Through every changing scene, Her throne maintain. May just and righteous laws Home of the brave and free, We pray that still on thee And not this land alone, The wide world o'er. THEMISTOCLES AND THE LACEDÆMONIAN FLEET. Themistocles, the leader of the Athenian armies, was a great soldier, but not a conscientious man. From an undue love of his own country, he was anxious to ruin its neighbour and rival, the state of Lacedæmon. One day, in a public assembly, he informed the Athenians that he had formed a design for raising them permanently above the Lacedæmonians, but he could not communicate it to them, because its success required that it should be carried on with the greatest secrecy. He desired them to appoint a person to whom he might explain the design, and who should judge whether they were to allow it to be executed. For this purpose, they unanimously pitched upon Aristides, the individual of their number in whose honesty and prudence they had the greatest confidence. Themistocles THE PATRIOTS OF CALAIS. 159 then took Aristides aside, and told him that the design he had conceived was to burn the fleet belonging to Lacedæmon and the rest of the Grecian states, which then lay in a neighbouring port. By this means, he said, Athens could not fail to become the undisputed mistress of all Greece. Aristides now returned to the assembly, and merely told them that nothing could be more advantageous for the interests of Athens than the scheme of Themistocles, but that nothing could be more unjust. The people immediately, without hearing another word, ordained that Themistocles should desist from his project. Rollin, the historian, says of this decree of the Athenians: "I do not know whether all history can afford us a fact more worthy of admiration. It is not a company of philosophers (to whom it costs nothing to establish fine maxims of morality) who determine on this occasion, that the consideration of profit and advantage ought never to prevail in preference to what is honest and just. It is an entire people, who are highly interested in the proposal made to them, who are convinced that it is of the greatest importance to the welfare of the state, and who, nevertheless, reject it with unanimous consent, and without a moment's hesitation, and that for this only reason, that it is contrary to justice." THE PATRIOTS OF CALAIS. Edward III., king of England, had besieged the town of Calais for upwards of a year, with a great loss of troops, so that he had become greatly incensed against the citizens. When they could no longer exist for want of food, they intimated their wish to yield the place into his hands. He gave them to understand that he would not receive their surrender, unless they yielded implicitly to his mercy, without any capitulation either for their lives or property. When this severity was objected to even by his own commanders, Edward would agree to show no further favour than to the following extent :-He demanded that six of the chief burgesses of the town should come before him bareheaded, barefooted, and in their shirts, having halters around their necks, bearing the keys of the town and castle of Calais, which were to be humbly surrendered to him. These six men were to submit to the king's pleasure, how severe soever that might be, without reservation even of life; and in consideration of their doing so, the stern conqueror reluctantly promised that the rest of the citizens of Calais should have mercy. These conditions were sent to the town, and read before the assembled citizens. The tidings were followed by a general lamentation, which, the difficulty of finding men willing to take upon themselves this strange submission considered, was not to be wondered at. After some deliberation, a burgess, the most substantial in the city, addressed the assembly. His name, Eustace de Saint Pierre, ought never to be forgotten while disinterested patriotism is held valuable among mankind. "He that shall contribute to save this fair town from sack and spoil," said this gallant man, "though at the price of his own blood, shall doubtless deserve well of God and of his country. I will be one who will offer my head to the king of England, as a ransom for the town of Calais." The greater part of the assembly were moved by this speech to tears and exclamations of gratitude. Five other burgesses caught emulation from the noble devotion of Eustace de Saint Pierre, and offered to partake with him the honourable peril which he had incurred. They quickly put themselves into the humiliating attire required by Edward, but which, assumed in such a cause, was more honourable than the robes of the Garter, which that king had lately instituted. In their shirts, barefooted, and with the halters around their necks, they were conducted before Edward, to whom they submitted themselves for disposal, as the stipulated ransom for the pardon of their fellow-citizens. The king, looking on them with indignation, upbraided them with the losses he had sustained through their obstinacy, and commanded them to be presently beheaded. Sir Walter Manny, and the bravest English nobles and warriors, interfered to prevent the execution, and even the Prince of Wales interceded for their lives in vain. The Queen Philippa was the last resource of these unfortunate men. She had recently joined her husband's camp, in circumstances equally flattering to Edward as a monarch, and interesting to him as a husband. It was during her regency in England that the great victory of Neville's Cross had been obtained; and it was under her auspices that David II. of Scotland was made prisoner. The queen was also at this time with child, and thus in every respect entitled to the highest regard of her royal husband. When she saw that Edward would be moved with no less entreaty than her own, she rose hastily from her seat, and kneeled before the king, saying, with many tears, "Ah! my lord and husband, have I not a right to ask a boon of you, having come over the sea, through so many dangers, that I might wait upon you? Therefore, let me now pray you, in honour of our blessed Redeemer, and for love of me, that you would take pity upon these six prisoners!" Edward looked doubtfully upon the queen, and seemed to hesitate for a space, but said at length, "Ah, madam, I could well wish you had been elsewhere this day; yet how can I deny any boon which you ask of me? Take these men, and dispose of them as you will." The gracious queen, rejoiced at having prevailed in her suit, and having changed the dishonourable attire of the burgesses for new clothing, gave each of them six nobles, for immediate use, and caused them to be safely conveyed through the English host, and set at liberty. RELIGION. MEN are industrious, that they may get food, clothes, house-shelter, and other comforts. They eat and drink moderately, if they wish to preserve health and an agreeable state of body. They are courteous, modest, kind, and inoffensive, if they wish to be well thought of by their fellow-creatures. And they are strictly just in their dealings, and in the discharge of their duties, if they wish to think well of themselves, and to avoid the punishments usually L inflicted on wicked persons. All these qualities are only of use in making us pass happily through life. But man finds that he is connected with something besides what he sees and experiences in this life. He asks how himself and all the world were created. He inquires if the mind which thinks and feels is to perish like the frail body. To these inquiries answers have been given in the BIBLE; where we learn that God created heaven and earth, and all that they contain; and that the soul, after death, is to survive in another state. Man thus finds himself in a new and important light: he is not only a creature seeking for present happiness, but is passing onwards to a spiritual state of existence, in which his happiness or misery will be infinitely greater than it is at present, and to which there will be no end. We learn in the Bible that no efforts of our own enabled us to attain to happiness in the future state, but that God, in his great kindness and mercy towards us, his sinful creatures, has arranged a plan for our salvation through the mediation of his Divine Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, leaving it in our own power, while in this world, to take advantage of that plan if we will. Those who wisely take advantage of the free offers held forth in the Gospel, are assured of eternal joy in communion with God, while those who fail to do so are as surely threatened with eternal reprobation and punishment. To read and reflect upon these things-to endeavour by the grace of God to run that course which alone can lead us to eternal happiness-and to seek by all proper means to make others do so likewise-are the highest and most solemn of all duties. Men have formed different opinions respecting the doctrines contained in the Scriptures, and respecting the best means of carrying on the public worship of God; and such differences are apt to lead them into strife. The Bible itself calls upon us to be on our guard against such variances, and not to be angry with our fellowcreatures because they do not think precisely as we do. Besides perusing the Word of God, we should, as opportunities offer, study his works in the visible creation around We there see, in a most affecting light, the immensity of his power and goodness. Who but He could have us. |