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himself on the bed, to lay himself and his sorrows to a momentary rest, during the heat of the day.

A bug, gnat, or some such vermin, happening to bite him, he awoke; when his melancholy situation immediately presented itself to him. Without money! and no prospect of obtaining any to subsist himself and his recruits till they joined the regiment, which was at a great distance; and should the recruits desert for want of their pay, he must be answerable for it; and he could expect nothing but cashiering.

He had no friends; for he, whom he had esteemed so, had not only refused to lend him money, but had added a taunt to his refusal. He had no acquaintance there; and strangers, he knew, would not advance him so large a sum as was answerable to his real necessity. This naturally led him to reflect seriously on what had induced him to commence gamester; and this, he presently perceived, was idleness. He had now found the cause, but the cure was still wanting: how was that to be effected so as to prevent a relapse? Something must be done; some method must be pursued, so effectually to employ his time as to prevent his having any to throw away at gaming.

It then occurred to him, that the adjutancy of the regi ment was to be disposed of; and this he determined to purchase, as a post the most likely to find him a sufficient and laudable way of passing his time. He had letters of credit, to draw for what sum he pleased, for his promotion in the army, but not to throw away idly, or to encourage his extravagance.

This was well: but the main difficulty remained; and he must get to the regiment before he could take any steps towards the intended purchase, or draw for the sum to make it with. While he was endeavouring to fall upon some expedient to extricate himself out of this dilemma, his friend, who had refused him in the morning, came to pay him a visit. After a very cool reception on the colonel's side, the other began by asking him what steps he intended to take to relieve himself from the anxiety he plainly saw he was in.

The colonel then told him all he had thought upon that head, and the resolution he had made of purchasing the adjutancy, as soon as he could join the regiment. His friend, then getting up and embracing him, said, “ My

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dear Daniel, I refused you in the morning in that abrupt manner, in order to bring you to a sense of the dangerous situation you were in, and to make you reflect seriously on the folly of the way of life you had got into. I heartily rejoice that it has had the desired effect. Pursue the laudable resolution you have made; for be assured, that idleness and gaming are the ruin of youth. My interest, advice, and purse, are now at your command; there, take it, and accommodate yourself with what is necessary to subsist yourself and your recruits till you join the regiment."

This presently brought the colonel off the bed; and that afternoon's behaviour entirely obliterated the harshness of his friend's morning refusal. He now viewed him in the agreeable light of a sincere friend, and ever after esteemed and found him such.

In short, the colonel set out with his recruits for the regiment, where he gained great applause for his success, which, as well as his commission, he had well nigh lost by one morning's folly. He immediately solicited, and purchased the adjutancy, and, from that day forward, never touched cards or dice.

LESSON ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH. WHAT IS HOPE LIKE?

Like a foam on the billow,

When it swells o'er the deep;

Like a tear on the pillow,

When we sigh while we sleep;

Like the syren that sings

We ne'er can tell where-
Is the fond hope that brings
The night of despair.

Like the starlight of gladness
When it gleams in death's eye;

Like the meteor of madness
In the spirit's dark sky;
Like the zephyrs that perish

With the breath of their birth

Are the hopes that we cherish

While poisoned on earth.

LESSON ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTEENTH.

A KING AMONG BOYS.

Before the birth of Cyrus, his grandfather, Astyages, King of the Medes, dreamed that he was raised to the throne in his own lifetime; and this so troubled him with fears for the safety of his crown, that he caused the infant, as soon as born, to be delivered to Harpagus, with strict orders to have it destroyed. Harpagus, willing to avoid the sin of so cruel a deed, intrusted the execution of it to the herdsman of Astyages; but the herdsman's wife, happening at the very time to lose her own infant child, prevailed on her husband to adopt the living child in its place.

When Cyrus grew up, he was particularly distinguished among his playmates, for his boldness and intelligence; and, as an honour justly due to superior merit, they conferred on him the title of king, and gave him a crown made of rushes. Cyrus put the rush crown on his head with all the confidence of one who was entitled to a real one. proceeded to appoint one playmate to be his prime minister; another to be his chamberlain; a third to be his swordbearer; so many to be his privy-council; and so many to be his guards.

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One of these boy-subjects, the son of a nobleman, happening to disobey some of the royal commands, Cyrus ordered him to be seized by his guards, and severely flogged. The lad, as soon as he was at liberty, ran home to his father, and complained bitterly of the treatment he had received. The father repaired to Astyages, and, showing him the bruised shoulders of his son, "Is it thus, O king!" said he, "that we are treated by the son of thy bondsman and slave ?"

Astyages sent for the herdsman and his supposed son; and, addressing the latter sternly, said, "How darest thou, being the son of such a father as this, treat in so vile a manner the son of one of my court?"

"Sire," answered Cyrus, with firmness, "I have done nothing unto him but what was fit. The country lads, of which he was one, chose me for their king, in play, because I seemed the most worthy of that dignity; but, when all the rest obeyed my commands, this boy alone regarded not

what I said. For this he was punished; and, if on this account I have merited any punishment, I am ready to suffer it."

While Cyrus spoke, Astyages was so struck with the family resemblance of the boy's features, that he was tempted to make some particular inquiries of the herdsman; and pressed him so hard, that he at last extorted from him a confession of the truth. Dismissing them for the present, Astyages consulted the Magi on the discovery he had made, revealing to them, at the same time, the purport of the dream which had given such trouble to his mind.

The Magi, ingenious in behalf of humanity, declared that, in their opinion, all that the dream imported had been already realised, by the circumstance of Cyrus having played the king in sport. This interpretation lulled the fears of Astyages; he became reconciled to the boy's existence; and, after acknowledging him as his grandson, sent him into Persia, to his father. But, ere many years had elapsed, Cyrus stimulated the Persians to revolt, overcame Astyages, his grandfather, and united the empire of the Medes to that of the Persians.

In a visit which Cyrus made to his grandfather, shortly after his royal descent was recognised, Astyages was much charmed with his sprightliness and wit, and gave a sumptuous entertainment on his account, at which there was a profusion of everything that was nice and delicate, all of which Cyrus looked upon with great indifference. "The Persians," said he to the king, "have a much shorter way to appease their hunger; with them, a little bread and a few cresses answer the purpose."

Sacras, the king's cupbearer, displeased Cyrus; but Astyages praised him on account of the dexterity with which he served him. "Is that all, sir ?" replied Cyrus; "if that be sufficient to merit your favour, you shall see I will quickly obtain it; for I will take upon me to serve you better than he."

Immediately Cyrus was equipped as cupbearer, and very gracefully presented the cup to the king, who embraced him with great fondness, saying, "I am mightily well pleased, my son; nobody can serve with a better grace; but you have forgotten one essential ceremony, which is that of tasting."-"No," replied Cyrus, "it was not through forgetfulness that I omitted that ceremony."-"Why,

then?" said Astyages; "for what reason did you omit it?" "Because I apprehended there was poison in the liquor," replied the youth.-"Poison, child!" continued the king; "how could you think so?"-"Yea, poison, sire; for, not long ago, at an entertainment you gave to the lords of your court, after the guests had drunk a little of that liquor, I perceived all their heads were turned; they sung, made a noise, and talked they knew not what; you yourself seemed to have forgot that you were a king, and they, that they were your subjects; and when you would have danced, you were unable to stand."- "Why," said Astyages, "have you never seen the same thing happen to your father?". "No, never," said Cyrus." What then? how is it with him, when he drinks?". Why, when he has drunk, his thirst is quenched; and that is all."

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LESSON ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEENTH.

AFFLICTION.

Yes, sorrow can visit the bowers

Of any fair palace on earth;

And wither the delicate flowers,

And drain its sweet sources of mirth.

This life is a wilderness way,

Where roses with brambles entwine;

The path is not evermore gay;

The day does not constantly shine.

The delicate music within,

The least disappointment may stop;
Remove but a spring or a pin,

The wheels of our happiness drop.

Our hope is a delicate flower,

Which yields to each furious blast,
And often we lose in an hour

What promised for ages to last.

When the heavens are calm and serene,
We fancy 'twill alway be day,
Till the whirlwind and storm intervene,
And sweep the bright prospect away.

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