which he lost by being asleep. Hence they will learn that riches are not acquired by slumber, or if by some lucky accident they fall to the share of the slothful, they take flight as suddenly and as unforeseen as they came." each one of those purses, in every pleased me exceedingly on awaking. one of which were a hundred This, Sire, is the whole of my pieces of gold. One of the soldiers dream. I hope your Majesty ap who was not asleep, although he proves of my devotion, which, I feigned to be so, took particular assure you, is very sincere and notice of the Emperor, and at his affectionate." The Emperor, learndeparture examined the purse ing from this ingenious harangue which had been put under his arm, that the soldier was not one of and finding that it contained a those who slept, and that notwithhundred pieces of gold, supposed standing he had feigned being in each of his companions had as the same condition with his commuch, of which he might take panions, he was the only one on possession before they awoke. This his duty, permitted him alone to he immediately put in practice enjoy the reward, saying, "Yes, by gently easing them of their I approve of your decision; the valuable burden. The Emperor, prize is yours alone, for you only who had no doubt that all the were awake. As for the rest, it is soldiers were asleep when he visited sufficient for them to know that them, and that they must be over-each had a hundred pieces of gold, joyed on awaking at discovering their good fortune, caused them to be called together early in the morning, and asked of them successively what they had dreamed the preceding night, and whether the success was answerable to the vision, imagining that each would say he had found a purse under his arm with a hundred pieces of gold. But not a word of the matter did he hear from the first eleven that he examined, until he came to the twelfth, the watchful sentinel, who, making a profound bow to the King, said, "Sire, I fancied at night that a person who very much resembled your Majesty visited us one after the other, and, finding us all asleep, returned to his chamber, but soon came back with a dozen purses, which he attached severally to the arm of each of us, and then withdrew. Afterwards, Sire, it was evident, unless my dream deceived me, that when that venerable and generous person had retired, I began to examine the contents of the purse under my own arm; and finding in it a hundred pieces of gold, I supposed each of my companions had as many, when I was seized with a sudden zeal to put them all together, saying to myself that, for many cogent reasons which then occurred to me, it would be well to do so; and so I did, which 1390. Widow's Gift.-A poor woman living on the side of a mountain in Wales went to a public meeting of the Bible Society She had only one shilling, a part of which she meant to lay out in wool for making an apron and the rest in candles, that she might see to spin it in the evening, after her other work was done. Hearing the speakers describe the sad condition of the poor heathen without Bibles, she felt so much for them, that she determined to give sixpence from her shilling, thinking she could do without her apron for a time. She would trust to God to be enabled to purchase one at some future period. As the speaker went on, the poor woman felt more and more, until she resolved to give the whole shilling. "For," she said, "I can do better without my apron than the heathen can without the Word of God." She cheerfully gave her shilling, went home, and slept sweetly. At daybreak the next morning, a neighbouring farmer called at her door, and said, "Peggy, we have had a dreadful night; some of my sheep some wool from them." She was have been carried away by the thankful for the gift, and thus she flood. Here are two lying quite | had wool enough for three or four dead by your garden fence; you aprons, and tallow to make candles may take them if you like and get to spin it by. TRUTHFULNESS. Exod. xx. 16; Psalm xv. 2, 4, 5; Prov. iii. 3, xii. 17, 19, 20, 22; 1391. Acting a Lie.- -Once while the Rev. Robert Hall was spending an evening at the house of a friend, a lady who was there on a visit retired, that her little girl of four years old might go to bed. She returned in about half an hour, and said to a lady near her, "She is gone to sleep; I put on my night-cap and lay down by her, and she soon dropped off." Mr. Hall, who overheard this, said, "Excuse me, madam: do you wish your child to grow up a liar ?" "Oh dear, no, sir; I should be shocked at such a thing." "Then bear with me while I say you must never act a lie before her. Children are very quick observers, and soon learn that that which assumes to be what it is not is a lie, whether acted or spoken." This was uttered with a kindness which precluded offence, yet with a seriousness that could not be forgotten. thought, then grasping the Prince suddenly by the right arm, and pressing it strongly, he said, "Well, my dear Prince, you are the first man of spirit that I have found to believe in it." The Prince tried in few words to reiterate the certainty of his faith, and, passing through the adjoining chamber the same afternoon, he says: "I found General Tenenzien, who had heard what had passed, the greatest and strongest minded man I ever knew; he put his hands on my shoulders and covered me with a torrents of tears, saying, ' Now God be praised; I have lived to see an honest man acknowledge Christ to the King's face.' The good old man overwhelmed me with caresses. I cannot retrace those happy moments of my life without the greatest gratitude to God for having vouchsafed to me the opportunity of confessing before the King my faith in Him and in His Son." 1392. Boldness in Declaring the 1393. Casuistical Preachers.Truth.-Prince Charles of Hesse A strain of preaching prevailed in was dining one day with the infidel the seventeenth century which King of Prussia, Frederick the was called casuistical doctrine, conGreat, who made no secret of his sisting in the solution of particular contempt for the Christian religion. cases of conscience. Sometimes The Prince could not join in the great acuteness and accuracy were conversation, but looked down and displayed on these occasions, and preserved a complete silence until the principal defect of this system the King turned to him with vi- seems to have been that preachers vacity and said, "Tell me, my formed their discourses upon ideas dear Prince, do you believe in these of abstract reason instead of the things?" "Sire," said the Prince, suggestions of sentiment. Yet so in a firm tone, "I am not more much good effect was produced in sure of having the honour to see this way, that serious and thoughtyou than I am that Jesus Christ ful men imagined they saw their suffered and died for us as our own cases described in these disSaviour on the cross." The King courses, and thought and often remained a moment buried in justly thought-themselves greatly edified. Dr. Sanderson, a learned tion, submitted to the determiand worthy man, and one of the chaplains to Charles I., was an able divine of this sort. The King used to say that "he carried his ears to hear the preachers, but he carried his conscience to hear Dr. Sanderson." nation; even the Bishop of Luna, brother to the Cardinal, was not excused. Petrarch, in his turn, presenting himself to take the oath, the Cardinal closed the book and said, "As to you, Petrarchi, your word is sufficient." 1394. First Step to Ruin.-It 1397. Philosopher's Virtue.happened one day that a little The philosopher Xenocrates being orphan lad, having loitered on an summoned as a witness on a trial errand, recollected himself and at Athens, and having given his rushed back to his uncle's work- evidence, he was, according to the shop with all speed. "What are established custom, advancing to you running yourself out of breath the altar to swear to the truth of for ?" asked one of the men; "tell his deposition, when the judges, your uncle that the people kept rising from their seats, unanimously you waiting." "Why, that would declared his bare assertion to be be a lie." "To be sure it would; sufficient without the oath, although but what's the odds ?" "I a liar! they themselves were not in any I tell a lie!" cried the boy, in-case allowed to pronounce judg dignantly. "No; not to escape a ment without being previously beating every day. My mother always told me that lying was the first step to ruin, and my Bible says that a liar shall not enter heaven." 1395. Futile Swearing. When Demades the orator addressed himself to the Athenians, "I call all the gods and goddesses to witness," said he, "the truth of what I shall say." The Athenians, often abused by his impudent lies, presently interrupted him by exclaiming, "And we call all the gods and goddesses to witness that we will not believe you." sworn. 1398. Pilate's Question Answered. -Fulgentio, the friend and biographer of the celebrated Paul Sarpi-both of them secret friends to the progress of religious reformation-was once preaching upon Pilate's question, "What is truth?" He told the audience that he had at last, after many searches, found it out, and, holding forth a New Testament, said, Here it is, my friends;" but added sorrowfully, as he returned it to his pocket, "It is a sealed book." It has been since the glory of the Reformation to break the seal which priestly craft had imposed upon it, and to lay its blessed treasures open to the universal participation of mankind. 1396. Petrarch's Truthfulness.Petrarch, the great Italian poet, recommended himself to the confidence and affection of Cardinal Colonna, in whose family he resided, by his candour and strict 1399. Receiving Truth.-Bishop regard to truth. A violent quarrel Hoskyne used to encourage earnest occurred in the household of this hearers who were troubled with nobleman, which was carried so bad memories by the anecdote of far that recourse was had to arms. a holy man who bade such a comThe Cardinal wished to know the plainant to fill an earthen pitcher origin of the affair, and that he with water. He did it. The pastor might be able to decide with jus- then bade him empty it again and tice, he assembled all his people, wipe it clean. "Now," said he, and obliged them to bind them- "though there be nothing of the selves by a most solemn oath on water remaining in it, yet the the Gospel to declare the whole pitcher is cleaner than it was before; truth. Every one, without excep-so, though thy memory retain nothing of the word thou readest, yet thy heart is cleaner for its very passage through it." 1400. Trait of Dr. Johnson.-It is said of Dr. Johnson, that he was so accustomed to say always the truth that he never condescended to give an equivocal answer to any question. A lady of his acquaintance once asked the Doctor how it happened that he was never invited to dine at the table of the great. "I do not know any cause," said Johnson, "unless it is that lords and ladies do not always like to hear the truth, which, thank God, I am in the habit of speaking." 1402. Washington's Hatchet.George Washington, afterwards the President of America, when about six years of age received from a relative a present of a little hatchet, and, like most children, directly went about chopping everything that came in his way. Going into the garden he unluckily tried the steel on a cherry-tree, which he barked so terribly as to leave very little hope of its recovery. The next morning his father saw the tree, which was a great favourite, and inquired who had done this mischief, declaring he would not have taken five guineas for the tree; but nobody could inform him. 1401. Untruthfulness in Busi- Presently after, however, George ness. A Quaker, passing through came with the hatchet in his hand a market, stopped at a stall and to the place where his father was, inquired the price of some fruit. who immediately suspected him "I have none, I fear, sir," said the to be the culprit. "George," said honest salesman, "that will suit the old gentleman, "do you know you; my fruit is not first-rate this who killed that beautiful little morning." "Thank thee, friend, cherry-tree yonder in the garden?” for thy honesty; I will go to the The child hesitated for a moment, next stand." "Hast thou good and then nobly replied, "I can't fruit to-day?" said he to the second tell a lie, papa; you know I can't dealer. 66 Yes, sir; here are some tell a lie; I did cut it with my of the finest of my garden. They hatchet." "Run to my arms, my are small, but rich of their kind." boy," exclaimed his father; "run The man was untruthful; he knew to my arms. Glad am I, George, that they were not such as he could that you killed my tree, for you honestly recommend. "Then thou have paid me for it a thousand-fold. can recommend them?" Cer- Such an act of heroism is, my son, of tainly, sir,” replied the dealer. more worth than a thousand cherry"Very well, I will take some." trees, if blossomed with silver or He carried them home, and they bearing fruits of gold." proved not only unsound but miserably tasteless. The next morning 1403. Watching against Untruth. the Quaker went again to the same-Dr. Johnson, giving advice to an place. The man who had sold him intimate friend, said, "Above all, the fruit claimed him as his cus- accustom your children constantly tomer, and asked him if he would to tell the truth, without varying buy some more. "Nay, friend, in any circumstance." A lady thou hast deceived me once, and present emphatically exclaimed, now, although thou mayest speak "Nay, this is too much; for a little the truth, still I cannot trust thee. variation in narrative must happen Thy neighbour chose to deal up- a thousand times a day if one is rightly with me, and from hence- not perpetually watching." "Well, forth I shall be his patron. Thou madam," replied the Doctor," and wouldst do well to remember this, you ought to be perpetually watchand learn by experience that a lie ing. It is more from carelessness is a base thing in the beginning about truth than from intentional and a very unprofitable one in the lying that there is so much falseend." hood in the world." 66 TYPES AND SYMBOLS. Gen. ix. 12, 13; Exod. xxiv. 8; Num. xxi. 8; Jerem. xxiv.; Matthew ii. 2; 1 Cor. x. 4. 1404. Association.-A traveller, in passing through a valley in Persia, chanced to take into his hand a piece of clay which lay by the wayside, and to his surprise he found it to exhale the most delightful fragrance. "Thou art but a poor piece of clay," said he, "an unsightly, unattractive, poor piece of clay; yet how fragrant art thou! how refreshing! I admire thee, I love thee; thou shalt be my companion, I will carry thee in my bosom. But whence hast thou this fragrance ?" The clay replied, "I have been dwelling with the rose." 1405. Blood of Christ Cleanseth from all Sin.-A woman came to a minister one day, carrying a bundle of wet sand. 66 Do you see what this is, sir ?" said she. "Yes," was the reply, "it is wet sand." "But do you know what it means ?" "I do not know exactly what you mean by it; what is it ?" "Ah, sir," she said, "that's me, and the number of my sins they cannot be counted." And then she exclaimed, "O wretched creature that I am! how can such a wretch as I ever be saved ?" "Where did you get the sand ?" asked the minister. "At the Beacon." "Go back then to the Beacon; take a spade with you; dig, dig, and raise a great mound; shovel it up as high as ever you can, then leave it there; take stand by the sea-shore, and watch the effect of the waves upon the heap of sand." "Ah, sir," she exclaimed, "I see what you mean -the blood, the blood, the blood of Christ; it would wash it all away." your 1406. Bottles Old and New."The bottle," says Mr. Hood, "is a necessary utensil in the tent of Arabian shepherds. It holds their water and other liquids, and is frequently used as a pitcher. The Eastern bottle is made of a goat or kid skin, stripped off without opening the belly; the apertures made by cutting off the tail and legs are sewed up, and when filled it is tied about the neck. The Arabs and Persians never go a journey without a small leathern bottle by their side like a scrip. These skin-bottles preserve their water, milk, and other liquids in a fresher state than any other vessels they can use. The people of the East, indeed, put into them everything they mean to carry to a distance, whether dry or liquid, and very rarely make use of boxes and pots, unless to preserve such things as are liable to be broken. They enclose these leathern bottles in woollen sacks, because their beasts of carriage often fall down under their load, or cast it down on the sandy desert. This method of transporting the necessaries of life has another advantage; the skinbottles preserve them fresher, defend them against the ants and other insects, which cannot penetrate the skin, and prevent the dust, of which immense quantities are constantly moving about in the arid regions of Asia, and so fine that no coffer is impenetrable to it, from reaching them. It is for these reasons that provisions of every kind are enclosed in vessels made of the skins of these animals. These bottles are liable to be rent, when old or much used, and at the same time capable of being repaired. In the book of Joshua we are informed the Gibeonites 'took wine bottles, old and rent, and bound up.' This is perfectly according to the custom of the East; and the manner in which they |