Instances of refined and delicate pride and affection occurred, at that period, every day, in different places; and, in fact, this disposition and feeling were then so common, that it now operates as one great cause of our not having more facts of this kind recorded. What few are remembered should not be lost. Nothing great or glorious was ever achieved, which women did not act in, advise, or consent to."

THE FOX, THE RAVEN, AND THE DOVE. (From the Dutch.

A Fox, who was half-starved with hunger, stretched himself all along upon the ground, and lay as if he were dead, that he might entice the harmless birds to come within his reach, and then leap of a sudden upon them, and make them his prey; but it happened that a RAVEN, who was hovering near him, observed that he fetched his breath; and, by consequence, found it to be only a trick in him to catch the birds. She, therefore, instantly gave them notice of it; and forewarned them, as they valued their own lives, not to come within reach of the Fox, who only feigned himself to be dead.

The Fox, finding his plot to be discovered, was obliged to go away hungry; but soon bethought himself of another invention: which was, to go and kennel himself in a hollow tree, upon which a Dove had her nest, and was breeding up her young ones. Having done this, he called to her, that, unless she would throw down to him sometimes one of her eggs, and sometimes one of her young ones, he would climb up the tree, take away all her eggs, kill both her and her young, and break her nest to pieces.

The harmless Dove, thinking of two ills to choose the least, did as the Fox required her; and threw him down, now one of her eggs, and then one of her young ones. Having done so, for some time, with a great deal of grief and sorrow, and the Fox continuing still to demand it of her, she, at last, made her complaint to the RAVEN, who chanced to come and perch herself on the same tree; grievously bemoaning her fate, that she, like a good mother, to provide for her children, was at last obliged to make them a sacrifice to such a villain. But the RAVEN, who was not so timorous as she, advised her, whenever the Fox threatened her again, that he would kill both her and her young, if she would not throw one of them down to him, to answer him roundly,-"If you could have flown or climbed up the tree, you would not have been so often contented with one of my eggs, or of my young; but would, long since, according to your ravenous and blood-thirsty nature, have devoured both me and them." In short, the next time the Fox came, and threatened her as before, she replied as the RAVEN had instructed her.

The Fox, hearing her answer, and knowing very well that she was not so wise and cunning of herself, resolved to find out the truth of the matter; and, at length, came to understand that it was the RAVEN who had been her counsellor. He, therefore, vowed to be revenged on her, who had now, the second time, hindered him from getting his prey. Not long after, he espied her, sitting on a high thorn-tree; and, going to her, began to praise her at a mighty rate,-magnifying her good fortune above that of all other beasts, who could neither fly like her, nor tread the ground with so majestical a gait: adding, withal, that it would be a

great pleasure to him to see her lordly walk; that he might, from thence, be certain whether she were indeed so divine and prophetic a bird, as men had always held her to be.

The RAVEN, transported to hear herself thus praised to the skies, flew down; and, pitching upon the ground, walked to and fro, in mighty pomp and state. The Fox seemed highly delighted; and said, that he extremely wondered how the RAVEN could keep upon the ground, when the wind blew her feathers over her eyes, and hindered her sight; but chiefly when it blew before, behind, and on all sides of her. "I can very well provide against that," said the RAVEN; "for then I hide my head under my left wing."-" How!" cries the Fox; "hide your head under your left wing! So wonderful a thing I can never believe, till I see it." Immediately the RAVEN put her head under her left wing, and held it there so long, that the Fox caught hold of her, and killed her for his prey.

MORAL.

So must they fare, who give good advice to others, but have not discretion enough to follow it themselves.

THE SHEEP-BITER AND THE SHEPHERD. (From CROXALL.)

A CERTAIN SHEPHERD had a DOG, upon whose fidelity he relied very much: for, whenever he had an occasion to be absent himself, he committed the care of the flock to the charge of his Dog; and, to encourage him W*

to do his duty cheerfully, he fed him constantly with sweet curds and whey, and sometimes threw him a crust or two extraordinary: yet, notwithstanding this, no sooner was his back turned, but the treacherous cur fell foul upon the flock, and devoured the SHELP, instead of guarding and defending them. The SHEPHERD, being informed of this, was resolved to hang him.

The DOG, when the rope was about his neck, and he was just going to be tied up, began to expostulate with his master, asking him, why he was so unmercifully bent against him, who was his own servant and creature, and had only committed one or two crimes; and why he did not rather execute revenge upon the Wolf, who was a constant and declared enemy. "Nay," replies the SHEPHERD, "it is for that very reason that I think you ten times more worthy of death than he:— from him, I expected nothing but hostilities; and, therefore, could guard against him; you, I depended upon as a just and faithful servant, and fed and encouraged you accordingly; and, therefore, your treachery is the more notorious, and your ingratitude the more unpardonable.'

MORAL.

A known enemy is better than a treacherous friend.

THE FIR-TREE AND THE BRAMBLE.
(From CROXALL.)

A TALL, Straight, FIR-TREE, that stood towering up in the midst of a forest, was so proud of his dignity

and high station, that he overlooked the little shrubs which grew beneath him. A BRAMBLE, being one of the inferior throng, could by no means brook this haughty carriage; and, therefore, took him to task, and desired to know what he meant by it. "Because," says the FIR-TREE, "I look upon myself as the first tree, for beauty and rank, of any of the forest. My spring top shoots up into the clouds, and my branches display themselves with a perpetual beauty and verdure; while you lie grovelling upon the ground, liable to be crushed by every fool that comes near you, and impoverished by the luxurious droppings which fall from my leaves."

"All this may be true," replied the BRAMBLE; "but when the woodman has marked you out for public use, and the sounding axe comes to be applied to your root, I am mistaken if you will not be glad to change situa tions with the very worst of us."

MORAL.

In every condition we should be humble; for the loftier the station, the greater the danger.

THE YOUNG MAN AND SWALLOW.
(From CROXALL.)

A PRODIGAL young spendthrift, who had wasted his whole patrimony, was taking a melancholy walk near a brook. It was in the month of January; and happened to be one of those warm days, which sometimes chine upon us, even at that wintry season of the year; and, to make it more flattering, a SWALLOW, which had