by the will of God. You say also that Satan is punished by being condemned to hell-fire; now, as he is said to be of that element, what injury can fire do to itself ?”

The dervise, after a moment's reflection, took up a large lump of earth, struck the atheist a violent blow with it, and then left him. The latter went directly to the cady, complained of the injury, and demanded justice. The dervise was summoned to answer," why, instead of replying to the man, he had struck him "What I did," replied the dervise,"was in answer to his ridiculous questions. Of what does he complain? He says he has a pain; let him show it, if he wishes us to believe him: he accuses me of a crime, yet he said that a man ought not to be punished by our laws, since everything, according to our doctrine, was under the direction of God: he complains that I have injured him by striking him with a piece of earth; and he maintains that an element can do no harm to itself: of what then does he complain?" The atheist was con

founded, and retired amidst the railleries of the auditors. To be convinced of the hypocrisy of those infidels, we should see one of them on a bed-of-death; it would be a lesson for the others.

40.

The Queen of Spain has no Legs.

When the German princess Marie of Neuburg, who be came wife of Philip IV. of Spain, was on her way to Madrid, she passed through a little town, in Spain, famous for its manufactory of gloves and stockings. The citizens and magistrates thought they could not better express their joy for the reception of their new queen, than by presenting her a sample of those commodities for which their town was remarkable. The major-domo, who conducted the princess, received the gloves very graciously; but when the stockings were presented, he flung them away with indignation, and severely reprimanded the magistrates of the deputation for their indecency.

"Know," said he, "that a queen of Spain has no legs.' The young queen, unacquainted with the etiquette, customs and prejudices of the Spanish court, imagined that they3 were really going to cut off her legs. She burst into tears, begging they would conduct her back into Germany, for she could never endure such an operation, and it was with great difficulty that they appeased her. The king, it is said, never laughed more heartily than at the recital of this adventure.

41.

The Wolf and the Lamb.

HUME'S ESSAYS.

One hot, sultry day, a wolf and a lamb happened to come, just at the same time, to a clear brook to quench their thirst. The wolf stood upon the higher ground3 and the lamb at some distance from him down the current.1 However, the wolf, having a mind to pick* a quarrel with him, asked him why he' troubled the water, and made it so muddy that he could not drink; and at the same time demanded satisfaction.

The lamb, frightened at this threatening charge, told him, in a tone as mild as possible, that he could not conceive how that could be; since the water which he drank, ran down from the wolf to him, and therefore it could not be disturbed so far up the stream.

"Be that as it may,"9 replied the wolf, "you are a rascal, and I have been told1o that you treated" me with11 ill language" behind my back about half a year ago." "Upon my word," says the lamb, "the time you mention was before I was born." "That may be," replied the wolf; "but it was no later than yesterday that I saw your father encouraging the hounds that were pursuing me.” “Pardon me!" answered the lamb, "my poor father fell a victim to the butcher's knife upwards of a month since." 13 "It was your mother, then," replied the savage beast. "My

14

was

mother," said the innocent lamb, "died on the day born." "Dead or not," vociferated the wolf, as15 he gnashed his teeth in15* rage, "I know very well that all the breed' of you hate me, and therefore I am determined to have'' my revenge." So saying, he sprang upon the poor innocent, defenseless thing, tore it to pieces and devoured it.

42.

Honorable Conduct of King John of France. The name of John does not appear to have been in favor, either in the royal families of England or of France, as we find but3 one monarch of that name in each of those countries, unless we reckon the John who reigned but3 four days in France, from the 15th to the 19th of November, 1316.

The characters of the other two Johns were very opposite to each other. John of England was cruel, vindictive, rapacious, and cowardly; and, during a reign of nearly seventeen years, was perpetually at war with his subjects. John of France, on the contrary, whose reign was nearly as long (from 1350 to 1364), occupied himself so much about the welfare of his people, that he acquired the surname of the Good.

John, after fighting heroically at the battle of Poictiers, had the misfortune to be made prisoner by the English. He was taken to London, where he remained until a treaty was signed, by which he agreed to pay three millions of gold crowns for the ransom of himself and the other prisoners, and to leave Gascony, Calais, Guines, and several other places in possession of the English.

The king was then set at liberty, and returned to France, leaving9 the dukes of Anjou and Berry, his sons, the duke of Orleans, his brother, and the duke of Bourbon, his cousin, as hostages for the payment of the ransom. Some difficulties having arisen as12 to the execution of the treaty,

the princes obtained permission to go over to Calais on parole, saying they should be better able to explain and terminate the differences there than in England. The duke of Anjou, however, violated his parole, and fled to Paris.

John, highly13 displeased at such want-of-faith, imme diately returned to London, and delivered himself prisoner to Edward king of England, saying: "If honor is banished from every other place, it ought to remain sacred in the breast of kings."

Edward assigned the palace15 of the Savoy15 to the king for his residence; but he was soon after attacked by an illness which in a few weeks terminated his existence. His body was sent to France with a splendid retinue, and buried at the Abbey of St. Denis, which is the general burial-place of the French monarchs, as Westminster Abbey and Windsor Castle are16 for the sovereigns of England.

43.
A Dog's Will.

A gentleman in the country possessed a valuable dog, which had twice saved him from drowning, and several times protected him against thieves; he was consequently much attached to him. At length the poor animal became old and died, and the master, in memory of his fidelity, buried him at the end of his garden, which was near the church-yard; he also had a monument placed over him, with an epitaph in the following words: "Here lies one whose virtues rendered him more worthy of3 consecrated ground than many who are there interred."

Some busy persons immediately informed the magistrate, denouncing the gentleman as an atheist. The magistrate sent for him, reproached him with his impiety, and threat. ened to accuse him before the ecclesiastical court. The gentleman began to be alarmed, but recollecting himself,

he said to the magistrate: "Sir, your observations are very just, and if my dog had not possessed almost human intelligence, I should merit the punishment with which you threaten me. It would be tiresome to relate to you the history of the faithful creature, but the last act of his life will convince you of his extraordinary intelligence: would you believe it, sir, that he made a will, and among other things, has left you a hundred pounds, which I now bring you!" "Indeed!" replied the magistrate, "he was a most astonishing dog, and you have done [extremely] well in paying honor to his remains; it would be well if everybody had lived so as to merit the inscription that is1o seen on his tomb."

44. Ventriloquy.

Ventriloquy is the art of speaking inwardly without any apparent motion of the lips or other organs of speech, and of disguising the voice so as2 to make3 it appear that' of another person, as if it came from another place.

Some years ago there was in England a man named Hoskins who possessed this art in a very eminent degree, and by the aid of it frequently amused himself at the expense of others. He was once traveling on foot in the country, and overtook on the road a carter driving a cart with a load of hay. After walking some time and conversing with the countryman, Hoskins imitated the crying of a child. As there was not any child to be seen, the carter appeared surprised, and asked Hoskins if he had not heard it; he replied yes, and almost at the same instant the cry was repeated. It appeared this time to come from among the hay in the cart, and the ventriloquist insisted that the carter had concealed a child there.

The poor fellow, astonished and alarmed, stopped his horses and unloaded the cart truss by truss; no child, however, was found, and he reloaded it; which he had scarcely done when the cry was again distinctly heard.