go to its relief, saying, "I would rather share than behold their calamity." He was very ready to forgive offenders. A document containing the names of certain nobles who had conspired against him being put into his hands, he instantly tore it in picces, without looking into it. It was his maxim, that while the good are secured by justice, the bad are won by clemency. The kingdom of Naples, including Sicily, was left to him. by its former ruler; but he had to contend with a rival before he could establish himself in that country. In this contest his kind nature did as much as his arms. He gained the important town of Gacta entirely by an act of generosity. It was held out against him by his enemics, and starvation had reduced the inhabitants to great misery. To make their provisions last the longer, the garrison thrust out all the old people, the women, and the children. Alphonso had it in his power to drive back all these into the town, by which it must have been obliged so much the sooner to surrender. His officers recommended him to do this; but he could not bear to think of the misery which would have been the consequence. "I value the safety of so many of my fellow-creatures," said he, "more than a hundred Gactas;" and he allowed them to pass through his army. Every one exclaimed against his conduct as mad; but a little time proved that it was not only a benevolent, but a wise act, for the citizens, melted by his generosity, soon after submitted to him of their own accord. Alphonso succeeded, in the year 1442, in establishing himself as king of Naples; from which period till his death, twenty-six years after, he was considered the most powerful and influential prince in Italy. He is distinguished in history by the name of ALPHONSO THE MAGNANIMOUS. THE CATARACT AND THE STREAMLET. Noble the mountain stream, Bursting in grandeur from its vantage-ground; Of brightness; thunder in its deafening sound! THE CATARACT AND THE STREAMLET. Mark how its foamy spray, Tinged by the sunbeams with reflected dyes, Arching in majesty the vaulted skies! Thence, in a summer-shower, Steeping the rocks around. Oh! tell me where Be clothed in forms more beautifully fair? Yet lovelier, in my view, And livelier growth it gives itself unseen! It flows through flowery meads, Gladdening the herds which on its margin browse; The alders that o'ershade it with their boughs. Gently it murmurs by The village churchyard: its low, plaintive tone For worth and beauty modest as its own. More gaily now it sweeps By the small schoolhouse, in the sunshine bright; Like happy hearts by holiday made light. May not its course express, In characters which they who run may read, Were but its still small voice allowed to plead? What are the trophies gained Niagara's streams might fail, And human happiness be undisturbed: Were her still Nile's o'erflowing bounty curbed! 103 CONSCIENTIOUSNESS-RESPECTING THE PROPERTY OF OTHERS. ALMOST all people possess some things which they value, and wish to keep for their own use. A boy has his playthings and his books, and occasionally some pocket-money. A man may have a good deal of money; he may have a house, with furniture; he may have land. Whatever any one has fairly acquired, is his property, and no other person has a right to it. If one boy takes playthings or anything else from another against his will, he commits the crime of theft; so if one man takes money or anything else belonging to another, he commits the crime of robbery. What makes it wrong to take property that does not belong to us? It is chiefly this that one who is deprived of his property is thereby made unhappy. He has lost, perhaps, what he had fairly earned by his own labour. His labours have therefore been vain; while one who did not labour is the gainer. But it is of importance to all that no one should ever take what is not his own. Men in general work, that they may themselves be the gainers by their labours. If they find that much of what they gain is unjustly taken from them, their inclination to labour slackens; others become indifferent too; and the comfort of the world is diminished. It is therefore proper that we should respect the property of our neighbours. We should not take the least particle of itnot even a crumb of bread. A young person may perhaps think otherwise at first. He sees something not his own within his reach, and he thinks how delightful it would be to take that thing. Let him just consider how he should like if anything of his were taken, in like manner, by another boy or girl. Would he not in that case feel himself greatly injured, and would he not think very ill of the thief? So by his taking property not his own does he injure the owner; and just so is he liable to be despised as a thief. Besides, the taking of another's property is liable to be THE MILAN DOOR-KEEPER. 105 punished when it is detected. One who is inclined to steal, is apt to suppose that he will escape detection, and not be punished. But of this he never can be sure. Crimes are every day discovered in ways that the criminal could never have thought of. Hence no one ever thrives long by taking what is not his own. Honesty is always found ultimately to be the best policy. THE ROBBER SPARROW. A martin had built a nice nest for himself in the upper corner of a window, leaving a little hole to go out and in at. As the martin had taken all the trouble of building the nest, it was rightfully his property; it belonged to no other bird, for no other bird had had any of the trouble of building it. A sparrow, of felonious dispositions, chose to pop into the martin's nest when the martin was from home: and when the martin returned, he found his place occupied by the sparrow, who, looking out of the hole, pecked at him fiercely, and would not on any account let him get into his own house. The martin, who is a gentle bird, found himself no match for the sparrow; but it is supposed that he went and related his case to a few of his friends, for in a little while a number of martins were observed to come to the spot, as if to endeavour to persuade the sparrow to retire. The intruder, however, still kopt his place, easily defending himself against them all. They then went off again, and returning each with a little mud in his bill, proceeded to build up the entrance to the nest, so that the sparrow soon died for want of food and air, and was thus punished for his roguery and violence. THE MILAN DOOR-KEEPER. Whatever belongs to any one, continues to be always his, till he relinquishes it of his own free-will, or till he forfeits it by the award of the law. If we find, therefore, anything which another has lost, it is not our property: we are bound to give it back to him who lost it, if he can be found. A poor man who kept the door of a lodging-house at Milan, found a purse with two hundred crowns in it; and so far from thinking of keeping it to himself, he immediately gave public notice of his having found it by means of the town-crier. The gentleman who had lost the purse came to the door-keeper, and on his giving proof that it belonged to him, it was restored. Grateful to the finder, he offered the poor man twenty crowns; but the door-keeper said he had only done his duty, and desired no reward. The gentleman intreated him to take ten-then five-but found him determined on accepting nothing for merely doing what he ought to have done. This greatly distressed the owner of the purse, and throwing it on the ground, he exclaimed, "Nay, then, it is not mine, and I will have nothing to do with it, since you refuse to accept anything." The honest door-keeper was then prevailed on to take five crowns, which he immediately gave away to the poor. LEONARD. At the age of twelve, Leonard had the misfortune to lose his father. His mother was unable to work for him, and he had no other friend to depend upon. He resolved to be a burden to no one, but to make his own way in the world. "I can read pretty well," said he to himself; "I can also write a little, and cast accounts: if I am honest and industrious, why should I not be able to carn my own bread?" He therefore took leave of his mother, and went to a neighbouring town, where he inquired for a certain merchant, who had been a friend of his father. He begged of Mr Benson, for this was the name of the merchant, that he would take him into his employment, and promised to serve him with zeal and fidelity. The merchant, having then need of an apprentice, willingly took charge of Leonard, who did everything in his power to give satisfaction to his master. If he ever happened to forget any duty, or to make any error in writing, he frankly confessed his fault, and sought to repair it by, if possible, still greater zeal and activity. Mr Benson could not be otherwise than pleased with so faithful an apprentice, and soon began to place much confidence in him. Leonard would have now been quite happy, if he had not chanced to excite the hatred of Mr Benson's house |