man entirely electrified' the assembly. He made an excellent governor. This incident is a valuable precedent : here was a farmer elected; he accepted, and from the plow went to the governor's office to preside, in a stormy crisis, over the destiny of an important State. Long live his memory!

III.

24. LOKMAN.

OKMAN, surnamed the Wise, lived in very early times

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probably in the days of King David and King Solomonand his name is still famous in the East as the inventor of many fables and parables, and various stories are told of his wisdom. It was said that he was a native of Ethiopia,' and either a tailor, a carpenter, or a shepherd; and that afterward he was a slave in various countries, and was at last sold among the Israelites.

2. One day, as he was seated in the midst of a company who were all listening to him with great respect and attention, a Jew of high rank, looking earnestly at him, asked him whether he was not the same man whom he had seen keeping the sheep of one of his neighbors. Lokman said he was. "And how,"

said the other, "did you, a poor slave, come to be so famous as a wise man?"

3. "By exactly observing these rules," replied Lokman: "Always speak the truth without disguise; strictly keep your promises; and do not meddle with what does not concern you." Another time, he said that he had learned his wisdom from the blind, who will believe nothing but what they hold in their hands-meaning that he always examined things, and took great pains to find out the truth.

1E lec' tri fied, suddenly shocked or excited; struck with great and pleasant surprise.

2 Prěc' e dent, something said or done that may serve afterwards as an authoritative example.

'Děs' ti ny, fate; that to which any person or thing is appointed, intended, or doomed.

Păr a ble, a fable, or supposed history, representing something in real life or nature, from which a

3 Pre side', to sit above others; to moral is drawn for instruction. direct, control, and govern.

Crisis, time when any thing is at its height, and ripe for a change.

E`thi o' pia, the name given by the ancient geographers to the coun tries in Africa, south of Egypt.

4. Being once sent, with some other slaves, to fetch fruit, his companions ate a great deal of it, and then said it was he who had eaten it; on which he drank warm water to make himself sick, and thus proved that he had no fruit in his stomach; and the other slaves, being obliged to do the same, were found out.

5. Another story of him is, that, his master having given him a kind of melon, called the coloquin'tida, which is one of the bitterèst things in the world, Lokman immediately ate it all up, without making faces, or showing the least dislike. His master, quite surprised, said, “How was it possible for you to swallow nauseous1 a fruit ?" Lokman replied, "I have received so many sweets from you, that it is not wonderful that I should have swallowed the only bitter fruit you ever gave me." His master was so much struck by this generous and grateful answer, that he immediately rewarded him by giving him his liberty.

6. At this day, "to teach Lokman" is a common saying in the East, to express a thing impossible. It is said, too, that he was as good as he was wise; and, indeed, it is the chief part of wisdom to be good. He was particularly remarkable for his love to God, and his reverence of His holy name. He is reported to have lived to a good old age: and, many centuries after, a tomb in the little town of Ramlah, not far from Jerusalem, was pointed out as Lokman's.

IT

IV.

DR. AIKIN.

25. ARCHBISHOP SHARPE AND THE ROBBER.

T was a custom with Archbishop' Sharpe, in his journeys, generally to have a saddle-horse attending his carriage, that, in case of feeling fatigued with sitting, he might have the refreshment of a ride. In his advanced age, and a few years before his death, as he was going in this manner to his Episcopal3 residence, and was a mile or two in advance of his carriage, a decently-dressed, good-looking young man, on horseback, came up to him, and, with a trembling hand and faltering tone

Nauseous, (na'shus), disgusting; causing sickness of the stomach.

2 Arch bishop, a chief bishop; an officer in the church of the first

class; a clergyman of the highest rank in the Episcopal Church.

3

3 E pĭs' co pal, belonging to a bishop, or overseer.

of voice, presented a pistol to his grace's breast, demanding

his money.

2. The archbishop, with great composure, turned round, and, looking steadfastly at him, desired that he would remove that dangerous weapon, and tell him fairly his condition. "Sir, sir," cried the youth, with great agitation, “no words; 'tis not a time for words now; your money, instantly!"

3. "Hear me, young man," said the venerable prělate; come on with me. I, you see, am a věry old man, and my life is of little consequence; yours seems far otherwise. I am Sharpe, the Archbishop of York. My carriage and servants are behind; but conceal your perturbation,' and tell me who you are, and what money you want, and, on the word of my character, I will not injure you, but prove a friend.

4. "Here, take this (giving him a purse of money); and now tell me how much you want, to make you independent of so dangerous and destructive a course, as you are now engaged in." "O, sir," replied the man, "I detest' the business as much as you do; I am-but, but—at home there are creditors who will not wait. Fifty pounds, my lord, would indeed do what no thought or tongue besides my own can feel or express."

5. Well, sir, I take it at your word; and, upon my honor, if you will compose yourself for a day or two, and then call on me at what I have now given you shall be made up to that sum trust me, I will not deceive you."

6. The highwayman looked at him, was silent, and went off,· and, at the time appointed, actually waited on the archbishop, received the money, and assured his lordship that he hoped his words had left impressions which no inducement could ever efface. Nothing more transpired of him for a year and a half; when, one morning, a person knocked at his grace's gate, and, with a peculiar earnestness of voice and conntenance, desired to see him.

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7. The archbishop ordered the stranger to be introduced. He had scarcely entered the room, when his countenance changed, his knees tottered, and he sunk almost breathlèss on

1 Per`tur ba' tion, troubled state of mind; distress.

3 Efface', wear away; wipe off.
4 Trans pired', happened; took

2 De těst', to hate or dislike place; became public.

greatly.

Scarcely, (skårs lf), Note 2, p. 16.

the floor. On recovering, he requested an audience in private. This being granted, he said, "My lord, you can not have forgotten the circumstance of relieving a highwayman. God and gratitude will never suffer it to be obliterated' from my mind. In me, my lord, you now behold that once most wretched of mankind; but now, by your inexpressible humanity, rendered equal, perhaps superior to millions. O, my lord, 'tis you that have saved me, body and soul; 'tis you that have saved a muchloved wife, and a little brood of children, whom I loved dearer than my own life.

8. "Here, my lord, are the fifty pounds; but never shall I find language to express what I feel. God is your witness; your deed itself is your glory; and may heaven be your present and everlasting reward." The archbishop was refusing the money, when the gentleman added: "My lord, I was the younger son of a wealthy man. Your grace knew him, I am sure. My name is My marriage alienated' the affections of my father, who left me to sorrow and penury.'

9. "My distresses-but your grace knows to what they drove me. A month since, my brother died a bachelor, and intestate; his fortune has become mine; and I, spared and preserved by your goodnèss from an ignominious' death, am now the most penitent, the most grateful, and the happiest of human beings."

A

V.

26. THE ROTHSCHILDS.

T the time of the French Revolution,' there lived at Frankfort-on-the-Maine, in Germany, a Jewish banker, of limited means, but good reputation, named Moses Rothschild. When the French army invaded Germany, the Prince of Hesse Cassel was obliged to fly from his dominions. As he passed through Frankfort, he requested Moses Rothschild to take

1 Ob lit' er at ed, worn away; removed.

“ The, (thŭ), see Rule 3, p. 24.

7 Rev o lu' tion, the act of pub

2 Alien at ed, transferred to an- licly declaring against the authority other; lost.

* Pění u ry, poverty; want.

• In těstate, dying without a will. 'Ig` no min' i ous, disgraceful.

of a government; a successful and actual change in the form of a government. The French Revolution broke out in 1790.

charge of a large sum of money and some valuable jewels, which he feared might otherwise fall into the hands of the enemy.

2. The Jew would have declined so great a charge; but the prince was so much at a loss for the means of saving his property, that Moses at length consented. He declined, however, giving a receipt' for it, as in such dangerous circumstances he could not be answerable for its being safely restored.

3. The money and jewels, to the value of several hundred thousand pounds, were conveyed to Frankfort; and just as the French entered the town, Mr. Rothschild had succeeded in burying the treasure in a corner of his garden. He made no attempt to conceal his own property, which amounted only to six thousand pounds. The French accordingly took this, without suspecting that he had any larger sum in his possession.

4. Had he, on the con'trary, pretended to have no money, they would have certainly searched, as they did in many other cases, and might have found and taken the whole. When they left the town, Mr. Rothschild dug up the prince's money, and began to make use of a small portion of it. He now thrived in his business, and soon gained much wealth of his own.

5. A few years after, when peace came, the Prince of Hesse Cassel returned to his dominions. He was almost ǎfraid to call on the Frankfort banker, for he readily reflected that, if the French had not got the money and jewels, Moses might pretend they had, and thus keep all to himself.

6. To his great astonishment, Mr. Rothschild informed him that the whole of the property was safe, and now ready to be returned, with five per cent. interest on the money. The banker at the same time related by what means he had saved it, and apologized for breaking upon the money, by representing that, to save it, he had had to sacrifice all of his own.

7. The prince was so impressed by the fidelity of Mr. Rothschild under his great trust, that he allowed the money to remain in his hands at a small rate of interest. To mark, also, his gratitude, he recommended the Jew to various Europe'an sovereigns as a money-lender. Moses was consequently em

2

1 Receipt', a paper acknowledging that money or any valuable property has been received; also, the act of receiving.

2 Sovereign, (sův er in), one who holds the highest place in government or power; an emperor, king,

or queen.