for the present; upon which the gentleman withdrew the record. And at Salisbury, the Dean and Chapter having, according to custom, presented him with six sugar loaves in his circuit, he made his servants pay for the sugar before he would try the cause.

sword, the badge of his office, he had sent him a buck for his table, used these memorable words: “Pro so, when he heard his name, he me; si merear, in me:" "Employ asked if he was not the same perthis sword for me, but if I deserve son that had sent him venison. it, turn it against me." Trajan And finding that he was the same, would not allow his freedmen any he told him he could not suffer share in the administration. Not- the trial to go on till he had paid withstanding this, some persons, him for his buck. To which the having a suit with one of them of gentleman answered that he never the name of Eurythmus, seemed to sold his venison, and that he had fear the influence of the Imperial done nothing to him which he did freedom; but Trajan assured them not do to every judge that had that the cause should be heard, dis- gone that circuit, which was concussed, and decided, according to firmed by several gentlemen then the strictest laws of justice; adding, present; but all would not do, for "For neither is he Polycletus, nor the Lord Chief Baron had learned I Nero." Polycletus, it will be re- from Solomon that "a gift percollected, was the freedman of verteth the ways of judgment;' Nero, and as infamous as his and therefore he would not suffer master for rapine and injustice. As the trial to go on till he had paid Trajan was once setting out from Rome at the head of a numerous army, glittering in all the pomp and circumstance of martial equipment, to make war in Wallachia, and when a vast concourse of people were gathered around to witness the proud spectacle, he was suddenly accosted by a woman, who called out, in a pathetic but bold 584. Voice of the Shepherd.-A tone, "To Trajan I appeal for man in India was accused of stealjustice!" Although the Emperor ing a sheep. He was brought bewas pressed by the affairs of a fore the judge, and the supposed most urgent war, he instantly owner of the sheep was present. stopped, and, alighting from his Both claimed the sheep, and had horse, heard the suppliant state the witnesses to prove their claims; so cause of her complaint. She was it was not easy to decide to whom a poor widow, and had been left the sheep belonged. Knowing the with an only son, who had been habits of the shepherds and the foully murdered; she had sued for sheep, the judge ordered the justice on his murderers, but had animal to be brought into court, been unable to obtain it. Trajan, and sent one of the two men into having satisfied himself of the truth another room, while he told the of her statements, decreed her on other to call the sheep, and see the spot the satisfaction which she whether it would come to him. demanded, and sent the mourner But the poor sheep, not knowing away comforted. So much was "the voice of a stranger," would this action admired that it was not go to him. In the meantime, afterwards represented on the pillar erected to Trajan's memory, as one of the most resplendent instances of his goodness.

the other man in the adjoining room, growing impatient, gave a kind of a "chuck," upon which the sheep bounded away towards him at once. This "chuck" was the way in which he had been used to call the sheep, and it was at once decided that he was the real

583. Upright Judge. In the life of the celebrated Sir Matthew Hale it is related that a gentleman who had a trial at the assizes owner.

585. Wise Admonition.-In an action of debt tried at Guildhall, the defendant, a merchant of London, complained with great warmth to his Lordship of the indignity which had been put on him by the plaintiff, in causing him to be arrested, not only in the face of the day, but in the Royal Exchange, in the face of the whole assembled credit of the metropolis. The Chief Justice stopped him with great composure, saying, "Friend, you forget yourself; you were the defaulter in refusing to pay a just debt; and let me give you a piece of advice worth more to you than the debt and costs:-Be careful in future not to put it in any man's

power to arrest you for a just debt in public or in private."

586. Wise Ruler.-Alphonsus, King of Naples and Sicily, was once asked why he was so favourable to all men, even to those most notoriously wicked. "Because," answered he, “good men are won by justice; the bad by clemency." When some of his Ministers complained to him on another occasion of his lenity, which they were pleased to say was more than became a Prince: "What, then!" exclaimed he; "would you have lions and tigers to reign over you? Know you not that cruelty is the attribute of wild beasts-clemency that of man?"

KINDNESS AND HUMANITY.

1 Sam. xx. 14; Job vi. 14; Prov. xix. 22; Mark xii. 31; Titus iii. 4. 587. Acts of Kindness.-On | vants whether any of them went one occasion, when passing through to a place of worship on a Sunday. the West of England, whilst sit- To his surprise, he found the master ting at the window of an inn, the of the house a godly man, having Rev. H. Venn observed the waiter family prayers in his house, and endeavouring to assist a man who requiring his servants to attend a was driving some pigs on the road, place of worship at least once every while the rest of the servants Sunday. On inquiring further, he amused themselves only with the was told that some years ago a difficulties which the man experi- gentleman had sent him a book, enced from their frowardness. This which had been greatly blessed to benevolent trait in the waiter's him, and on desiring to see the character induced Mr. Venn to call book, he found it to be "The him in, and to express to him the Complete Duty of Man." Thus pleasure which he felt in seeing was the promise fulfilled, "Blessed him perform this act of kindness. are they that sow beside all waters." After showing him how pleasing "Cast thy bread upon the waters, to the Almighty every instance of for thou shalt find it after many good-will to our fellow-creatures days." is, he expatiated on the love of God in sending His Son from the 588. Alexander, his Friends and purest benevolence to save man- Enemies.-Alexander the Great, kind. He exhorted him to seek for that salvation which God, in His infinite mercy, had given as the most inestimable gift to man. He promised to send him a copy of his own work, "The Complete Duty of Man." Many years after this, a friend going to see him, stayed on Saturday night at an inn, and the next day asked the ser

being asked how he had been able, at so early an age, and in so short a period, to conquer such vast regions, and establish so great a name, replied, "I used my enemies so well, that I compelled them to be my friends; and I treated my friends with such constant regard, that they became unalterably attached to me."

589. Bountiful Lady.-Renata, he was wont to meet and satisfy daughter of Louis XII. and of demands of this sort. "I once," Anne of Bretagne, after her con- he says, "provoked the resentversion to the Protestant faith, ment of a brother officer, much reand her retirement to the Castle spected and beloved by all the of Montargis, was distinguished corps. His behaviour upon some by her bounty and goodness. She occasions I esteemed in a slight dedisplayed her kindness more par- gree reprehensible. This I meant ticularly towards her countrymen; to express in a language I then every Frenchman, who in travel- understood but imperfectly, and ling through Ferrara was exposed chanced to use a term of more to want or sickness, experienced opprobrious import than I appreher benevolence and liberality. hended. He, fired at the supposed After the return of the Duke of affront, retorted first the injurious Guise from Italy, she saved, as words, then quitted the company, the army passed through Ferrara, and sent me a challenge. I remore than ten thousand of the turned him word that I hoped upon French from perishing by want explanation he would not compel and hardships. Her steward repre- me to fight, yet would meet him senting to her the enormous sums immediately according to appointwhich her bounty thus expended, ment. I went, attended by all "What," replied she, would the witnesses of my unguarded you have me do? These are my expression. Before these I readily countrymen, who would have been took the shame to myself of my subjects but for the vile Salic having spoken unwittingly what law." During the civil wars in I never meant to say, and what France, she retired into her city I was sincerely sorry for; but as I and castle of Montargis, where began to put on the air of exposshe received and supported num- tulation in my turn, he reddened, bers of distressed persons who hesitated a moment, then drew had been driven from their homes his sword, and, advancing, obliged and estates. "I myself," says me to defend myself, which I Brantôme, "during the second did, against a desperate thrust, period of these troubles, when the with mine in the scabbard. He forces of Gascoigne, consisting of no sooner perceived that circumeight thousand men, headed by stance, than he surprised us all by De Ferrides and De Mousales, suddenly tossing away his sword, were marching towards the King, bursting into a flood of tears, and and passing by Montargis, stopped, throwing himself on his knees in as in duty bound, to pay my re- speechless agitation of mind. spects to her. I myself saw in her ran to raise, and in raising emcastle above three hundred Pro- braced him. He returned my testants, who had fled thither from embrace most cordially. He then all parts of the country. An old declared to us that a few minutes steward whom I had known at before he had formed a fixed resoFerrara and in France protested lution (which my acknowledgto me that she fed daily more ment had not a little staggered, than three hundred people who but not enough to recall him to had taken refuge with her."

590. Duelling. When this evil practice was common, a general officer, who had been full forty years in the army, and was an Irishman to boot, yet never sent nor accepted of a single challenge, thus related the manner in which

I

the use of reason) to rush upon my sword, and at the instant to plunge his own into the breast of the man he loved most on earth. The painful conflict of passions, irascible and tender, in this strange rencontre, I shall not repeat at present. They powerfully oper ated upon the mind of one of our

and had expressed a great desire to be introduced to him, which her situation rendered impossible without the assistance of a friend; and that, having learned this circumstance by accident, he had taken the liberty to bring them together. The captain was confused; replied that he must be imposed upon, and he doubted whether he ought not to resent it. The Duke however soon relieved him from his difficulty by introducing him to the dining

friends, now a general officer in the Austrian service, who has thought fit to record a minute detail of everything. said or done at this juncture in a valuable military treatise. Nothing, surely," as the gallant author of this narrative adds, "can be more contemptible, nothing more loudly calls upon the police of every wise government to fix the severest brand of infamy upon it, than the pretended honour of the scoundrel who, having committed an action con- room, where, to the captain's fessedly base and unworthy of a gentleman, seeks to license the universal reproach he has incurred, by murdering the first man that shall express the judgment all men form of his conduct."

591. Family Made Happy.-A certain Duke of Montague had often observed a middle-aged man, in something like a military dress, of which the lace was tarnished, and the cloth threadbare, walking at a certain hour in the park, with a mournful solemnity. He made inquiry respecting him, and found that he was an unfortunate man, who, having laid out his whole stock in the purchase of a commission, had behaved with great bravery in the war, but at its conclusion was reduced to starve on half-pay. He learned further that the poor officer had a wife and three children in Yorkshire, to whom he regularly sent down one moiety of his pay, reserving the other for his own support in town, where he was in hopes of obtaining a situation. The Duke determined to serve this worthy veteran, and one day sent his servant to invite him to dinner. The captain returned thanks, and promised to wait on his Grace. When he

came the Duke received him with marks of peculiar civility; and, taking him aside, with an air of secrecy and importance, told him that he had desired the favour of his company to dine chiefly on stacount of a lady who had long and a particular regard for him,

amazement, his wife and children were seated at table, the Duke having sent for them from Yorkshire. After dinner, the Duke presented the astonished captain with the deed of an ample annuity, saying, "I assure you it is the last thing I would have done, if I had thought I could have employed my money better."

592. Feeding an Enemy. After the Spanish Armada, in 1588, Juan the dispersion and destruction of Comes de Medina, who had been General of twenty ships, was, with about two hundred and sixty men, driven in a vessel to Anstruther, in Scotland, after suffering great days. Notwithstanding the object hunger and cold for six or seven for which this fleet had been sent, and the oppressive conduct of the Spaniards to the Scottish merchants who traded with them, these men James Melvil, the minister, told were most humanely treated. Mr. the Spanish officers first sent on shore, that they would find nothing among them but Christianity and works of mercy. The Laird of Anstruther and a great number of the neighbouring gentlemen entertained the officers, and the inhabitants gave the soldiers and mariners kail-pottage and fish, the minister having addressed his flock as Elijah the prophet did the King of Israel in Samaria, "Give them bread and water."

593. Generous Patron.-In 1682 Madame Dacier dedicated a book to the King of France, but she could