between these. A king and his minister were discussing the subject, and differed in opinion. The minister maintained the first to be most severe, and to convince his sovereign of it, he took a lamb, broke its leg, shut it up, and put food before it. He took another, shut it up with a tiger, which was bound by a strong chain, so that the beast could spring near but not seize the lamb, and put food also before it. In the morning he carried the king to see the effect of the experiment. The lamb with broken leg had eaten up all the food placed before it, the other was found dead from fright.

96. MINE AND NOT MINE.

MINE AND NOT MINE.

The great king Janaka was Raja Yogi. He was wise and beneficent in his administration, kind and just to his subjects, and of great service to the learned. His court was oftentimes visited by Rishis, and sages did not hesitate to receive instruction from him on intricate questions of metaphysics. Illustrious in every way, Janaka's name was known in every corner of Aryavarta.

On one occasion a Brâhmin had committed some serious offence, and was brought up before Janaka. The offence was proved, and the king, in consideration of the offender being a Brahmana, ordered him to quit his dominions instantly. The Brâhmin said he was perfectly ready to obey his orders, but only wished to know what were the limits of his dominions in order that he might get beyond them, and live in the province of another sovereign. The question was no doubt to all appearance simple, but it really staggered the wise king. A few moments passed by, and Janaka was found deeply sighing. He was evidently plunged in thought and could not easily utter a word in reply. At length, however, like a true Kshatriya, regaining his courage, he turned to the Brahmin and confessed he could not say which was his dominion. In his mind he searched through the whole earth and was not able to fix on any portion of it as his dominion. The kingdom of Mithila, over which he ruled did not belong to him nor even his own children. Thus revolving he became gloomy for a while, but in an instant the cloud passed away and high intelligence soon beamed in his

whole of the earth belonged

looks. He next explained himself to the Brâhmin and showed how he thought he had either no dominion belonging to himself or that everything was subject to him. Similarly he fancied either that his own physical body was not his or that the to him. Arriving at such conclusions, King Janaka told the Brahmin he was at perfect liberty to live any where he chose and left him to himself. Janaka's argument was, "In all the affairs of this world I find prosperity and adversity having an end. So I cannot say that what seems mine to-day will be so to-morrow. I must thus get rid of the idea of mineness. Again in another sense all the earth is mine." The Brahmin was delighted at hearing all this, and told Janaka that he was no other than Dharma himself, come there that day for examining him. He blessed Janaka and departed.*

The sun can give heat and light to the whole world,. but it can do nothing when the clouds are in the sky and shut out its rays. Similarly, so long as egoism is in the soul, God cannot shine upon the heart.

"SAYINGS OF RAMAKRISHNA."†

Love thyself last. The world shall be made better
By thee, if this brief motto forms thy creed ;

Go, follow it in spirit and in letter.

This is the true religion which men need.

-ELLA WHEELER WILCOX.

* From Hindu Boys' Journal, Vol. VI.

† By Max Müller.

66

97. MISER.

My own, my own"-the miser cries,
O'er tarnish'd dross and parchment fold;
Chain'd where his cumbrous coffer lies,

With hand all close, and heart all cold.
-ELIZA COOK.

The miser lives poor to die rich, and is the Gaoler of his house, and the turnkey of his wealth.

A miser's first rule in Arithmetic is addition, but his heirs generally begin with division.

Hoards after hoards his rising raptures fill;
Yet still he sighs, for hoards are wanting still.
-GOLDSMITH.

A miserly man's motto is, "Win gold and spare it."

But the base miser, starves amidst his store,
Broods o'er his gold, and griping still at more,
Sits sadly pining, and believes he 's poor.

-DRYDEN.

Bion the philosopher once told a miser, "you do not possess your wealth, but your wealth possesses you.'

The Bishop preached: "My friends," said he,
"How sweet a thing is charity,

The choicest gem in virtue's casket !"
"It is, indeed," sighed miser B.,
"And instantly I'll go and-ask it."

There is one disease a miser is sure not to die of, viz., enlargement of the heart.

Can anything be more senselessly absurd, than that the nearer we are to our journey's end, we should still lay in the more provision for it?

-CICERO.

Men who in old age strive only to increase their already great hoards, are usually slaves of the habit of hoarding formed in their youth. At their youth. At first they own the money they have made and saved. Later in life the money owns them, and they cannot help themselves, so overpowering is the force of habit, either for good or evil. It is the abuse of the civilized saving instinct, and not its use, that produces this class of men.

No one need be afraid of falling a victim to this abuse of the habit if he always bears in mind that whatever surplus wealth may come to him is to be regarded as a sacred trust, which he is bound to administer for the good of his fellows. The man should always be master. He should keep money in the position of a useful servant. He must never let it master and make a miser of him. -ANDREW CARNEGIE.

How long, gold-seeking, round the earth wilt go?
As grows thy treasure, so thy care will grow.
Nought will the eye-cup of the greedy fill,
Pearls brim the shell, but not until 'tis still.

* Translated by Eastwick.

-"ANVAR-I-SUHAILI.*