582. Upright Emperor. The Emperor Trajan would never suffer any one to be condemned upon suspicion, however strong and well grounded, saying it was better a thousand criminals should escape 580. Successful Appeal.-Some unpunished, than one innocent old soldiers going to be shot for a person be condemned. When he breach of discipline, passing by appointed Subarranus captain of Marshal Turenne, pointed to the his guards, and presented him, scars on their faces and breasts. according to custom, with a drawn

had sent him a buck for his table, so, when he heard his name, he asked if he was not the same person that had sent him venison. And finding that he was the same, he told him he could not suffer the trial to go on till he had paid him for his buck. To which the gentleman answered that he never sold his venison, and that he had done nothing to him which he did not do to every judge that had gone that circuit, which was confirmed by several gentlemen then present; but all would not do, for the Lord Chief Baron had learned from Solomon that "a gift perverteth the ways of judgment;" and therefore he would not suffer the trial to go on till he had paid 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 used these memorable words: "Pro me; si merear, in me:" "Employ this sword for me, but if I deserve it, turn it against me." Trajan would not allow his freedmen any share in the administration. Notwithstanding this, some persons, having a suit with one of them of the name of Eurythmus, seemed to fear the influence of the Imperial freedom; but Trajan assured them that the cause should be heard, discussed, and decided, according to the strictest laws of justice; adding, "For neither is he Polycletus, nor I Nero." Polycletus, it will be recollected, was the freedman of Nero, and as infamous as his master for rapine and injustice. As 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 most urgent war, he instantly stopped, and, alighting from his horse, heard the suppliant state the cause of her complaint. She was a poor widow, and had been left with an only son, who had been foully murdered; she had sued for justice on his murderers, but had been unable to obtain it. Trajan, having satisfied himself of the truth of her statements, decreed her on the spot the satisfaction which she demanded, and sent the mourner away comforted. So much was this action admired that it was afterwards represented on the pillar erected to Trajan's memory, as one of the most resplendent instances of his goodness.

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

fore the judge, and the supposed owner of the sheep was present. Both claimed the sheep, and had witnesses to prove their claims; so it was not easy to decide to whom the sheep belonged. Knowing the habits of the shepherds and the sheep, the judge ordered the animal to be brought into court, and sent one of the two men into. another room, while he told the other to call the sheep, and see whether it would come to him. But the poor sheep, not knowing "the voice of a stranger," would not go to him. In the meantime, 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 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.

of the house a godly man, having
family prayers in his house, and
requiring his servants to attend a
place of worship at least once every
Sunday. On inquiring further, he
was told that some years ago a
gentleman had sent him a book,
which had been greatly blessed to
him, and on desiring to see the
book, he found it to be
Complete Duty of Man."
was the promise fulfilled, "Blessed
are they that sow beside all waters."
"Cast thy bread upon the waters,
for thou shalt find it after many
days."

The

Thus

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 Rev. H. Venn observed the waiter endeavouring to assist a man who was driving some pigs on the road, while the rest of the servants amused themselves only with the difficulties which the man experienced from their frowardness. This benevolent trait in the waiter's character induced Mr. Venn to call him in, and to express to him the pleasure which he felt in seeing him perform this act of kindness. After showing him how pleasing to the Almighty every instance of good-will to our fellow-creatures is, he expatiated on the love of God in sending His Son from the purest benevolence to save mankind. 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

588. Alexander, his Friends and Enemies.-Alexander the Great, 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."

I re

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. more 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. 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."

66

He

I

the use of reason) to rush upon my sword, and at the instant to 590. Duelling. When this evil plunge his own into the breast of practice was common, a general the man he loved most on earth. officer, who had been full forty The painful conflict of passions, years in the army, and was an irascible and tender, in this strange Irishman to boot, yet never sent rencontre, I shall not repeat at nor accepted of a single challenge, present. They powerfully operthus related the manner in which ated upon the mind of one of our