Isabella, when Captain Hornby was wounded by a ball in the temple, and bled profusely. The sight of their brave commander, streaming with blood, somewhat disconcerted his gallant companions, but he called to them briskly to keep their courage and stand to their arms, for his wound was not dangerous.

16. On this their spirits revived, and again taking post in their close quarters, they sustained the shock of three more tremendous broadsides, in returning which, they forced the Brancas, by another well aimed shot, to sheer off. The huzzas of the Isabella's crew were renewed, and they again set up their shattered ensign, which was shot through and through into honorable rags.

17. Andre, who was not deficient in bravery, soon returned to the fight, and having disabled the Isabella, by five terrible broadsides, once more summoned Hornby to strike his colors Captain Hornby turned to his gallant comrades. "You see yonder, my lads," pointing to the shore, "the witnesses of your valor."

18. It was unnecessary to say more; they one and all assuring him of their resolution to stand by him to the last; and finding them thus invincibly determined, he hurled his final defiance at the enemy.

19. Andre immediately run his ship upon the Isabella's starboard, and lashed close along side; but his crew murmured, and refused to renew the dangerous task of boarding, so that he was obliged to cut the lashings, and again retreat.

20. Captain Hornby resolved to salute the privateer with a parting gun; and his last shot, fired into the stern of the Brancas, happening to reach the magazine, it blew up with a terrible explosion, and the vessel instantly went to the bottom. Out of seventy-five men, thirty-six were killed or wounded in the action, and all the rest, together with the wounded, perished in the deep, except three, who were picked up by the Dutch fishing boats.

21. This horrible catastrophe excited the compassion of the brave Hornby and his men; but they could unfortunately render no assistance to their ill-fated enemies, the Isabella having become unmanageable, and her boat being shattered to pieces.

22. Captain Hornby afterwards received from his sovereign, a large gold medal, in commemoration of his heroic conduct on this occasion; conduct, perhaps, not surpassed by any thing in the annals of British naval prowess.

LESSON XLIX.

Damon and Pythias.

1. WHEN Damon was sentenced by Dionysius, tyrant of Sicily, to die on a certain day, he begged permission to retire, previous to his execution, to his own country, that he might set in order the affairs of his disconsolate family.

2. This the tyrant intended peremptorily to refuse, by granting it on what he conceived to be the impossible condition of his procuring some one to remain as security for his return under equal forfeiture of his life.

3. Pythias, who was the friend of Damon, heard the conditions, and did not wait for an application on the part of the latter, but instantly offered to remain in his place; which being accepted, Damon was immediately set at liberty.

4. The king and all the courtiers were astonished at this action; and, therefore, when the day of execution drew near, the tyrant had the curiosity to visit Pythias in his confinement. 5. After some conversation on the subject of friendship, in which the tyrant delivered it as his opinion, that self-interest was the sole mover of human actions; as for virtue, friendship, benevolence, patriotism, and the like, he looked upon them as terms invented by the wise to keep in awe and impose upon the weak :

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My lord," said Pythias, with a firm voice and noble aspect, "I would it were possible that I might suffer a thousand deaths, rather than my friend should fail in any article of his honor! He cannot fail therein, my lord; I am as confident of his virtue as I am of my own existence. But I pray, I beseech the gods, to preserve the life and the integrity of Damon together.

7. "Oppose him, ye winds! prevent the eagerness and impatience of his honorable endeavors, and suffer him not to arrive, till, by my death, I have redeemed a life a thousand times more valuable than my own; more estimable to his lovely wife, to his innocent children, to his friends, and to his country. O leave me not to die the worst of deaths in that of my

friend!"

8. Dionysius was awed and confounded by the dignity of these sentiments, and by the manner in which they were uttered: he felt his heart struck by a slight sense of invading truth; but it served rather to perplex than to undeceive him.

9. The fatal day arrived: Pythias was brought forth, and walked amidst the guards, with a serious but satisfied air, to the

place of execution. Dionysius was already there; he was exalted on a moving throne, drawn by six white horses, and sat pensive and attentive to the prisoner.

10. Pythias came; he vaulted* lightly on the scaffold, and beholding for a time the apparatus of death, he turned with a placid countenance, and thus addressed the spectators :—“ My prayers are heard; the gods are propitious; you know, my friends, that the winds have been contrary till yesterday.Damon could not come; he could not conquer impossibilities; he will be here to-morrow, and the blood which is shed to-day shall have ransomed the life of my friend.

11. "O! could I erase from your bosoms every doubt, every mean suspicion of the honor of the man for whom I am about to suffer, I should go to my death with as much joy as to a marriage feast. Be it sufficient, in the mean time, that my friend will be found noble; that his truth is unimpeachable; that he will speedily prove it; that he is now on his way hurrying forward,accusing himself, the adverse elements, and fortune; but I haste to prevent his speed:-Executioner ! perform your duty."

12. As he pronounced the last word, a buzz began to rise among the remotest of the people; a distant voice was heard; the crowd caught the words, and "Stop, stop the execution," was repeated by the whole assembly.

13. A man came at full speed; the throng gave way to his approach; he was mounted on a courser that almost flew; in an instant, he was off his horse,—on the scaffold,—and in the arms of Pythias.

14. "You are safe," he cried, " my friend, my dearest friend! the gods be praised, you are safe! I now have nothing but death to suffer, and am delivered from the anguish of those reproaches which I gave myself for having endangered a life so much dearer than my own."

15. Pale, cold, and half speechless in the arms of his Damon, Pythias replied in broken accents-" Fatal haste !-Cruel impatience! What envious powers have wrought impossibilities in your favor? But I will not be wholly disappointed. Since I cannot die to save, I will not survive you."

16. Dionysius heard, beheld, and considered all with astonishment. His heart was touched: he wept, and leaving his throne, he ascended the scaffold.

* Vaulted, leaped.

17. "Live, live, ye incomparable pair!" he cried; "Ye have borne unquestionable testimony to the existence of virtue; and that virtue equally evinces the existence of a God to reward it. Live happy live renowned; and, O, form me by your precepts, as ye have instructed me by your example, to be worthy the participation of so sacred a friendship."

LESSON L.

Test of Goodness.

1. REAL goodness consists in doing good to our enemies.— Of this truth the following apologue* may serve for an illustration. A certain father of a family, advanced in years, being desirous of settling his worldly matters, divided his property between his three sons.

2. "Nothing now remains," said he to them, "but a diamond of great value; this I have determined to appropriate to whichever of you shall, within three months, perform the best action."

3. His three sons accordingly departed different ways, and returned by the limited time. On presenting themselves before their judge, the eldest thus began.

4. "Father," said he, "during my absence, I found a stranger so circumstanced, that he was under a necessity of entrusting me with the whole of his fortune. He had no written security from me, nor could he possibly bring any proof, any evidence whatever of the deposit. Yet I faithfully returned to him every shilling. Was there not something commendable

in this action?"

5. "Thou hast done what was incumbent upon thee to do, my son," replied the old man. "The man who could have acted otherwise were unworthy to live: for honesty is a duty; thy action is an action of justice, not of goodness.'

6. On this, the second son advanced. "In the course of my travels," said he, "I came to a lake in which I beheld a child struggling with death; I plunged into it and saved his life in the presence of a number of the neighboring villagers, all of whom, can attest the truth of what I assert.'

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7. "It was well done, "interrupted the old man; you have only obeyed the dictates of humanity." At length the youngest of the three came forward.

*Pronounced ap-o-log, a moral story or fable, intended to convey useful

truths.

8. "I happened," said he, " to meet my mortal enemy, who, having bewildered himself in the dead of night, had imperceptibly fallen asleep upon the brink of a frightful precipice. The least motion would infallibly have plunged him headlong into the abyss; and though his life was in my hands, yet with every necessary precaution, I awaked him, and removed him from his danger."

9. "Ah, my son !" exclaimed the venerable good man with transport, while he pressed him to his heart; "to thee belongs the diamond; well hast thou deserved it."

LESSON LI.

The mysterious Stranger.-JANE Taylor.

1. In a remote period of antiquity, when the supernatural and the marvellous obtained a readier credence than now, it was fabled that a stranger of extraordinary appearance was observed passing the streets of one of the magnificent cities of the east, remarking with an eye of intelligent curiosity every surrounding object.

2. Several individuals gathering around him, questioned him concerning his country and his business; but they presently perceived that he was unacquainted with their language, and he soon discovered himself to be equally ignorant of the most common usages of society. At the same time, the dignity and intelligence of his air and demeanor forbade the idea of his being either a barbarian or a lunatic.

3. When at length he understood by their signs, that they wished to be informed whence he came, he pointed with great significance to the sky; upon which the crowd, concluding him to be one of their deities, were proceeding to pay him divine honors; but he no sooner comprehended their design, than he rejected it with horror; and, bending his knees and raising his hand toward heaven, in the attitude of prayer, gave them to understand that he also was a worshipper of the powers above.

4. After a time, it is said, the mysterious stranger accepted the hospitalities of one of the nobles of the city; under whose roof he applied himself with great diligence to the acquirement of the language, in which he made such surprising proficiency, that, in a few days, he was able to hold intelligent intercourse with those around him.

5. The noble host now resolved to take an early opportunity of satisfying his curiosity respecting the country and quality of