I have seen," he says, "a cabbage larger than a house." "And I," says the other, "a saucepan as large as a church.” The first laughs at him; the other replies: "Softly, friend, softly, the saucepan was made on purpose to boil your cabbage."

27.

Peter the Hermit.

Peter the Hermit, a native of Amiens, in Picardy, was a man of great zeal, courage, and piety. He had made a pilgrimage to the holy sepulchre at Jerusalem, and beheld with indignation the cruel manner in3 which the Christians were treated by the Infidels, who were in the possession of the place. Unable to repress his resentment, he entertained, upon his return, the bold design of freeing the whole country from the Mahometan yoke, and of restoring to the Christians the land where their religion was first propagated. He first proposed his views to Martin II, at that time pope, who assisted this bold enthusiast in his aims.

Peter, warmed with a zeal that knew no bounds, began to preach the Crusade, and to excite the princes of Christendom to the recovery of the Holy Land. Bare-headed, and bare-footed, he traveled from court to court, preaching as he went, and inflaming the zeal of every rank of people. The fame of his design being thus diffused, prel ates, nobles, and princes, concurred in seconding it; and, at (in) a council held at Clermont, where the pope himself exhorted to the undertaking, the whole assembly cried out with one voice, as if by inspiration: It is the will of God. It is the will of God. From that time, nothing was seen but1o a universal migration of the western nations into the east: men of all ranks flew to arms with the utmost alacrity, and bore the sign of the cross upon their right shoulder, as a mark of their devotion to the cause.

GOLDSMITH.

28.

Filial Affection of a Page.

The emperor Charles V. had a page named Athanasius d'Ayala, whose father had had the imprudence to engage in a conspiracy against his monarch; he was proscribed, his property confiscated, and he himself was obliged to flee. Athanasius was yet very young, not being3 more than fourteen, and consequently did not receive any salary at court; his tender heart was deeply afflicted at the situation of his father, who was reduced to poverty, and he had no means of sending him assistance. At length, unable to support the idea of the sufferings of his parent, the young Athanasius sold the horse that was allowed him for his exercises, and sent the money to his father.

The horse was soon missed and the page interrogated; but he obstinately refused to give any account of him." The emperor, being informed10 of the circumstance, ordered" Athanasius to be brought" before him, and insisted12 on knowing what he had done with the horse. The youth immediately fell on his knees, and bursting into tears confessed the whole, saying, "I hope that your majesty will pardon me, for, if my father has forgotten his duty to his king, he is nevertheless my father, and nothing could excuse me if I were13 to forget my duty towards him.”

29.

Delicacy of Alphonso, King of Aragon.

Alphonso, king of Aragon, went one day to1 a jeweler's to purchase some diamonds for (als) presents to2 a foreign prince. He was accompanied by several courtiers, and the jeweler spread his finest diamonds and other precious stones before them without hesitation. The prince, after making his purchases, retired; but he had scarcely left the house when3 the jeweler came after him, and requested he would

do him the honor to return for a moment, as he had something important to say to him. The prince and his courtiers. re-entered, and the jeweler then said that a diamond of great value had been taken by [some] one of his attendants. Alphonso looked sternly at those who accompanied him, saying, "Whichsoever of you has stolen the diamond, he deserves the most severe punishment; but the publication of his name might perhaps tarnish the reputation of an honorable family; I will spare them that disgrace." He then desired the jeweler to bring a large pot full of bran. When it was brought, he ordered every one of the attendants to plunge his right hand closed into the pot, and to draw it out quite open. It was done; and, the bran being sifted, the diamond was found. The prince then addressed them, saying: "Gentlemen, I will not suspect any one among you; I will forget the affair: the culpable person cannot escape the torment of his guilty conscience."

30.

Walter Scott at School.1

When this celebrated author was at school,' he was very laborious; yet it appears that his intellect was not brilliant, and that his great success in after-life was owing to3 his indefatigable perseverance.

The following anecdote is found in his autobiography lately published.

"There was," says Walter Scott, "a boy in my class who stood always at the top, and I could not, with all my efforts, supplant him. Day came after day, and still he kept his place at length I observed that, when a question3 was asked him, he always fumbled with his fingers at a particular button on the lower part of his waistcoat while seeking an answer. I thought therefore if I could remove the button slyly, the surprise at9 not finding9 it might derange his ideas at the next interrogation of the class, and

give me a chance of taking him down. The button was therefore removed without his perceiving1o it. Great was my anxiety to know the success of my measure, and it succeeded but11 too well.

"The hour of interrogation arrived, and the boy was questioned: he sought, as usual, with his fingers, the friendly button, but he could not find it. Disconcerted he looked down, the talisman was gone, his ideas became confused, he could not reply. I seized the opportunity, answered the question, and took his place, which he never recovered, nor12 do I believe he ever suspected the author of the trick.

"I have often met with him since we entered the world, and never without13 feeling my conscience reproach me. Frequently have I resolved to make him some amends by rendering15 him a service; but an opportunity did not present itself, and I fear I did not seek one with as much ardor as I sought to supplant him at school."

31.

Diamond cut Diamond.1

A gentleman of Oliver Cromwell's domestic-establishment had conceived a great affection for the Protector's youngest daughter; the young lady did not discourage him, and at length he proposed a secret marriage, as there was no hope of obtaining her father's consent. A person' having3 discovered the secret, communicated it to Cromwell, who gave him orders to watch, and to let him know the next time the gentleman and his daughter should be together. This happened on the following day, and Cromwell, being informed of it, entered suddenly his daughter's room, where he found the gentleman on his knees before her.

The Protector in a fury demanded an explanation of his conduct, and the other, with great presence of mind, re

plied: "May' it please your highness, I have a great affection for your daughter's chamber-maid; but she refuses to give me her hand; so, thinking this young lady had great influence over her, I was soliciting that she would9 intercede for me."

"Oh!" replied Oliver, "if that's the case, I will see what I can do for you." And calling the young woman, he said to her: "Why do you refuse the honor of marrying Mr. White? he is my friend, and I insist1o that you give your consent." The young woman, who had no11 objection, blushed deeply and Cromwell said: "Ah! I see how it is, a little coquetry; go call me the chaplain." The chaplain came, and Oliver ordered him immediately to marry12 Mr. White and the chamber-maid. Mr. W. was obliged to submit or to expose himself to the vengeance of Cromwell, who, however, to render the bride more attractive, gave her a portion of five hundred pounds.

32.

Humanity of Louis XIV.

During the reign of Louis the Fourteenth, an Italian chemist named1 Poli came to Paris, and having obtained an audience of the king, informed him that he had discovered a composition ten times more destructive than gunpowder. Louis was fond of3 chemistry, and ordered the Italian to prepare the composition, and to make th necessary experiments on a certain day in his presence.

It was done, and everything succeeded according to the wishes of Poli, who then observed to the king that it would give him a great superiority over his enemies. "It is true," said Louis, "and your invention is very ingenious; but mankind already possess sufficient means of destroying each other; you shall be handsomely rewarded for your trouble and ingenuity, but I charge you, for the (ur) honor of human nature, never to divulge your secret.”