ploring her wretched situation, and the cruelty of fate, that had saved her from perishing, by a premature death, in the river Volturna, when endeavouring to save the life of her infant son, to be the spectator of still greater calamities.

6. The Italian general, who was a young man, was struck with surprise at her beauty, and with pity at her distress, but with still stronger emotions, when he heard her relate her former misfortunes; for he had been told that his mother had endangered her own life to save his. He was her son, the very infant for whom she had encountered so much danger. He acknowledged her at once as his mother, and fell at her feet, and that moment set the captive free. They ever after lived in a state of friendship and affection, deploring the calamities of war, and the reverses of fortune which befall mankind.

The aged Prisoner.

1. No where else on earth, perhaps, has human misery, by human means, been rendered so lasting, so complete, or so remediless, as in the late despotic prison, the Bastile of France. This the following case may suffice to evince; the particulars of which are translated from that elegant and energetic writer, M. Mercier.

2. The heinous offence which merited an imprisonment surpassing torture, and rendered death a blessing, was no more than some unguarded expressions, implying disrespect towards the late Gallic monarch, Louis XV. Upon the accession of Louis XVI. to the throne, the ministers then in office, moved by humanity, began their administration with an act of clemency and justice. They inspected the registers of the Bastile, and set many prisoners at liberty. Among these, there was an old man who had groaned in confinement for forty-seven years, between four thick and cold stone walls. 3. Hardened by adversity, which strengthens both the mind and constitution, when they are not overpowered by it, he had resisted the horrors of his long imprisonment, with an invincible and manly spirit. His locks, white, thin, and scattered, had almost acquired the rigidity of iron; whilst his body, environed for so long a time by a coffin of stone, had borrowed from it a firm and compact habit. The narrow door of his tomb, turning upon its grating hinges, opened not

as usual, by balves, when an unknown voice announced liberty, and bade him depart."

4. Believing this to be a dream, he hesitated; but at leng rose up, and walked forth with trembling steps, amazed the space he traversed. The stairs of the prison, the hall the court, seemed to him vast, immense, and almost withou bounds. He stopped from time to time, and gazed aroun like a bewildered traveller. His vision was with difficult reconciled to the clear light of day. He contemplated th heavens as a new object. His eyes remained fixed, and h could not even weep.

5. Stupified with the newly acquired power of chang his position, his limbs, like his tongue, refused, in spite his efforts, to perform their office. At length he got throug the formidable gate. When he felt the motion of the ca riage which was prepared to transport him to his former h bitation, he screamed out, and uttered some inarticulat sounds; and as he could not bear this new movement, h was obliged to descend. Supported by a benevolent arm he sought out the street where he had formerly resided: h found it, but no trace of his house remained; one of the pub lic edifices occupied the spot where it had stood.

6. He now saw nothing which brought to his recollection either that particular quarter, the city itself, or the objects with which he was formerly acquainted. The houses of his nearest neighbours, which were fresh in his memory, had assumed a new appearance. In vain were his looks directed to all the objects around him; he could discover nothing of which he had the smallest remembrance. Terrified, he stop ped and fetched a deep sigh. To him what did it import that the city was peopled with living creatures? None of them were alive to him; he was unknown to all the world, and he knew nobody; and whilst he wept, he regretted his dungeon.

7. At the name of the Bastile, (which he often pronounced, and even claimed as an asylum,) and the sight of his clothes, which marked his former age, the crowd gathered around him; curiosity, blended with pity, excited their attention The most aged asked him many questions, but had no re collection of the circumstances which he recapitulated. A length accident brought to his way an ancient domestic, nov a superannuated porter, who, confined to his apartment for

Rec ven

d him

en years, had barely sufficient strength to open the gate. he did not know the master he had served: but informthat grief and misfortune had brought his wife to the food ;'ve thirty years before; that his children were gone abrinate to distant climes; and that of all his relations and frien area none now remained.

8.

led is recital was made with the indifference which peoful Cover for events long passed and almost forgotten. revelace erable man groaned, and groaned alone. The crowd

an offering only unknown features to his view, made

feel the excess of his calamities even more than he would have done in the dreadful solitude which he had left. Overcome with sorrow, he presented himself before the minister, to whose humanity he owed that liberty which was now a burthen to him. Bowing down, he said, "Restore me again to that prison from which you have taken me. I cannot survive the loss of my nearest relations, of my friends, and, in a word, of a whole generation. Is it possible, in the same moment, to be informed of this universal destruction, and not to wish for death? This general mortality, which to others comes slowly, and by degrees, has to me been instantaneous, the operation of a moment. Whilst secluded from society, I lived with myself only; but here I can neither live with myself, nor with this new race, to whom my anguish and despair appear only as a dream.".

9. The minister sympathized; he caused the old domestic to attend this unfortunate person, as only he could talk to him of his family. His discourse was the single consolation which he received; for he shunned intercourse with the new race born since he had been exiled from the world; and, for almost half a century he passed his time in the midst of Paris, in the same solitary manner as when confined in a dungeon. But the chagrin and mortification of meeting no person who could say to him, "We were formerly known to each other," soon put an end to his existence.

Androcles and the Lion.

1. ANDROCLES was the slave of a proconsul of Africa. He had unfortunately been guilty of a crime for which he was sentenced to die. He however found an opportunity of escape, which he effected at midnight, and fled into the deserts of Numidia. Wandering through a vast and trackless

uncenc

forest, his flesh torn by thorns and brambles, hungry exhausted with fatigue, he entered a cavern, which he dentally discovered, and threw himself on the grout at len

despair.

s, amazed

a

2. He had not remained long in this situation, bon, the hal was roused by a dreadful noise, which he thought most withe roar of some beast of prey. He started up in terror, gazed arou an intention to fly; but on advancing to the entrand ith difficul cave, he beheld a prodigious lion, which entirely pi emplated the

a possibility of escape.

fixed, and h 3. The unfortunate Androcles now believed his dest tion inevitable; but, to his great astonishment, the beast ap ng i proached him with a gentle pace, without any indication of enmity or rage, uttering a mournful noise, as if he wanted some assistance. Androcles, who was naturally of a courageous disposition, immediately recovered firmness sufficient to examine his tremendous visitant. The lion, with a limping pace, approached him, and began immediately to lick the hand of Androcles, holding up a large and swelled, paw. Acquiring still more fortitude from the gentle behaviour of the beast, he took hold of his paw, and perceived that a very large thorn had penetrated deeply into the ball

of the foot.

4. Androcles, finding that the lion received this familiarity with the greatest satisfaction, proceeded to extract the thorn, and afterwards, by a gentle compression, discharged a considerable quantity of pus, which had been the cause of much uneasiness and pain. As soon as the lion found himself thus relieved, he began to express his joy and gratitude by jumpug about like a young cat, by wagging his enormous tail, and licking the hands and feet of his surgeon. Nor were these demonstrations of kindness all he expressed.

5. He sallied forth in quest of prey, and brought home the produce of his chase, sharing it with his friend. In this savage state of hospitality, and frightful solitude, did Androcles live, during the space of several months. At length, wandering unguardedly in the woods, he met some soldiers, by whom he was apprehended, and conveyed a prisoner to his master. 6. The proconsul of Africa was at that time collecting the largest lions that could be found, in order to send them as a present to Rome, for the purpose of furnishing a show to the people. The proconsul ordered that his refractory

slave should be sent at the same time, and that he should be exposed to fight with one of the lions in the amphitheatre. Alion for this savage exhibition, was kept several days without food; and when the destined moment arrived, the unfortunate man was exposed unarmed in the middle of a spacious area, enclosed on every side, around which many thousands of spectators had assembled to be amused by the mournful spectacle. At length a huge lion darted from place of confinement, and advanced furiously towards

e man.

7. All eyes were turned upon the destined victim, whose destruction was instantly expected. But the pity of the multitude was converted into astonishment, on beholding the lion crouch submissively at his feet, fawn on him like a faithful dog, and caress him as a long lost and dearly beloved friend. Androcles immediately discovered in the lion his old Numidian companion, and renewed his acquainlance with him. Their mutual congratulations were surprising.

8. The governor of the town was present, who beholding one of the fiercest and most unrelenting of animals forget his disposition, and become harmless and inoffensive, ordered Androcles to explain the unintelligible mystery. Anrocles then related every circumstance of his adventures n the forest. Every one present was delighted with the tory, and unanimously joined to entreat the governor to ardon the unhappy man, which he immediately did, and irected also that the lion should be given up to him.

9. This story is said to have been related by Aulus Gelus, and extracted by him out of Dion Cassius, who saw the han leading the lion about the streets of Rome, the people epeating to each other, "This is the lion that was the Jan's host; this is the man who was the lion's physician."

Pocahontas.

1. PERHAPS those who are not particularly acquainted th the history of Virginia, may be ignorant that Pocahontas as the protectress of the English, and often screened them m the cruelty of her father. She was but twelve years 1, when captain Smith, the bravest, most intelligent, and st humane of the first colonists, fell into the hands of the ages. He already understood their language, had traded