ing to move the ingrate, he made fucceffive application to the fifty perfons, on whom he had flightly grounded his hopes, and fifty times over he met with the fame reception.

"Now, fon, (faid the merchant) be convinced of the little dependence you fhould have on men. Where has vanished the zeal of those you lavished fuch pompous encomiums on? They have all deferted you in your difgrace.

They are painted walls, clouds without rain, trees that bear no fruit: But I muft fhew you the difference there is between one only friend that I have and yours."

Still talking over the affair, they arrived before the gate of him whom he represented to his fon as the pattern of perfect friendfhip. He related to him his fon's pretended misfortune. "Oh! thrice happy day! (faid he) that furnishes me with the opportunity of proving to you my attachment; truft to me, and you will do juftice to my friendfhip: my houfe is large enough to keep concealed in it a thoufand dead bodies; but though even I fhould incur danger myself, I fhall gladly face it in hopes of faving you. Repair with your fon to my cftate in the country; you may live there in peace, unknown, and undisturbed by any enquiries of justice."

The

The merchant, after having thanked his friend for his generous offers, faid, "All that I have told you is but a fable, invented to teach my son to difcern between falfe and true friends.

ANECDOTE

OF A KING OF PORTUGAL.

ALONZO the Fourth, furnamed the Brave,

afcended the throne of Portugal in the vigour of his age. The pleasures of the chace engroffed all his attention. His confidants and favourites encouraged and allured him to it. His time was spent in the forefts of Cintra, while the affairs of government were neglected, or executed by those whofe intereft it was to keep their Sovereign in ignorance. His prefence at last being neceffary at Lisbon, he entered the council with all the brisk impetuofity of a young sportsman, and with great familiarity and gaiety entertained his Nobles with the history of a whole month spent in hunting, in shooting, and fishing. When he had finifhed his narrative, a nobleman of the first rank rofe up." Courts and camps," faid he, "were allotted for Kings, not woods and defarts. Even the affairs of private men fuffer, when re

creation

creation is preferred to bufinefs. But when the whims of pleasure-engrofs the thoughts of a King, a whole nation is configned to ruin. We came here for other purposes than to hear the exploits of the chace; which are only intelligible to grooms and falconers. If your Majefty will attend to the wants and remove the grievances of your people, you will find them obedient fubjects; if not"The King, ftarting with rage, interrupted him: • If not what?'"If not," refumed the nobleman, in a firm tone, they will look for another and a better King."

THE VOYAGE OF LIFE.

"LIFE," fays Seneca, " is a voyage, in the progrefs of which we are perpetually changing "our fcenes: we firft leave childhood behind us, "then youth, then the years of ripened manhood, "then the better and more pleafing part of old "age."-The perufal of this paffage having incited in me a train of reflections on the state of man, the inceffant fluctuation of his wifhes, the gradual change of his difpofition to all external objects, and the thoughtleffnefs with which he floats along the ftream of time, I funk into a flumber amidst my meditations, and on a fudden found

my

my ears filled with the tumult of labour, the fhouts of alacrity, the fhrieks of alarm, the whiftle of winds, and the dafh of waters.

My astonishment for a time repressed my curi ofity; but foon recovering myself fo far as to enquire whither we were going, and what was the cause of fuch clamour and confufion, I was told they were launching out into the ocean of life; that we had already paffed the ftreights of infancy, in which multitudes had perifhed, fome by the weaknefs and fragility of their veffels, and more by the folly, perverfenefs, or negligence of thofe who undertook to steer them; and that we were now on the main fea, abandoned to the winds and billows, without any other means of fecurity than the care of the pilot, whom it was always in our power to choose among great numbers that offered their direction and affiftance.

I then looked round with anxious eagerness; and first turning my eyes behind me, faw a stream flowing through the flowery iflands, which every one that failed along feemed to behold with pleafure; but no fooner touched, than the current, which, though not noify or turbulent, was yet refiftible, bore him away. Beyond thefe iflands

E

ir

all

all was darkness, nor could any of the paffengers defcribe the fhore at which he firft embarked.

Before me, and on each other fide, was an expanfe of waters violently agitated, and covered with fo thick a mift, that the moft perfpicuous eye could fee but a little way. It appeared to be full of rocks and whirlpools, for many funk unexpectedly while they were courting the gale with full fails, and infulting thole whom they had left behind. So numerous, indeed, were the dangers, and fo thick the darknefs, that no caution could confer fecurity. Yet there were many, who, by falfe intelligence, betrayed their followers into whirlpools, or by violence pufhed those whom they found in their way against the rocks.

The current was invariable and infurmountable, but though it was impoffible to fail against it, or to return to the place that was once paffed, yet it was not fo violent as to allow no opportunities for dexterity or courage, fince, though none could retreat back from danger, yet they might often avoid it by oblique direction.

It was, however, not very common to fteer with much care or prudence; for by fome univerfal infatuation, every man appeared to think him

felf