mystery none of them could unravel. Now it chanced that a sister of the Lacedæmonian king, understanding their perplexity, requested permission to inspect them. Her desire was admitted; she commenced a minute investigation, and assisted by that peculiar shrewdness, which women frequently display in emergencies, raised the wax, and a portion of the writing became manifest. She had now a clue, and proceeding in her work, gradually removed the waxen covering and exhibited the legend at full. The nobles of the council thus pre-monished, rejoiced exceedingly; took the necessary steps, and secured themselves. against the menaced siege.

APPLICATION.

My beloved, the king, is Christ, who is banished, by human depravity, from his right. Nevertheless, he so loved us, as to contrive a means of freeing us from the attacks of our enemy the devil.

AUGUSTINE tells us, that when the Egyptians formerly deified Isis and Serapis, they proceeded in this manner. First, they made a law, that whosoever declared them to be mortal, or so much as expressed a doubt relative to their birth, should be put to an ignominious death. Then they erected two images; and that the aforesaid law should be strictly observed, they placed near them, in every temple dedicated to their honour, another of diminutive form, having a fore-finger laid upon its lips, to indicate that silence was indispensably required of those who entered their temples. In this way they endeavoured to repress the promulgation of truth.

APPLICATION.

My beloved, these Egyptians are all worldly-minded men, who would deify and worship their vices, while they sedulously hide truth from the heart. The smaller image, is Fear of the world, which is ever instrumental in the suppression of truth.

TALE XXIII.

OF SPIRITUAL MEDICINE.

SAINT AUGUSTINE relates, that an ancient custom formerly prevailed, in compliance with which, emperors, after death, were laid upon a funeral pile and burnt; and their ashes deposited in an urn. But it happened that one of them died, whose heart resisted the impression of fire. This circumstance created

the utmost astonishment, and all the rhetoricians, and other wise men of every province, were summoned to one place. The question was then proposed to them, and they thus answered: "The Emperor died intoxicated, and through the influence of a latent poison, his heart cannot be consumed.” When this was understood, they drew the heart from the fire, and covered it with theriaque (22) and immediately the poison was expelled. The heart, being returned to the flames, was soon reduced to ashes.

APPLICATION.

My beloved, men are thus in a spiritual sense. The heart is impoisoned, and then the fire of the Holy Ghost will not touch it. The theriaque is repentance, which removes all transgressions.

TALE XXIV.

OF THE SUGGESTIONS OF THE DEVIL.

THERE was a celebrated magician, who had a very beautiful garden, in which grew flowers of the most fragrant smell, and fruits of the most delicious flavour. In short, nothing on But he invariably re

earth could exceed it. fused admittance to all

except to fools, or

such as were his enemies. When suffered to pass in, however, their wonder was extreme; and few having entered it wished to return. On the contrary, the delights which they experienced, so infatuated their minds, that they easily yielded to the demands of the magician, and resigned their inheritances to him without the slightest reserve. The fools, of course, believing it to be Paradise, and that the flowers and fruits were of immortal growth,