man, and his wife was but little younger than himself; and by that means they would have lost the advantage of receiving towards their support a portion of the pay of their son, an honest stripling, who, according to the regulations of the army, served in the same corps, and messed with his parents.

The general, unable to impute the smallest fault to the father, and not daring to dismiss him on his own authority, determined to deprive him of his son, hoping, by this means, either through his grief or poverty, to get rid of him. To this effect, he wrote to the king, that he had in his regiment an excellent young soldier, who was too tall for an hussar, and offered him to his majesty for his regiment of guards, which he said would be a more proper situation for him.

The king accepted the offer, and the young man set out for Potzdam, leaving his parents in an affliction that was the more poignant, as they knew that though the regiment of guards was one of the finest in the kingdom, yet it was that of which every soldier had the greatest dread, since, being always under the eye of the king, it is subject to a stricter discipline, and greater exertions, than any other regiment. When the soldier arrived, the king wished to see him.

Frederick, having slightly examined him, ordered him to put on a suit of the uniform of the guards. When the hussar reentered, in a dress so new, and so much handsomer than that he had before been used to, the king asked him how he liked it. The young man replied, that he should always be pleased with any sort of uniform, if he had but the happiness to please his sovereign, by doing his duty well.

"Very well," said Frederick, "keep these clothes, remain here, do your duty, and I will take care of the rest. Your comrades will tell you what you have to do, but, my good fellow, you must be exact to a minute in your department: to this effect, you must be

furnished with a good watch. Go, therefore, to such a watchmaker, tell him you are in my service, and he will give you a good silver watch, for which he will ask you forty crowns.

"You will want, besides," said the king, "half a dozen of shirts, some stockings, cravats, and pocket handkerchiefs, which will come to about so much. Go and purchase the articles, and be always exact, faithful, and discreet in my service. As to means for your subsistence and sundry expenses, I will allow you ten crowns per month, which will be sufficient to procure all will want. you

The first thought of the young soldier, in the midst of his joy, was directed to his parents. "I have such abundance of money," said he, "and my father and mother are in the greatest necessity! Is there no means of sending them the forty crowns given me for the watch, and of borrowing that sum of some of my fellow-soldiers, on the condition of repaying them at the rate of five crowns per month? What remains will be quite enough for necessaries."

He could not resist this idea, and, accordingly, he borrowed the forty crowns among several of his fellowsoldiers. He procured the watch, and relieved his parents. But he was yet ignorant that kings know every thing, and that the first law imposed by Frederick on those who served him, was to disclose to him whatever facts they became acquainted with.

The next day, he sent for his new dependant, and said to him, “I gave you money to buy a watch, and you sent it to your parents. You supposed you were doing a noble action, without being conscious that it was a breach of your fidelity to me. It is right and meritorious, to assist one's relations when they are indigent, and particularly when they are infirm or old; to do so, is a most sacred duty. But, at the same time, we should appropriate to such a purpose, only what is our own.

"In sending the money I gave you, you disposed of what did not belong to you. This money was not yours, since I gave it you only on condition that you should use it as I directed. It was no more than a deposit in your hands, and you have violated the law imposed on persons who receive a trust. For this

time, however, I pardon you, because your fault has arisen out of a sentiment both respectable and pure; out of a kind feeling, and without once reflecting on the nature of the case, as I have now explained it to you.

66

The borrowing of the forty crowns was an aggravation of your first fault; for we should never borrow, but under circumstances of great necessity, what we are not sure we shall be able to repay. For example, how would this debt be paid to your comrades, if you were to die, or if I were to dismiss you? On this occasion, I will enable you to discharge your debt, but recollect, I absolutely forbid your contracting any other."

LESSON THIRTY-THIRD.

Frederick and the Hussar; or, The faithful and affectionate Servant.

It was not long before Frederick felt the beneficial consequences of the kindness he had bestowed on this

He was attacked by a violent fit of the gout. His physician was sent for, who found him in a raging fever, with his skin extremely dry. The physician's first object, was to bring on a perspiration, and, accordingly he ordered him a potion for that purpose; but Frederick was possessed of the weakness of so many great commanders, who, like Mithridates, imagine themselves excellent physicians. He insisted

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"In sending the money I gave you, you disposed of what did not belong to you. This money was not yours, since I gave it you only on condition that you should use it as I directed. It was no more than a deposit in your hands, and you have violated the law imposed on persons who receive a trust. For this time, however, I pardon you, because your fault has arisen out of a sentiment both respectable and pure; out of a kind feeling, and without once reflecting on the nature of the case, as I have now explained it to you.

"The borrowing of the forty crowns was an aggravation of your first fault; for we should never borrow, but under circumstances of great necessity, what we are not sure we shall be able to repay. For example, how would this debt be paid to your comrades, if you were to die, or if I were to dismiss you? On this occasion, I will enable you to discharge your debt, but recollect, I absolutely forbid your contracting any other.'

LESSON THIRTY-THIRD.

Frederick and the Hussar; or, The faithful and affectionate Servant.

It was not long before Frederick felt the beneficial consequences of the kindness he had bestowed on this

man

He was attacked by a violent fit of the gout. His paysician was sent for, who found him in a raging fever, with his skin extremely dry. The physician's first object, was to bring on a perspiration, and, accordingly he ordered him a potion for that purpose; but Frederick was possessed of the weakness of so many great commanders, who, like Mithridates, imagine themselves excellent physicians. He insisted

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