The next morning she took Aristus with her, and drove into the environs of her capital. You were too much in the right,' she said, 'when you bade me expect a deplorable alteration among my people. I hear no more acclamations! no more songs! but I see the painfullest of sights; crowds of people in rags, begging their bread.' 'Formerly,' said Aristus, 'no beggars were to be found here; there was a large building erected for the poor, where the old were maintained, the sick cured, and all the young folks set to work; but since your majesty has allowed twelve to be the age of discretion, many of these children have refused to be employed, and choosing to wander about the country, without knowing how to get their bread, they are of course reduced to rags and misery.'

6

The queen, having given some relief to these wretched objects, proceeded to ask Aristus what was become of the crowds of busy people who were used to throng in the streets of the capital; for,' said she, 'half the houses seem to be shut up, and the whole town appears deserted, in comparison of its state when I first saw it.' The minister told her that there was a mutual dependence of one trade upon another, and that, in consequence of the departure of the silk and wax merchants and manufacturers, those who were used to supply that large body of men with clothes, shoes, and stockings, provisions, and every other accommodation, having now no market for their goods, had shut up their shops, and were preparing, one and all, for their departure. He added, that it was much to be feared that the farmers, who used to bring to the town corn, hay, butter, eggs, poultry, &c., together with their families, labourers, &c., would soon follow this example.

Struck with this painful detail, the young queen, whose goodness of heart was equal to the thoughtlessness of her head, exclaimed in an agony of distress, 'Oh heavens! why did I leave my father's court? why take upon me a task of which I was so incapable? I suffer severely for my presumption; but at least I will do no more mischief here.' Then turning to Aristus, she begged him to hasten the preparations for her return to the kingdom of her father. Her

orders were instantly obeyed, and she, with her whole court, took leave of the Fortunate Island, and soon reached the

port they wished for. As soon as Myra saw the king, she threw herself at his feet, bathed in tears. 'How is this,' said he, 'my daughter, are you returned already? are you so soon weary of sovereign power?' 'Alas! sire!' replied the weeping Myra, 'never was any being more wretched than your daughter. I have childishly thrown away my own happiness, and that of those whom you entrusted to my care. The island which I have governed no longer deserves the name of Fortunate. I have, by my own mismanagement, reduced an industrious people to beggary and ruin; but I conjure you, sire, to order all my jewels to be instantly sold, that I may, by their means, in some sort relieve the miseries which my infantine folly has brought upon them.' 'Make yourself easy,' said the good king, soothing his afflicted daughter; 'the mischiefs which your want of consideration has caused, are by no means irreparable. I foresaw that you would make great mistakes in government, and managed affairs so as to prevent those mistakes from having any very bad consequences. Those of your subjects who have by your errors been forced to quit your isle, have, by the direction of Aristus, found a comfortable retreat in this kingdom, have been supplied with all necessaries, and will now return to their own country, with proper materials, to re-assume their several trades and occupations. You have, my beloved Myra, an excellent heart, and in all the mischief which you have done, you have had the best intention in the world. This ought to teach you that princes ought not to trust to their good dispositions alone, but that they should take counsel with the most intelligent of their subjects concerning the measures of their government, and, above all, that they should guard against forming too high an opinion of their own wisdom. The errors of private persons can only affect a small number of individuals, but those of sovereigns may ruin nations.'

Myra profited by this lesson, and by her own experience. She dedicated, for the future, a considerable part of her time to study, and forbad Philintus ever to appear in her presence again.

THE HISTORY

OF

LITTLE JACK.

But

THERE was once a poor lame old man that lived in the midst of a wide uncultivated moor, in the north of England. He had formerly been a soldier, and had almost lost the use of one leg by a wound he had received in battle, when he was fighting against the enemies of his country. This poor man, when he found himself thus disabled, built a little hut of clay, which he covered with turf dug from the common. He had a little bit of ground, which he made a shift to cultivate with his own hands, and which supplied him with potatoes and vegetables; besides this, he sometimes gained a few halfpence by opening a gate for travellers, which stood near his house. He did not, indeed, get much, because few people passed that way. What he earned was, however, enough to purchase clothes and the few necessaries he wanted. though poor, he was strictly honest, and never failed night and morning to address his prayers to God; by which means he was respected by all who knew him, much more than many who were superior to him in rank and fortune. This old man had one domestic. In his walks over the common he one day found a little kid that had lost its mother, and was almost famished with hunger: he took it home to his cottage, fed it with the produce of his garden, and nursed it till it grew strong and vigorous. Little Nan (for that was the name he gave it) returned his cares with gratitude, and became as much attached to him as a dog. All day she browsed upon the herbage that grew around his hut, and at night reposed upon the same bed of straw with her master. Frequently did she divert him with her innocent tricks and gambols.

She would nestle her little head in his bosom, and eat out of his hand part of his scanty allowance of bread, which he never failed to divide with his favourite. The old man often beheld her with silent joy, and, in the innocent effusions of his heart, would lift his hands to heaven and thank the Deity that, even in the midst of poverty and distress, had raised him up one faithful friend.

One night, in the beginning of winter, the old man thought he heard the feeble cries and lamentations of a child. As he was naturally charitable, he arose and struck a light, and, going out of his cottage, examined on every side. It was not long before he discerned an infant, which had probably been dropped by some strolling beggar or gipsy. The old man stood amazed at the sight, and knew not what to do. 'Shall I,' said he, 'who find it so difficult to live at present, encumber myself with the care of a helpless infant, that will not for many years be capable of contributing to its own subsistence ? And yet,' added he, softening with pity, 'can I deny assistance to a human being still more miserable than myself? Will not that Providence which feeds the birds of the wood and the beasts of the field, and which has promised to bless all those that are kind and charitable, assist my feeble endeavours? At least, let me give it food and lodging for this night; for without I receive it into my cottage, the poor abandoned wretch must perish with cold before the morning. Saying this, he took it up in his arms, and perceived it was a fine healthy boy, though covered with rags; the little foundling too seemed to be sensible of his kindness, and smiling in his face, stretched out his little arms, as if to embrace his benefactor.

When he had brought it into his hut, he began to be extremely embarrassed how to procure it food: but looking at Nan, he recollected that she had just lost her kid, and saw her udder distended with milk: he therefore called her to him, and, presenting the child to the teat, was overjoyed to find that it sucked as naturally as if it had really found a mother. The goat too seemed to receive pleasure from the efforts of the child, and submitted without opposition to discharge the duties of a nurse. Contented with this experi

ment, the old man wrapped the child up as warmly as he could, and stretched himself out to rest, with the consciousness of having done a humane action. Early the next morning he was awakened by the cries of the child for food, which, with the assistance of his faithful Nan, he suckled as he had done the night before. And now the old man began to feel an interest in the child, which made him defer some time longer the taking measures to be delivered from its care. 'Who knows,' said he, 'but Providence, which has preserved this child in so wonderful a manner, may have destined it to something equally wonderful in his future life, and may bless me as the humble agent of His decrees? At least, as he grows bigger, he will be a pleasure and comfort to me in this lonely cabin, and will assist in cutting turf for fuel and cultivating the garden. From this time he became more and more attached to the little foundling, who in a short time learned to consider the old man as a parent, and delighted him with its innocent caresses. Gentle Nanny too, the goat, seemed to adopt him with equal tenderness as her offspring: she would stretch herself out upon the ground, while he crawled upon his hands and knees towards her; and when he had satisfied his hunger by sucking, he would nestle between her legs and go to sleep in her bosom.

It was wonderful to see how this child, thus left to nature, increased in strength and vigour. Unfettered by bandages or restraints, his limbs acquired their due proportions and form; his countenance was full and florid, and gave indications of perfect health; and at an age when other children are scarcely able to support themselves with the assistance of a nurse, this little foundling could run alone. It was true that he sometimes failed in his attempts, and fell to the ground; but the ground was soft, and little Jack, for so the old man called him, was not tender or delicate; he never minded thumps or bruises, but boldly scrambled up again and pursued his way. In a short time little Jack was completely master of his legs; and as the summer came on, he attended his mamma, the goat, upon the common, and used to play with her for hours together; sometimes rolling under her belly, now climbing upon her back, and frisking about