THE MILAN DOOR-KEEPER. 105 punished when it is detected. One who is inclined to steal, is apt to suppose that he will escape detection, and not be punished. But of this he never can be sure. Crimes are every day discovered in ways that the criminal could never have thought of. Hence no one ever thrives long by taking what is not his own. Honesty is always found ultimately to be the best policy. THE ROBBER SPARROW. A martin had built a nice nest for himself in the upper corner of a window, leaving a little hole to go out and in at. As the martin had taken all the trouble of building the nest, it was rightfully his property; it belonged to no other bird, for no other bird had had any of the trouble of building it. A sparrow, of felonious dispositions, chose to pop into the martin's nest when the martin was from home: and when the martin returned, he found his place occupied by the sparrow, who, looking out of the hole, pecked at him fiercely, and would not on any account let him get into his own house. The martin, who is a gentle bird, found himself no match for the sparrow; but it is supposed that he went and related his case to a few of his friends, for in a little while a number of martins were observed to come to the spot, as if to endeavour to persuade the sparrow to retire. The intruder, however, still kept his place, easily defending himself against them all. They then went off again, and returning each with a little mud in his bill, proceeded to build up the entrance to the nest, so that the sparrow soon died for want of food and air, and was thus punished for his roguery and violence. THE MILAN DOOR-KEEPER. Whatever belongs to any one, continues to be always his, till he relinquishes it of his own free-will, or till he forfeits it by the award of the law. If we find, therefore, anything which another has lost, it is not our property: we are bound to give it back to him who lost it, if he can be found. A poor man who kept the door of a lodging-house at Milan, found a purse with two hundred crowns in it; and so far from thinking of keeping it to himself, he immediately gave public notice of his having found it by means of the town-crier. The gentleman who had lost the purse came to the door-keeper, and on his giving proof that it belonged to him, it was restored. Grateful to the finder, he offered the poor man twenty crowns; but the door-keeper said he had only done his duty, and desired no reward. The gentleman intreated him to take ten-then five-but found him determined on accepting nothing for merely doing what he ought to have done. This greatly distressed the owner of the purse, and throwing it on the ground, he exclaimed, "Nay, then, it is not mine, and I will have nothing to do with it, since you refuse to accept anything." The honest door-keeper was then prevailed on to take five crowns, which he immediately gave away to the poor. LEONARD. At the age of twelve, Leonard had the misfortune to lose his father. His mother was unable to work for him, and he had no other friend to depend upon. He resolved to be a burden to no one, but to make his own way in the world. "I can read pretty well," said he to himself; "I can also write a little, and cast accounts: if I am honest and industrious, why should I not be able to carn my own bread?" He therefore took leave of his mother, and went to a neighbouring town, where he inquired for a certain merchant, who had been a friend of his father. He begged of Mr Benson, for this was the name of the merchant, that he would take him into his employment, and promised to serve him with zeal and fidelity. The merchant, having then need of an apprentice, willingly took charge of Leonard, who did everything in his power to give satisfaction to his master. If he ever happened to forget any duty, or to make any error in writing, he frankly confessed his fault, and sought to repair it by, if possible, still greater zeal and activity. Mr Benson could not be otherwise than pleased with so faithful an apprentice, and soon began to place much confidence in him. Leonard would have now been quite happy, if he had not chanced to excite the hatred of Mr Benson's house MERCY. 97 UNCLE TOBY AND THE FLY. "My uncle Toby was a man patient of injuries-not from want of courage, where just occasions called it forth, nor from any insensibility or obtuseness of his intellectual parts. He was of a peaceful, placid nature; no jarring element in it, all was mixed up so kindly. My uncle Toby had scarce a heart to retaliate upon a fly. Go,' says he one day at dinner to an overgrown one which had buzzed about his nose, and tormented him cruelly all dinner-time, and which, after many attempts, he had caught at last, as it flew by him; I'll not hurt thee,' says my uncle Toby, rising from his chair, and going across the room with the fly in his hand; I'll not hurt a hair of thy head! Go,' says he, lifting up the sash, and opening his hand as he spoke, to let it escape-go, poor wretch! get thee gone: why should I hurt thee! This world is surely wide enough to hold thee and me." D MERCY. The quality of mercy is not strained; It is an attribute to God himself; And earthly power doth then show likest God's, G Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; fret not thyself in anywise to do evil.-Psalm, xxxvii. 8. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.-Matthew, v. 7, 43–45. Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him ?—till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him an hundred pence; and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not; but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.-Matthew, xviii. 21-35. MODERATION IN ANGER. .99 Banish all malignant and revengeful thoughts. If your revenge be not satisfied, it will give you torment now; if it be, it will give you greater hereafter. None is a greater self-tormentor than a malicious and revengeful man, who turns the poison of his own temper in upon himself. The Christian precept in this case is, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath;" and this precept, Plutarch tells us, the Pythagoreans practised in a literal sense- "who, if at any time, in a passion, they broke out into opprobrious language, before sunset gave one another their hands, and with them a discharge from all injuries; and so, with a mutual reconciliation, parted friends."-MASON. A man asking Diogenes what course he should take to be revenged of his enemy, "Become a good man," answered the philosopher. There is a manner of forgiving so divine, that you are ready to embrace the offender for having called it forth.LAVATER. He that cannot forgive others, breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man hath need to be forgiven.-LORD HERBERT. It has been a maxim with me to admit of an easy reconciliation with a person whose offence proceeded from no depravity of heart; but where I was convinced it did so, to forego, for my own sake, all opportunities of revenge; to forget the persons of my enemies as much as I was able, and to call to remembrance, in their place, the more pleasing idea of my friends. I am convinced that I have derived no small share of happiness from this principle. Shen STONE. There are two things that affect the heart of every ingenuous man most deeply-namely, good-natured and generous offices from those to whom we have been injurious; and an ill-natured and unchristian treatment from those to whom we have been very kind and affectionate. As for the former, we can make a shift to bear their hatred, because we have deserved it: but we cannot bear their love; it quite confounds and overpowers us.-SEED. |