discover the place of his father's concealment; but filial affection was proof against the most exquisite torments. An involuntary sigh, and sometimes a deep groan, were all that could be extorted from the youth. His agonies were increased; but, with amazing fortitude, he still persisted in his resolution of not betraying his father. Quintus was not far off; and it may be imagined, better than can be expressed, how his heart must have been affected with the sighs and groans of a son expiring in torture to save his life. He could bear it no longer; but, quitting the place of his concealment, he presented himself to the assassins, begging of them to put him to death, and dismiss the innocent youth. But the inhuman monsters, without being the least affected with the tears either of the father or the son, answered that they must both die; the father because he was proscribed, and the son because he had concealed the father. Then a new contest of tenderness arose who should die first; but this the assassins soon decided, by beheading them both at the same time. was drawn, and only left it to go into some town and prepare his food; and in the evening, to procure some covering to facilitate his repose in the different dungeons which received him. She ceased not for a moment to accompany him, and watch over his wants, till the Conciergerie separated them. Accus tomed to encounter jailers, she did not despair of disarming oppressors. During three months, she every morning implored the most influential members of the committee of public safety, and finished, by overcoming their refusals. She reconducted her father to Lyons, happy in having rescued him. She fell ill on the road, overcome by the excess of fatigue she had undergone, and, while she had preserved her beloved parent's life, she lost her own. (e) HENRY HOCK AND HIS FATHER.-A few years ago, five Dutch gentlemen set out from Rotterdam, to travel on skates to Amsterdam. They had passed over about twelve miles of the waste of inland waters which extends between the two cities, and were, with the exception of one of the party, who kept apart, skating with great velocity, in close files, and hands linked, in the Dutch manner, and were striking out far from the shore, when at once, the whole file was precipitated through the ice, and two out of the four were hardly (c) AFFECTION'S CHOICE TREASURES.-Ancient history records, that a certain city was besieged, and at length obliged to surrender. In the city there were two brothers, who had, in some way, obliged the conquer-seen to rise again. The other two were ing general; and in consequence of this, received permission to leave the city before it was set on fire, taking with them as much of their property as each could carry about his person. Accordingly the two generous youths appeared at the gates of the city, one of them carrying their father, and the other their mother. (d) PRISONER RESCUED BY HIS DAUGHTER.-M. Delleglaie being ordered from a dungeon at Lyons, to the Conciergerie, departed thither. His daughter, who had not quitted him, asked to be admitted into the same vehicle, but was refused. The heart, however, knows no obstacles; though she was of a very delicate constitution, she performed the journey on foot; and followed for more than a hundred leagues the carriage in which her father father and son, both remarkably fine men, and the father an expert swimmer, which enabled him to support himself, and his son too, for a considerable time, during which he was so collected as to give directions to the only one of the party who had not fallen in, how he should conduct himself to afford assistance; but at length he gave utterance to the thought, that his son's continuing to hold him would be the death of both. The son immediately kissed the father, and, with the familiar and endearing expression he was accustomed to, bade him "good nignt," loosed his hold, and deliberately resigned himself to death. The father lived; and the name, at least, of Henry Hock, the son, must live also. (f) THE BEST PRESENT.— The three sons of an eastern lady were of their love, before she went a long journey. One brought a marble tablet, with the inscription of her name; another presented her with a rich garland of fragrant flowers; the third entered her presence and thus accosted her: "Mother, I have neither marble tablet nor fragrant nosegay, but I have a heart: here your name is engraved, here your memory is precious, and this heart full of affection will follow you wherever you travel, and remain with you wherever you repose." invited to furnish her with an expression | this all your store? And do you offer a share to one you do not know? Then I never saw charity before! But, madam, do you not wrong your children, by giving a part of your last morsel to a stranger?" "Ah," said the widow, weeping, "I have a boy, a darling son, somewhere on the face of the wide world, unless Heaven has taken him away; and I only act towards you as I would that others should act towards him. God, who sent manna from heaven, can provide for us as he did for Israel; and how should I this night offend him, if my son should be a wanderer, destitute as you, and he should have provided for him a home, even as poor as this, were I to turn you unrelieved away!" (g) ARCHBISHOP TILLOTSON'S AFFECTION.-There are some children who are almost ashamed to own their parents, because they are poor, or in a low situation of life. We will, therefore, give an example of the contrary, as displayed by the Dean of Canterbury, afterwards Archbishop Tillotson. His father, who was a plain Yorkshireman, perhaps something like those we now call "Friends," approached the house where his son resided, and inquired whether "John Tillotson was at home." The servant, indignant at what he thought his insolence, drove him from the door: but the dean, who was within, hearing the voice of his father, instead of embracing the opportunity afforded him, of going out and bringing in his father in a more private manner, came running out, exclaiming, in the presence of his astonished servants, "It is my beloved father;" and falling down on his knees, asked for his blessing. (h) THE HAPPY MEETING. Some years ago, a pious widow in America, who was reduced to great poverty, had just placed the last smoked herring on her table, to supply her hunger and that of her children, when a rap was heard at the door, and a stranger solicited a lodging and a morsel of food, saying, that he had not tasted bread for twenty-four hours. The widow did not hesitate, but offered a share to the stranger, saying, "We shall not be forsaken, or suffer deeper act of charity." The traveller drew near to the table; but when he saw the scanty fare, filled with astonishment, he said, "And is for an The widow stopped, and the stranger, springing from his seat, clasped her in his arms; "God, indeed, has provided just such a home for your wandering son, and has given him wealth to reward the goodness of his benefactress. My mother! O my mother!" It was indeed her long lost son, returned from India. He had chosen this way to surprise his family, and certainly not very wisely; but never was surprise more complete, or more joyful. He was able to make the family comfortable, which he immediately did: the mother living for some years longer, in the enjoyment of plenty. 9. Affection, Filial-Rewarded. (a) THE PRISONER AND HER DAUGHTER.-Valerius Maximus relates, that a woman of distinction having been condemned to be strangled, was delivered to the triumvir, who caused her to be carried to prison in order to be put to death. The gaoler who was ordered to execute her was struck with compunction, and could not resolve to kill her. He chose, however, to let her die with hunger; but meanwhile suffering her daughter to visit her in prison, taking care that she brought her nothing to eat. Many days passed over in this manner, when the gaoler at length, surprised that the prisoner lived so long without food, took means of secretly observing their interviews. He then dis covered that the affectionate daughter had all the while been nourishing her mother with her own milk. Amazed at so tender, and at the same time so ingenious an artifice, he related it to the triumvir, and the triumvir to the praetor, who thought the fact merited stating in the assembly of the people. This produced the happiest effects; the criminal was pardoned, and a decree passed that the mother and daughter should be maintained for the remainder of their lives, at the expense of the public; and that a temple, sacred to filial piety, should be erected near the prison. (b) TITUS MANLIUS AND HIS FATHER.-A certain Roman, in the days of paganism, called Titus Manlius, was treated extremely ill by his father, for no other reason than a defect in his speech. A tribune of the people brought an accusation against his father before the people, who hated him for his imperious conduct, and were determined to punish him with severity. The young man hearing this, went one morning very early from his father's country farm, where he was forced to live like a slave, and finding out the house of the tribune who had impeached his father, entreated that he would immediately drop the prosecution. The tribune declared before the people that he withdrew his charge against old Manlius, because his son Titus had obliged him to promise upon oath that he would carry it no farther. The people, charmed with the filial piety of Titus, shown to so unnatural a father, not only forgave the old man, but the next year advanced his generous son to the supreme honors of the state. (c) THE JUDGE OFFERING TO DIE WITH THE CRIMINAL. While Octavius was at Samos, after the battle of Actium, which made him master of the universe, he held a council to examine the prisoners who had been engaged in Antony's party. Among the rest, there was brought before him an old man, Metellus, oppressed with years and infirmities, disfigured with a long beard, a neglected head of hair, and tattered clothes. The son of this Metellus was one of the judges; but it was with great difficulty he knew his father in the deplorable condition in which he saw him. At last, however, having recollected his features, instead of being ashamed to own him, he ran to embrace him. Then turning towards the tribunal, he said: "Cæsar, my father has been your enemy, and I your offi cer; he deserves to be punished, and I to be rewarded. One favor I desire of you; it is, either to save him on my account, or order me to be put to death with him." All the judges were touched with compassion at this affecting scene; Octavius himself relented, and granted to old Metellus his life and liberty. (d) EFFORT TO RANSOM A FATHER. - Montesquieu, being at Marseilles, hired a boat, with an intention of sailing for pleasure. He entered into conversation with the two young boatmen, and learned, to his surprise, that they were silversmiths by trade, and had agreed to employ themselves thus as watermen, only that they might increase their earnings. On expressing his surprise, and his fears, that this must arise only from an avaricious disposition, "Oh, sir," said one of them, "if you knew our reasons, you would not think so. Our father, anxious to assist his family, scraped together all he was worth, and purchased a vessel, for the purpose of trading to the coast of Barbary; but was unfortunately taken by a pirate, carried to Tripoli, and sold for a slave. He writes that he has happily fallen into the hands of a master who uses him well, but that the sum demanded for his ransom is so exorbitant, that it will be impossible for him ever to raise it, and says we must therefore relinquish all hope of ever seeing him, and be contented. With the hope of restoring to his family a beloved father, we are striving, by every means in our power, to collect the sum necessary for his ransom; and for such a purpose, we are not ashamed to employ ourselves in this occupation of watermen.' Montesquieu was struck with this ac count, and on his departure made them a handsome present. Some months afterwards, the two brothers, being at work in their shop, were greatly surprised at seeing their father enter: he threw himself into their arms, exclaiming, that he was fearful they had taken some unjust method to raise the money that procured his ransom. They professed their ignorance of the whole affair, and could only attribute their father's release to that stranger, to whose generosity they had been before so much indebted. (e) A COURAGEOUS SON.-At the siege of Knaresborough, by the Parliament's army, under the command of Colonel Lilburn, a young man who resided in the town, and whose father was one of the garrison, had, several times, at the hazard of his life, conveyed provisions to him, which he effected in the night by getting into the moat, which was dry, climbing up the glacis, and putting the provisions into a hole, where his father was ready to receive them. Being at last discovered by the guard belonging to the besiegers, they fired but missed him. He was, however, taken prisoner, and, having made a full confession of his conduct, was sentenced to be hanged the next day, in the sight of the besieged, to deter others from giving them the least assistance. The sentence was about to be carried into execution, when a lady, whose name was Wincup, with several others, petitioned the commander to pardon the unhappy youth. They succeeded so far as to have him respited; and when the troops left the place, he was set at liberty. (f) FREDERIC AND HIS PAGE. -Frederic, King of Prussia, day one rung his bell, and nobody answering, he opened his door, and found his page fast asleep in an elbow-chair. He advanced towards him, and was going to awaken him, when he perceived part of a letter hanging out of his pocket. His curiosity prompting him to know what it was, he took it out and read it. It was a letter from this young man's mother, in which she thanked him for having sent her a part of his wages to relieve her misery; and finished with telling him, that God would reward him for his dutiful affection. The king, after reading it, went back softly into his chamber, took a bag full of ducats, and slipped it with the letter into the page's pocket. Returning to the chamber, he rang the page, bell so loudly, that it awakened the who instantly made his appearance. "You have had a sound sleep," said the king. The page was at a loss how to excuse himself; and putting his hand into his pocket by chance, to his utter astonishment, he there found a purse of ducats. He took it out, turned pale, and looking at the king, shed a torrent of tears without being able to utter a single word. "What is that?" said the king. "What is the matter?" “Ah! sire,” said the young man, throwing himself on his knees, somebody seeks my ruin! I know nothing of this money which I have just found in my pocket!" "My young friend," replied Frederic, "God often does great things for us, even in our sleep. Send that to your mother; salute her on my part, and assure her that I will take care of both her and you." 66 (g) THE SWEDISH PRISONER'S SON-A gentleman of Sweden was condemned to suffer death, as a punishment for certain offences committed by him in the discharge of an important public office, which he had filled for a number of years with an integrity that had never before undergone either suspicion or impeachment. His son, a youth about eighteen years of age, was no sooner apprised of the affecting situation to which his father was reduced, than he flew to the judge who had pronounced the fatal decree, and, throwing himself at his feet, prayed that he might be allowed to suffer in the room of a father whom he loved, and whose loss he thought it was impossible for him to survive. The magistrate was amazed at this extraordinary procedure in the son, and would hardly be persuaded that he was sincere in it. Being at length satisfied, however, that the young man actually wished to save his father's life at the expense of his own, he wrote an account of the whole affair to the king; and his majesty immediately sent orders to grant a free pardon to the father, and to confer a title of honor on his son. The last mark of royal favor, however, the youth begged leave with all humility to decline; and the motive for the refusal of it was not less noble than the conduct by which he had deserved it was generous and disinter- | They were so pleased with the honesty and frankness of the man, that they all agreed to grant his request, except one; this was his chief creditor, a proud and haughty merchant, who had never felt any adversity, and knew not how to sympathize with the afflicted. So," said he, "I find, by your asking for a prolongation of credit, and a further indulgence of goods, that you are going down hill; and therefore I am resolved to have my money." Accordingly, he sent immediately for an officer, who ar ested. "Of what avail," exclaimed he, "could the most exalted title be to me, humbled as my family already is in the dust? Alas! would it not serve but as a monument to perpetuate in the minds of my countrymen the remembrance of an unhappy father's shame!" His majesty, the king of Sweden, actually shed tears when this magnanimous speech was reported to him; and, sending for the heroic youth to court, he appointed him to a confidential office. (h) FREDERIC AND HIS POME-rested the poor man and carried him to RANIAN SERVANT.-Frederic the Great, of Prussia, during his last illness, endured many restless nights, which he endeavored to soothe by conversing with the servant who sat up with him. On one of these occasions, he inquired of a young Pomeranian from whence he "From a little village in Pomerania." "Are your parents living?" "An aged mother." "How does she maintain herself?" "By spinning." "How much does she gain daily by it?" "Sixpence." "But she cannot live well on that?" "In Pomerania it is cheap living." "Did you never send her any thing?" "O yes, I have sent her, at different times, a few dollars." "That was bravely done; you are a good boy. You have a deal of trouble with me. Have patience: I shall endeavor to lay something by for you, if you behave well." The monarch kept his word; for, a few nights after, the Pomeranian, being again in attendance, received several pieces of gold; and heard, to his great joy and surprise, that one hundred rix dollars had been settled on his mother during her life. came. (i) THE HAUGHTY CREDITOR AND HIS POOR DEBTOR'S SON. -A shopkeeper, who resided two or three days' journey from Paris, preserved his good conduct and integrity for many years. At last, by some persons taking undue credit, and keeping him too long out of his money, he was obliged to take a journey to Paris, to desire two things of his creditors: the one was a lengthening out their forbearance; and the other was, to be furnished with a fresh assortment of goods, that he might keep open his shop with credit. jail. In this distressing situation, he wrote home to his wife, who communi. cated the news to her six children: they were all overwhelmed in sorrow. What could be done? To sit still in despair, was the ready way to ruin. After a deliberate conversation with her eldest son, a young man of fine sense and excellent virtue, about nineteen years of age, he resolved to fly to Paris, with a view to soften this cruel creditor. After a short interview with his father, he went to the house of the merchant, sent in his name, and desired an audience. The cruel and haughty man, thinking he had come to pay him, admitted him into his presence; but he soon found that his first request was, that he should release his father from jail, to go home and comfort his mother, and keep up the credit of the shop. The merchant, being disappointed in his expectation, flew into a violent passion, and declared he would have the money or the bones of his father. The young man, finding him inexorable, fell down on his knees, and with uplifted hands and tears rolling down his cheeks, he addressed himself to the merchant in this manner : 66 Sir," ," said he, "if I go home without my father, I shall see my mother die with a broken heart, the credit of the shop will be entirely ruined, and we, the poor children, must be turned as vagabonds and beggars into the open street. I have this one, this last request to make-let me be sent to jail in the room of my father, and keep me there until all demands are satisfied." The merchant walked backwards and forwards in the room with great emotion. The young man continued his cries and |