"'I was sitting one evening at the door of my cottage, gazing upon the

fading glory of the setting sun, when a man, of a majestic appearance,

but with something ferocious in his look, attended by several others,

passed by. As he approached my little garden, he seemed to view it with

satisfaction, and to unbend the habitual sternness of his look; I asked

him if he would enter in and taste the fruits with his companions. He

accepted my offer, and, entering into a shady arbour, I brought him the

most palatable fruits I could find, with milk and other rustic fare,

such as my farm afforded. He seemed pleased with his entertainment, and,

when he was departing, thanked me with great affability, and bade me ask

a favour in return, 'which,' added he, with a certain degree of

conscious pride, 'you can scarcely make too great either for my

gratitude or power.' 'If,' answered I (for I began to suspect that it

was Arsaces, the leader of these barbarians), 'your power is indeed

equal to every boon, give peace and liberty to my country!' 'The first,'

said he, 'I have already given; and, as to the second, it is impossible;

their vices and effeminacy render them incapable of enjoying it. Men

that have neither virtue, temperance, nor valour, can never want a

master, even though Arsaces were to withdraw his conquering troops.'

'But ask again,' added he, 'something for thyself, and let the favour be

worthy me to bestow.' 'Heaven,' answered I with a smile, 'has already

given everything I can want, when it gave the earth fertility, and me

the power to labour. All, therefore, that I request, O mighty conqueror,

is, that you will please to order your men to step aside from the newly

cultivated ground, and not destroy my vegetables.' 'By heaven!' said

Arsaces, turning to his companions, 'there is something elevated in the

tranquillity and composure of this man's mind; and, was I not _Arsaces_,

I should be with pleasure _Chares_.' He then departed, but ordered me to

attend him the next day at the camp, and gave strict orders that none of

the soldiers should molest or injure my humble residence.

"'I attended the great Arsaces at the time he had appointed, and

traversed the encampment of his troop with admiration and regret. This

people was a tribe of that mighty empire which is called _Scythia_,

whose inhabitants have so often issued from their deserts for the

conquest and destruction of their neighbours.

"'This country extends to an unknown length behind the most fertile

districts of Europe and Asia. The climate is cold in winter, and the

earth for several months covered with snow; but in summer it feels the

enlivening influence of the sun, and for that reason is possessed of an

amazing degree of fertility. But as the inhabitants live remote from the

sea, and possess few navigable rivers, they are little acquainted with

agriculture, or the arts of life. Instead of trusting to the increase of

their fields for food, they raise prodigious herds of cattle and horses

in the luxuriant pastures which everywhere abound. The Scythians, like

the Arabians, wander over these immense spaces without a fixed or

permanent residence. By the side of lakes and rivers, where the verdure

is most constant, and the vegetation stronger, they generally encamp,

until the heats of the summer compel them to ascend the mountains, and

seek a cooler residence. Their houses are composed of slender poles

covered with skins, or a coarse cloth, and therefore easily erected, or

taken down and stowed in waggons, for the convenience of transporting

them in their marches. Their diet is answerable to the poverty of their

habitations. They milk their herds, and, above all, their mares, and

preserve the produce in large bottles for months together. This sour and

homely mess is to them the greatest dainty, and composes the chief of

their nourishment; to this they add the flesh of their cattle and

horses, which they kill when afflicted with disease, but rarely in

health.

"'This is the simple and uniform life of all the Scythians; but this

simplicity renders them formidable to all their neighbours, and

irresistible in war. Unsoftened by ease or luxury, unacquainted with the

artificial wants of life, these nations pass their lives in manly

exercises and rustic employments; but horsemanship is the greatest pride

and passion of their souls; nor is there an individual who does not at

least possess several of these noble animals, which, though small in

size, are admirably adapted for the fatigues of war and the chase, and

endowed with incomparable swiftness. As to the Scythians themselves,

they excel all other nations, unless it be the Arabs, in their courage

and address in riding; without a saddle, or even a bridle, their young

men will vault upon an unbacked courser, and keep their seats, in spite

of all his violent efforts, till they have rendered him tame and

obedient to their will. In their military expeditions they neither

regard the obstacles of nature nor the inclemency of the season; and

their horses are accustomed to traverse rocks and mountains with a

facility that is incredible. If they reach a river, instead of waiting

for the tedious assistance of boats and bridges, the warrior divests

himself of his clothes and arms, which he places in a bundle upon the

horse's back, and then, plunging into the stream, conducts him over by

the bridle. Even in the midst of winter, when the hatred of other

nations gives way to the inclemencies of the season, the Scythian

follows his military labours, and rejoices to see the earth thick

covered with frost and snow, because it affords him a solid path in his

excursions; neither the severest cold nor the most violent storms can

check his ardour. Wrapped up in the thick furs of animals, the patient

horseman pursues his march, while all his food for weeks together is

comprised in a little bag of seeds or corn. Javelins, and bows and

arrows, are the arms which these people are taught from their infancy to

use with surprising dexterity; and, no less dangerous when they fly than

when they charge the enemy in front, they are accustomed to shoot with

an unerring aim at their pursuers, and turn the fortune of the battle.

Such men are scarcely to be conquered by the efforts of the most

powerful nations or sovereigns; and therefore the proudest conquerors of

the world have failed in their attempts to subdue them.

"'Darius, one of the greatest kings which the vast empire of Persia ever

obeyed, once attempted the exploit, and had nearly perished in the

attempt. He advanced with a powerful army, but ill prepared for such an

expedition, into the Scythian wastes. The inhabitants, well acquainted

with the most effectual methods of defence, transported their families

and herds into the interior parts of the country, and mounting their

fleetest horses, seemed to fly before the monarch, who, infatuated with

pride and confidence, pursued the chase for several days, until he found

himself in the midst of solitary deserts, totally destitute of all that

human wants require, where his army could neither advance nor retire

without equal danger of perishing by thirst and famine. When the

Scythian horsemen saw him thus involved, they began to check their

speed; instead of flying, as usual, they hemmed him in on every side,

and harassed the army with continual attacks. It was then they sent a

present to the Persian king, the mysterious meaning of which increased

the terrors of his situation. A Scythian, mounted upon a fiery steed,

entered the camp at full speed, and, regardless of danger or opposition,

penetrated even to the royal tent, where Darius was holding a council

with his nobles. While they were all amazed at this extraordinary

boldness, the man leaped lightly from his horse, and placing a little

bundle upon the ground, vaulted up again with inconceivable agility, and

retired with the same happy expedition. The curiosity of the monarch

made him instantly order the packet to be examined, which contained only

a mouse, a bird, a fish, and a bundle of arrows. Silence and

astonishment for some time seized the assembly, till at length the king

observed, that he thought the present which the Scythians had sent could

signify nothing but their submission to his arms. 'The mouse,' said he,

'must represent the earth, because he resides in holes which he digs in

the soil; the fish inhabits the water, and the bird resides in the air.

By sending me, therefore, all these various animals, they mean to

signify that they resign their air, their waters, and their earth to my

dominion. Nor is the bundle of arrows more difficult to be explained;

these constitute their principal defence, and, by sending them to an

enemy, they can intimate nothing but terror and submission.' All who

were present applauded this discourse of the monarch, excepting Gobrias,

a man of singular wisdom and experience, who, when he was pressed to

declare his sentiments, spoke to him thus:--'It is with the greatest

reluctance, O king, that I find myself compelled to explain these

presents of our enemies in a very different manner. That the Scythians,

who have hitherto shown no marks either of fear or submission, should,

on a sudden, feel so great a terror of the Persian arms, I cannot easily

believe, more especially when I consider that our army is very much

reduced by the distress it has suffered, and environed on every side by

the enemy, whose boldness visibly increases with our necessities. What,

therefore, I should infer from this extraordinary present is this: they

intimate that unless, like the mouse, you can dig your passage through

the earth, or skim the air like the bird, or glide through waters with

the fish, you shall certainly perish by the Scythian arrows.' Such was

the sentiment of Gobrias, and all the assembly was struck with the

evident truth of his interpretation, and the king himself began to

perceive and repent his rashness; instead, therefore, of advancing

farther into deserts which afforded no subsistence, he resolved to

attempt a retreat. This, however, he was not able to effect without the

loss of the greatest part of his troops, who perished by thirst and

famine, and the continued attacks of the enemy.

"'Nor was the expedition of Lysimachus, another powerful king, against

this people, less memorable or less unfortunate. His army was defeated,

and he himself taken prisoner; but, instead of meeting with that cruelty

which we are accustomed to expect from barbarians, he experienced the

greatest moderation and humanity from his conquerors. The general of the

Scythians invited his captive to a solemn festival, in which he took

care to assemble every circumstance of luxury and magnificence which

prevailed in polished nations. The most exquisite meats were served up

to table, and the most generous wines sparkled in golden bowls of the

exactest workmanship. Lysimachus was equally delighted with the elegance

of the repast and the politeness of the entertainer; but he was

extremely surprised that, instead of sharing in the feast or even

sitting down at table, the Scythian leader reposed in the corner of a

tent, upon the bare ground, and satisfied his hunger with the most

coarse and ordinary fare, prepared with all the simplicity of his

country's manners. When the entertainment was finished, he asked

Lysimachus which method of life appeared to him the most agreeable.

Lysimachus could not conceal his preference of the more refined and

luxurious dainties, or his dislike of the Scythian diet. 'If therefore,'

replied his generous host, 'you feel so great a contempt for what this

country produces, and so strong a preference for the productions of your

own, what but madness, O king, can have tempted you to come so far in

order to subdue men that live in a manner you despise? Is it not much

greater wisdom to be contented with those advantages which you prize so

highly, than to expose them to a certain hazard, for the chance of

acquiring what would afford no pleasure or satisfaction? But let this

lesson be sufficient to teach you moderation. A country which produces

nothing but iron, is not easily conquered; nor are men, who have been

from their infancy inured to every hardship, to be vanquished by curled

and perfumed soldiers, who cannot live without baths, and music, and

daily feasts. Be contented, therefore, for the future, to number the

Scythians among your friends; and rather pray that the gods may keep

them in ignorance of the superiority of your method of living, lest a

desire of tasting it should tempt them to desert their own country and

invade yours.' With this discourse he generously restored Lysimachus to

liberty, and suffered him to lead back the shattered remains of his

numerous army.

"'Such was the nation which had invaded Syria, and easily triumphed over

the efforts of an effeminate and unwarlike people. As I passed through

the camp, I was astonished at the order and regularity which prevailed

among these barbarians. Some were exercising their horses in the mimic

representation of a battle; part fled with incredible speed, while the

rest pursued, and darted blunted javelins at their antagonists. Yet even

those who fled would frequently turn upon their pursuers and make them

repent their rashness. Some, while their horses were running in full

speed, would vault from off their backs to others that accompanied them;

some would gallop by a mark erected for their arrows, and, when they had

passed it a considerable way, turn themselves round upon their horses

and transfix it with an unerring aim. I saw many who vaulted upon their

horses, and placed themselves between two naked swords, which would have

given them certain death, had they swerved ever so little from the just

direction. In another part of the camp I observed the children, who

imitated all the actions of their fathers, bended little bows adapted to

their strength, or guided horses of an inferior stature along the plain.

Their women were indeed inferior to the Syrians in beauty and elegance,

but seemed to be of a more robust constitution, and more adapted to

produce and educate warriors. I saw no gold, no jewels, no vain and

costly apparel; but all seemed busy in domestic cares, preparing the

food of their families, or tending upon their infants.

"'At length I reached the royal tent, which scarcely differed from the

rest in its structure or simplicity; and was immediately introduced to

the great Arsaces. He received me with a courtesy which had nothing of

the barbarian in it; seated me familiarly by his side, and entered into

a long conversation with me upon the laws, and manners, and customs of

the different nations I had seen. I was surprised at the vigour and

penetration which I discovered in this untutored warrior's mind.

Unbiassed by the mass of prejudices which we acquire in cities, even

from our earliest childhood, unencumbered by forms and ceremonies which

contract the understanding while they pretend to improve the manners, he

seemed to possess a certain energy of soul which never missed the mark;

nature in him had produced the same effects that study and philosophy do

in others. But, what amazed me more than all, was to find this Scythian

chief as well acquainted with the state and consequence of _our_

manners, as if he had passed his life in Greece or Syria, instead of the

plains and forests of his own domain. He entertained a rooted contempt

for all the arts which softened the body and mind, under the pretence of

adding to the elegancies of life; these, he said, were more efficacious

agents to reduce men to slavery, than the swords and arrows of their

enemies.

"'One day I remember that some of our principal men, judging of the mind

of their conqueror by their own, brought to him a celebrated dancer;

who, at that time, engaged the whole attention of our city, and seemed

to interest it much more than the loss of liberty. This man, who did not

doubt that he should enchant the soul of a Scythian barbarian, by the

same arts which had enraptured his refined audiences at home, exerted

himself with an agility that extorted the loudest applause from all the

spectators but Arsaces. At length one of our countrymen took the liberty

of asking the monarch what he thought of this extraordinary performance?

'I think,' replied he, coldly, 'that it would gain him great credit

among a nation of monkeys.' Another time he was present at the

exhibitions of a celebrated musician, who was reputed to possess

unrivalled skill in playing soft and melting tunes upon the lyre. All

the audience seemed to feel the influence of his art, by their

inarticulate murmurs of admiration, and the languishing postures of

their bodies. When the exhibition was finished, the musician advanced,

amid the united plaudits of the audience, as if to receive the just

tribute of approbation from Arsaces; but he, with a stern look, said to

him, 'Friend, I permit thee to play every night before the Syrians; but

if thy lyre is ever heard to sound in the presence of my Scythians, I

denounce certain death for the offence.' Another time an officious

glutton of our city introduced to him, with great solemnity, two men,

whose talents he assured him were unequalled in their different

professions. The one, he said, adjusted hair with such dexterity, that

he could give an artificial beauty to every countenance; and the other

possessed such unrivalled skill in cooking a repast, that even the

soberest guest was tempted to commit intemperance. 'My soldiers,'

replied Arsaces, 'are accustomed to adjust their locks with the point of

their arrows, nor does our nation consider a bloated paunch and an

unwieldy shape as any accomplishment in warriors; all therefore, that I

can do for these gentlemen is, to depute one of them to comb my horse's

tail, and the other to feed the hogs of the army.'

"'After I had conversed some time with this barbarian chief, who heard

me with the greatest attention, the hour of refreshment for the army

approached, and I was preparing to retire; but the general stopped me

with a smile, and told me, I had already entertained him with the

greatest hospitality, and that therefore it was just that I should stay

and taste the Scythian food. A bit of dried flesh, which I afterwards

found was that of a horse, some sour coagulated milk, with an infusion

of certain herbs, thickened with a coarse kind of flour, were then

brought in and placed upon the ground. I had learned, during my travels

in different countries, to discard the false antipathies which so many

nations entertain against the diet as well as manners of each other.

Whatever is adapted to support life is proper for the food of man; habit

will reconcile us to any kind of food; and he that can accustom himself

to be the most easily contented, is happiest and best prepared for

performing the duties of life. I therefore placed myself by the side of

Arsaces, and fed without any visible repugnance upon the diet, which

would have excited abhorrence in the minds of all my countrymen. With

them it was a work of the greatest importance to settle the formalities

of a meal; to contrive a new and poignant sauce, to combine contrary

flavours in a pickle, to stimulate the jaded appetite to new exertions,

till reason and everything human sank under the undigested mass of food,

were reckoned the highest efforts of genius; even the magistrate did not

blush to display a greater knowledge of cookery than of the laws; the

debates of the senate itself were often suspended by the fear of losing

a repast; and many of our generals prided themselves more on the

arrangement of their tables, than the martial evolutions of their

troops.

"'After we had eaten some time, Arsaces asked me what I thought of the

Scythian method of living? 'To speak my sentiments,' said I, 'it is more

formidable to your enemies than agreeable to your friends.' He smiled at

my sincerity, and I departed; but from this hour he distinguished me

with marks of peculiar favour, and admitted me to all his councils.

"'This envied mark of distinction gave me no other pleasure than as it

sometimes enabled me to be useful to my unhappy countrymen, and mitigate

the rigour of their conquerors. Indeed, while the great Arsaces lived,

his love of justice and order was so great, that even the conquered were

safe from all oppression; the peasant pursued his useful labours

unterrified by the march of armies, or, unsolicited, brought the produce

of his fields to a voluntary market; merchants from all the neighbouring

nations crowded to our ports, attracted by the order and justice which

were enforced in every part of Arsaces' dominions; and even the

vanquished themselves, defended from oppression and protected in their

possessions, considered the success of the Scythians rather as a

salutary revolution than as a barbarian conquest.

"'Such was the pleasing prospect of affairs, when an unexpected disease,

the consequence of unremitted exertions, put an end to the glorious life

of our conqueror; and with him perished all hopes of safety or happiness

of the Syrians. His authority alone was capable of restraining so many

needy chieftains, so many victorious barbarians; the spirit of rapine

and plunder so long represt, began now to spread through all the army;

every officer was an independent tyrant, that ruled with despotic

authority, and punished as rebellion the least opposition to his will.

The fields were now ravaged, the cities plundered, the industrious

peasants driven away like herds of cattle, to labour for the caprice of

unfeeling masters, or sold in distant regions as slaves. Now it was that

the miserable and harassed Syrians began to find that the riches which

they so much esteemed, were but the causes of their ruin, instead of

being instrumental to their safety. The poor, accustomed to hardship,

have little to fear amid the vicissitudes of life; the brave can always

find a refuge in their own valour; but all the bitterness of existence

is reserved for those who have neither courage to defend what they most

value, nor fortitude to bear the loss.

"'To increase the weight of our misfortunes, new tribes of barbarians,

attracted by the success of their countrymen, issued from their deserts,

and hastened to share the spoil. But rapine admits not faith or

partnership; and it was not long before the vanquished beheld their

conquerors animated by implacable rage against each other, and suffering

in turn the violence and cruelties they had inflicted.

"'At length one of the principal officers of Arsaces, who is said

originally to have descended from the mountain which you inhabit, was

raised to empire by the successful efforts of his soldiers. He has

already attacked and destroyed all his competitors, and assembled under

his banners the remainder of their forces. _Tigranes_ (for thus he is

named) possesses all the courage and activity of Arsaces, but he is

destitute of his generosity and clemency. His ambition is vast and

boundless; he grasps at universal empire, and rejoices to scatter ruin

and destruction in his way; he has already subjected all the maritime

cities that derive their origin from Greece, together with the fertile

plains of Syria. These mountains, inhabited by a bold and hardy race of

men, now present a barrier to his enterprising spirit; and I am assured

he already meditates the conquest. His soldiers are drawn together from

every part, and nothing can escape their fury. In vain did I think

myself safe in the humble obscurity of my cottage, and the reputed

favour of the great Arsaces. Yesterday, a lawless band, not contented

with destroying my harvest and plundering my little property, seized my

daughter and me, and dragged us away in chains. What farther injuries,

what farther insults we might have suffered, it is impossible to

determine, since Heaven was pleased to effect our deliverance when we

had least reason to expect it.'

"Such was the history of Chares, which Sophron and his family listened

to with fixed attention. When he had finished, the father of Sophron

again embraced the venerable stranger, and assured him of all the safety

which their mountains could bestow. 'But,' added he, 'if so imminent a

danger is near, it behoves us to consult for the general safety; let us

assemble all our friends and neighbours, that they may consider whether

life is of more consequence than liberty; and if they determine to

retain that freedom which they have received from their ancestors, by

what means it maybe best defended.' Sophron then immediately went out,

and ascending a neighbouring rock, thus shouted out, in a voice that

echoed over the neighbouring valleys: 'Arm, O ye inhabitants of Lebanon,

and instantly meet in council; for a powerful invader is near, and

threatens you with death or slavery!' This sound was instantly repeated

by all who heard it; so that in a short time the intelligence was

dispersed to the very confines of the country.

"It was not long before a numerous assembly was convened. The aged

appeared with all the majestic dignity of wisdom and experience; their

countenances, indeed, indicated the ravages of time, but temperance and

exercise had preserved them from the loathsome diseases which grow on

luxury and indolence. They were attended by their sons in all the pride

of youth and vigour, who rushed along in arms, and seemed to breathe

deliberate rage and unconquerable opposition. When they were all

assembled on a spacious plain, Sophron rose, and with a becoming

modesty, recited the adventures of the preceding night, and the alarming

intelligence he had just received. He had scarcely finished before a

general cry of indignation burst unanimously from the whole assembly.

When it had a little subsided, a venerable old man, whose beard, white

as the snow upon the summits of the mountains, reaching down to his

middle, slowly arose, and leaning upon his staff, spoke thus:--'Ninety

years have I tended my flocks amid these mountains, and during all that

time I have never seen a human being who was bold enough to propose to

the inhabitants of Lebanon that they should fear death more than infamy,

or submit to the vassals of a tyrant.' At this a second cry, which

seemed to rend the very heavens, was raised, and farther deliberation

judged unnecessary, except upon the most effectual means of defence. For

this purpose the aged and most experienced retired to a little distance

to consult. They were not long in their deliberations; it was

unanimously agreed that all who were able to bear arms should be

embodied, and wait for the approach of the enemy, within the boundaries

of their own mountains. The nature of the country, always rough, and in

many parts inaccessible, would afford them, they thought, sufficient

advantages even against the more numerous and better disciplined troops

of the invader; and, by the common consent of all, Sophron was named

the general of his country, and invested with supreme authority for its

defence.

"When these measures had been resolved upon, the assembly dispersed, and

Sophron was left alone with Chares. It was then the stranger thus

accosted him with a deep sigh:--'Did success, O virtuous Sophron, depend

entirely upon the justice of the cause, or upon the courage and zeal of

its defenders, I should have little doubt concerning the event of the

present contest, for I can truly say, that in all the various countries

I have visited, my eyes have never seen a more martial race than I have

this day beheld assembled; nor can I doubt that their sentiments

correspond to their appearance; all, therefore, that can be effected by

patience, activity, and dauntless courage, will be achieved by your

countrymen in defence of their liberty; but war, unfortunately, is a

trade where long experience frequently confers advantages which no

intrepidity can balance. The troops which are now approaching have been

for years inured to the practice of slaughter; they join to a courage

which defies every danger, a knowledge of every fraud and subtility

which can confound or baffle an adversary. In bodily strength, in

numbers, your countrymen are superior; even in courage, and the contempt

of danger, they are probably not inferior to their enemies; but such are

the fatal effects of military skill and discipline, that I dread the

event of a combat with such an army and such a leader.'

"'Alas!' answered Sophron, 'how well do the mature reflections of your

wisdom accord with my presaging fears! I know that my countrymen will

perform everything that can be effected by men in their situation, and

that thousands will generously sacrifice their lives rather than abandon

the cause they have undertaken to defend; yet, when I consider the

superior advantage of our enemies, my fears are no less active than your

own. This consolation, however, remains, that I shall either see my

country victorious, or avoid the miseries which will attend her ruin.'

"'Hear me, then,' replied Chares. 'The virtues of your friends, my own

obligations to yourself, and the desire I feel to oppose the career of

mad ambition, conspire to wrest from me a dreadful secret, which I have

hitherto buried in my own bosom, and had determined to conceal from the

knowledge of mankind. I have already told you that much of my life has

been dedicated to the acquisition of knowledge, and the investigation of

the laws of nature. Not contented with viewing the appearance of things

as they strike our senses, I have endeavoured to penetrate into the

deeper recesses of nature, and to discover those secrets which are

concealed from the greater part of mankind. For this purpose I have

tried innumerable experiments concerning the manner in which bodies act

upon each other; I have submitted the plants, the stones, the minerals,

which surround us, to the violence of all-consuming fires; I have

examined their structure, and the different principles which compose

them, with the patient labour and perseverance of a long life. In the

course of these inquiries I have made many curious and important

discoveries, but one above the rest, which I will now impart under the

promise of eternal and inviolable secrecy. Know, then, that I have found

out an easy and expeditious combination of common materials, the effect

of which is equal or superior to the most potent and destructive agents

in nature. Neither the proudest city can maintain its walls, nor the

strongest castle its bulwarks, against the irresistible attacks of this

extraordinary composition. Increase but the quantity, and the very rocks

and mountains will be torn asunder with a violence that equals that of

earthquakes. Whole armies, proud of their triumphs, may be in an instant

scattered and destroyed like the summer's dust before the whirlwind;

and, what increases the prodigy, a single man may securely give death to

thousands. This composition I have hitherto concealed, in pity to the

miseries of mankind; but since there appears no other method of

preserving the virtuous inhabitants of these mountains from slavery and

ruin, I am determined to employ it in their defence. Give orders,

therefore, that a certain number of your countrymen provide me with the

ingredients that I shall indicate, and expect the amplest success from

your own valour, assisted by such powerful auxiliaries.'

"Sophron said everything to Chares which such an unexpected mark of

confidence deserved, and instantly received his orders, and prepared to

execute them with the greatest alacrity. Chares, meanwhile, was

indefatigable in the execution of his project; and it was not long

before he had prepared a sufficient quantity to provide for the common

defence.

"Tigranes now approached with the rage and confidence of a lion that

invades a flock of domestic animals. He had long forgotten all the ties

which attach men to the place of their birth; and neither time nor

distance had been able to extinguish the hatred he had conceived to

Sophron. Scarcely did he deign to send an ambassador before his army;

he, however, despatched one with an imperious message, requiring all the

inhabitants of Lebanon to submit to his victorious arms, or threatening

them with the worst extremities of war.

"When the ambassador returned, and reported the fixed determination of

Sophron and his countrymen, he was inflamed with rage, and ordered his

army to advance to the attack. They marched without opposition till they

entered the mountainous districts, where all the bravest inhabitants

were ranged in arms to meet the invader. Then arose the noise of arms;

then man encountered man, and wounds and death were seen on every side.

The troops of Tigranes advanced in close array with long protended

spears; the inhabitants of Lebanon were more lightly armed, and, with

invincible courage, endeavoured to break the formidable battalion of

their enemies. They rushed with fury upon the dreadful range of weapons,

and, even wounded and dying, endeavoured to beat down their points, and

open a way to their companions.

"Sophron was seen conspicuous in every part of the field, encouraging

his companions with his voice, and more by his actions. Wherever he

turned his steps he was followed by the bravest youth of his party, and

there the efforts and the slaughter were always greatest. Five times,

covered with blood and dust, he made a desperate charge upon the troops

of Tigranes, and five times did he force his bravest soldiers to give

ground. At length the superiority of discipline and experience began to

prevail over the generous but more unequal efforts of the defenders.

The veterans of Tigranes perceived their advantage, and pressed the

enemy with redoubled vigour.

"This was the decisive moment which Chares had foreseen and provided

for; in an instant the bands of Lebanon retreated, by the orders of

Sophron, with a precipitation bordering upon flight. Tigranes, supposing

himself certain of victory, orders his troops to advance, and decide the

fortune of the battle; but while they are rashly preparing to obey, a

sudden noise is heard that equals the loudest thunders; the earth itself

trembles with a convulsive motion under their feet, then bursts asunder

with a violence that nothing can resist! Hundreds are in an instant

swallowed up, or dashed against rocks, and miserably destroyed!

Meanwhile all nature seems to be convulsed around; the rocks themselves

are torn from their solid base, and, with their enormous fragments,

crush whole bands of miserable wretches beneath! Clouds of smoke obscure

the field of battle, and veil the combatants in a dreadful shade, which

is from time to time dispelled by flashes of destructive fire! Such a

succession of horrors daunted even the most brave; scarcely could the

troops of Lebanon, who had been prepared to expect some extraordinary

interposition, maintain their post, or behold the spectacle of their

enemy's ruin; but the bands of Tigranes were struck with the wildest

consternation, and fled with trembling steps over the field. And now

these prodigies were succeeded by an awful interval of quiet; the peals

of bursting thunder were no longer heard, the lightnings ceased to

flash, the mists that darkened the scene were rolled away, and

discovered the various fortunes of the fight, when the voice of Sophron

was heard, exhorting his companions to pursue the fugitives and complete

their victory. They rushed forward like angry lions to the chase, but

all resistance was at an end; and Sophron, who now perceived that the

enemy was irretrievably broken, checked the ardour of his men, and

entreated them to spare the vanquished. They obeyed his voice; and,

after having chased them beyond the utmost boundaries of Lebanon,

returned in triumph amid the praises and acclamations of their joyful

families, whom they had preserved from slavery by their valour. They

then examined the field of battle, and collecting all who had any

remains of life, they treated them with the greatest humanity, binding

up their wounds, and administering to all their necessities.

"Among the thickest dead was found the breathless body of Tigranes,

miserably shattered and disfigured, but still exhibiting evident marks

of passion and ferocity. Sophron could not behold, without compassion,

the friend of his early years, and the companion of his youthful sports.

'Unhappy man,' said he, 'thou hast at length paid the price of thy

ungovernable ambition! How much better would it have been to have tended

thy flocks upon the mountains, than to have blazed an angry meteor, and

set for ever amid the curses of thy country.' He then covered the body

with a military vest, and ordered it to be honourably burned upon a

mighty funeral-pile which was prepared for all the dead.

"The next day an immense quantity of spoil was collected, that had been

abandoned by the troops of Tigranes in their flight. The simple

inhabitants of Lebanon, the greater part of whom had never been beyond

the limits of their mountains, were astonished at such a display of

luxury and magnificence. Already the secret poison of sensuality and

avarice began to inflame their hearts, as they gazed on costly hangings,

enriched with gold and silver, on Persian carpets, and drinking-vessels

of the most exquisite workmanship; already had they begun to differ

about the division of these splendid trifles, when Sophron, who marked

the growing mischief, and remembered the fatal effects which Chares had

described in his travels, rose, and proposed to his countrymen that the

arms of their conquered enemies should be carefully preserved for the

public defence, but that all the rest of the spoil should be consumed

upon the funeral-pile prepared for the dead, lest the simplicity of the

inhabitants of Lebanon should be corrupted, and the happy equality and

union, which had hitherto prevailed among them, be interrupted. This

proposal was instantly applauded by all the older and wiser part of the

assembly, who rejoiced in seeing the evils averted which they had so

much reason to apprehend; nor did those of a different character dare to

express their sentiments, or attempt any open opposition.

"From this time Sophron was universally honoured by all as the most

virtuous and valiant of his nation. He passed the rest of his life in

peace and tranquillity, contented with the exercise of the same rural

employments which had engaged his childhood. Chares, whose virtues and

knowledge were equally admirable, was presented, at the public expense,

with a small but fertile tract of land, sufficient to supply him with

all the comforts of life. This the grateful inhabitants of the mountains

continually cultivated for him as a memorial of the signal assistance he

had afforded them; and here, contented with the enjoyment of security

and freedom, he passed the remaining part of his life in the

contemplation of nature and the delightful intercourse of virtuous

friendship."

When Miss Simmons had finished, Tommy expressed his astonishment at the

latter part of the story. "Is it possible," said he, "there can be

anything of so extraordinary a nature as to burst the very rocks

asunder, and destroy an army at once?" "Have you, then, never heard the

explosion of a gun, or are you ignorant of the destructive effects of

the powder with which they charge it?" said Mr Barlow.

_Tommy._--Yes, sir; but that is nothing to what Chares did in the story.

_Mr Barlow._--That is only because it is used in very inconsiderable

portions; but were you to increase the quantity, it would be capable of

effecting everything which you heard Miss Simmons describe. When nations

are at war with each other, it is now universally the agent of

destruction. They have large tubes of iron, called _cannons_, into which

they ram a considerable quantity of powder, together with a large iron

ball, as big as you are able to lift. They then set fire to the powder,

which explodes with so much violence, that the ball flies out and

destroys not only every living thing it meets with, but even demolishes

the strongest walls that can be raised. Sometimes it is buried in

considerable quantities in the earth, and then they contrive to inflame

it, and to escape in time. When the fire communicates with the mass, it

is all inflamed in an instant, and produces the horrible effects you

have heard described. As such are the irresistible effects of gunpowder,

it is no wonder that even a victorious army should be stopped in their

progress by such a dreadful and unexpected event.

_Tommy._--That is true, indeed; and I declare Chares was a very good and

sensible man. Had it not been for him, these brave inhabitants of

Lebanon must have been enslaved. I now plainly perceive that a man may

be of much more consequence by improving his mind in various kinds of

knowledge, even though he is poor, than by all the finery and

magnificence he can acquire. I wish, with all my heart, that Mr Barlow

had been so good as to read this story to the young gentlemen and ladies

that were lately here; I think it would have made a great impression

upon their minds, and would have prevented their feeling so much

contempt for poor Harry, who is better and wiser than them all, though

he does not powder his hair or dress so genteelly.

"Tommy," said Mr Merton, with a kind of contemptuous smile, "why should

you believe that the hearing of a single story would change the

characters of all your late friends, when neither the good instructions

you have been so long receiving from Mr Barlow, nor the intimacy you

have had with Harry, were sufficient to restrain your impetuous temper,

or prevent you from treating him in the shameful manner you have done?"

Tommy appeared very much abashed with his father's rebuke. He hung down

his head in silence a considerable time; at length he faintly said,

"Oh, sir, I have indeed acted very ill; I have rendered myself unworthy

the affection of all my best friends; but do not, pray do not give me up

entirely. You shall see how I will behave for the future; and if ever I

am guilty of the same faults again, I consent that you shall abandon me

for ever." Saying this, he silently stole out of the room, as if intent

upon some extraordinary resolution. His father observed his motions, and

smiling, said to Mr Barlow, "What can this portend? This boy is

changeable as a weathercock; every blast whirls him round and round upon

his centre, nor will he ever fix, I fear, in any direction." "At least,"

replied Mr Barlow, "you have the greatest reason to rejoice in his

present impressions, which are good and estimable; and I fear it is the

lot of most human beings to exhaust almost every species of error before

they fix in truth and virtue."

Tommy now entered the room, but with a remarkable change in his dress

and manner. He had combed the powder out of his hair, and demolished the

elegance of his curls; he had divested his dress of every appearance of

finery; and even his massy and ponderous buckles, so long the delight of

his heart and the wonder of his female friends, were taken from his

shoes, and replaced by a pair of the plainest form and appearance. In

this habiliment he appeared so totally changed from what he was, that

even his mother, who had lately become a little sparing of her

observations, could not help exclaiming, "What, in the name of wonder,

has the boy been doing now? Why, Tommy, I protest you have made yourself

a perfect fright, and you look more like a ploughboy than a young

gentleman."

"Mamma," answered Tommy, gravely, "I am now only what I ought always to

have been. Had I been contented with this dress before, I never should

have imitated such a parcel of coxcombs as you have lately had at your

house, nor pretended to admire Miss Matilda's music, which, I own, tired

me as much as Harry, and had almost set me asleep; nor should I have

exposed myself at the play and the ball; and, what is worst of all, I

should have avoided all my shameful behaviour to Harry at the

bull-baiting. But from this time I shall apply myself to the study of

nothing but reason and philosophy, and therefore I have bid adieu to

dress and finery for ever."

It was with great difficulty that the gentlemen could refrain from

laughing at Tommy's harangue, delivered with infinite seriousness and

solemnity; they, however, concealed their emotions, and encouraged him

to persevere in such a laudable resolution; but as the night was now

pretty far advanced, the whole family retired to bed.

The next morning early, Tommy arose, and dressed himself with his

newly-adopted simplicity, and, as soon as breakfast was over, prevailed

with Mr Barlow to accompany him to Harry Sandford's; but he did not

forget to take with him the lamb, which he had caressed and fed with

constant assiduity ever since he had so valiantly rescued him from his

devouring enemy. As they approached the house, the first object which

Tommy distinguished was his little friend at some distance, who was

driving his father's sheep along the common. At this sight his

impetuosity could no longer be restrained, and, springing forward with

all his speed, he arrived in an instant panting and out of breath, and

incapable of speaking. Harry, who knew his friend, and plainly perceived

the disposition with which he approached, met him with open arms, so

that the reconciliation was begun and completed in a moment; and Mr

Barlow, who now arrived with the lamb, had the pleasure of seeing his

little pupils mutually giving and receiving every unaffected mark of the

warmest affection.

"Harry," said Mr Barlow, "I bring you a little friend who is sincerely

penitent for his offences, and comes to own the faults he has

committed." "That I am indeed," said Tommy, a little recovered, and able

to speak; "but I have behaved so ill, and been such an ungrateful

fellow, that I am afraid Harry will never be able to forgive me."

"Indeed, indeed," said Harry, "there you do me the greatest injustice,

for I have already forgotten everything but your former kindness and

affection." "And I," answered Tommy, "will never forget how ill, how

ungratefully I have used you, nor the goodness with which you now

receive me." Tommy then recollected his lamb, and presented it to his

friend, while Mr Barlow told him the story of its rescue, and the

heroism exerted in its defence. Harry seemed to receive equal pleasure

from the restoration of his favourite, and the affection Tommy had shown

in its preservation; and, taking him by the hand, he led him into a

small but neat and convenient house, where he was most cordially

welcomed by Harry's family.

In a corner of the chimney sat the honest Black, who had performed so

signal a service at the bull-baiting. "Alas!" said Tommy, "there is

another instance of my negligence and ingratitude; I now see that one

fault brings on another without end." Then advancing to the Black, he

took him kindly by the hand, and thanked him for the preservation of his

life. "Little master," replied he, "you are extremely welcome to all I

have done; I would at any time risk my own safety to preserve one of my

fellow-creatures; and if I have been of any use, I have been amply

repaid by the kindness of this little boy, your friend, and all his

worthy family." "That is not enough," said Tommy, "and you shall soon

find what it is to oblige a person like----(here a stroke of presumption

was just coming out of Tommy's mouth, but, recollecting himself, he

added) a person like my father." And now he addressed himself to Harry's

mother, a venerable, decent woman of middle age, and his two sisters,

plain, modest, healthy-looking girls, a little older than their brother.

All these he treated with so much cordiality and attention that all the

company were delighted with him; so easy is it for those who possess

rank and fortune to gain the goodwill of their fellow-creatures, and so

inexcusable is that surly pride which renders many of them deservedly

odious.

When dinner was ready he sat down with the rest; and as it was the

custom here for everybody to wait upon himself, Tommy insisted upon

their suffering him to conform to the established method. The food,

indeed, was not very delicate, but it was wholesome, clean, and served

up hot to table,--an advantage which is not always found in elegant

apartments. Tommy ate with a considerable appetite, and seemed to enjoy

his new situation as much as if he had never experienced any other.

After the dinner was removed, he thought he might with propriety

gratify the curiosity he felt to converse with the Black upon fighting

bulls, for nothing had more astonished him than the account he had heard

of his courage, and the ease with which he had subdued so terrible an

animal. "My friend," said he, "I suppose in your own country you have

been very much used to bull-baitings, otherwise you would never have

dared to encounter such a fierce creature. I must confess, though I can

tame most animals, I never was more frightened in my life than when I

saw him break loose; and without your assistance, I do not know what

would have become of me."

"Master," replied the Black, "it is not in my own country that I have

learned to manage these animals. There I have been accustomed to several

kinds of hunting much more dangerous than this; and considering how much

you white people despise us blacks, I own I was very much surprised to

see so many hundreds of you running away from such an insignificant

enemy as a poor tame bull."

Tommy blushed a little at the remembrance of the prejudices he had

formerly entertained concerning blacks and his own superiority; but not

choosing now to enter upon the subject, he asked the man where then he

had acquired so much dexterity in taming them?

"I will tell you, master," replied the Black. "When I lived a slave

among the Spaniards at Buenos Ayres, it used to be a common employment

of the people to go into the woods to hunt cattle down for their

subsistence. The hunter mounts his fleetest horse, and takes with him a

strong cord of a considerable length; when he sees one of the wild kind

which he destines for his prey, he pursues it at full speed, and never

fails to overtake it by the superior swiftness of his horse. While he is

thus employed, he holds the cord ready, at the end of which a sliding

noose is formed, and when he is at a convenient distance, throws it from

him with such a certain hand, that the beast is entangled by one of his

legs, after which it is impossible for him to escape.

"That you may form a more clear idea of what a man is capable of

executing with courage and address, I will relate a most extraordinary

incident to which I was witness during my residence in that part of the

world. A certain man, a native of the country, had committed some

offence, for which he was condemned to labour several years in the

galleys. He found means to speak to the governor of the town, and

besought him to change the nature of his punishment. 'I have been

brought up,' said he, 'a warrior, and fear dishonour, but not death.

Instead of consuming my strength and spirits in such an ignominious

employment, let me have an opportunity of achieving something worthy to

be beheld, or of perishing like a brave man in the attempt. In a few

days a solemn feast is to be celebrated, at which you will not fail to

be present, attended by all your people. I will there, in the presence

of the whole city, encounter the fiercest bull you can procure. I desire

no assistance but my horse, no weapons but this cord; yet, thus

prepared, I will meet his fury, and take him by the head, the horns, the

feet, as you shall direct. I will then throw him down, bridle him,

saddle him, and vault upon his back; in this situation you shall turn

out two more of the fiercest bulls you can find, and I will attack them

both, and put them all to death with my dagger the instant you shall

command.' The governor consented to this brave man's request, more from

curiosity to see so extraordinary a spectacle, than from the opinion it

would be attended with success.

"When the appointed day arrived the inhabitants of the city assembled,

and took their seats in a vast building which surrounded a considerable

open space destined for this amazing combat. The brave American then

appeared alone on horseback, armed with nothing but his cord; and after

riding round the place and saluting the company, he waited intrepidly

for his enemy. Presently an enormous bull was let loose, who, as soon as

he beheld the man, attacked him with all his fury. The American avoided

his shock with infinite dexterity, and galloped round the bull, who, in

his turn, betook himself to flight. The valiant horseman pursued his

flying enemy; and while he was thus engaged, he desired the governor to

direct where he would have him seized. He replied it was a matter of

indifference to him; and the American, instantly throwing his noose,

which he held ready all the time, caught the bull in his flight by one

of his hinder legs; then, galloping two or three times round the animal,

he so enveloped him in the snare, that, after a few violent efforts to

disengage himself, he fell to the earth. He then leaped lightly from his

horse; and the animal who had been perfectly trained up to this kind of

combat, stood still, and kept the cord extended; while his master

advanced to the bull, and put him to death in an instant, by stabbing

him with his dagger behind the horns.

"All the assembly uttered a shout of admiration; but the conqueror told

them, that what they had seen was nothing; and, disentangling his cord

from the slaughtered beast, he composedly mounted his horse, and waited

for a new and more formidable enemy. Presently the gate of the torillo

was opened, and a bull, much more furious than the last, rushed out,

whom he was ordered to bridle and saddle, according to his engagement."

"I protest," said Tommy, "this is the most wonderful story I ever heard.

I do not believe all the fine gentleman I have ever seen, put together,

would dare to attack such a bull."

"Master," replied the Black, "the talents of mankind are various; and

nature has, in every country, furnished the human species with all the

qualities necessary for their preservation. In this country, and many

others which I have seen, there are thousands who live, like birds in

cages, upon the food provided by others, without doing anything for

themselves. But they should be contented with the happiness they enjoy

(if such a life can be called happiness), and not despise their

fellow-creatures, without whose continual assistance they could not

exist an instant."

"Very true, indeed," answered Tommy; "you seem to be a very honest

sensible man, though a negro; and since I have given myself up to the

improvement of my mind, I entertain the same opinions. But let us hear

how this brave man succeeded in his next attempt."

"When the champion perceived this second enemy approach, he waited for

him with the same intrepidity he had discovered before, and avoided his

formidable shock by making his horse wheel nimbly round the bull. When

he had thus baffled his fury, and put his enemy to flight, he chased

him some time, as he had done the former, till he drove him near to the

middle of the enclosed space, where a strong post had been firmly fixed

into the ground. As soon as he approached the spot he threw the unerring

noose, and, catching the bull by the horns, entangled him as he had done

before, and dragged him with some difficulty to the stake. To this he

bound him down so closely, that it became impossible for the creature

either to resist or stir. Leaping then from his horse, who remained

immovable as before, he took a saddle, which had been left there on

purpose, and girded it firmly on the back of the bull; through his

nostrils he thrust an iron ring, to which was fixed a cord, which he

brought over his neck as a bridle; and then arming his hand with a short

spike, he nimbly vaulted upon the back of this new and terrible courser.

"The creature all this time did not cease to bellow with every

expression of rage, which had not the least effect upon the mind of this

valiant man; on the contrary, coolly taking a knife, he cut the cord

which bound him to the stake, and restored him to perfect liberty. The

creature, thus disengaged, exerted every effort of strength and fury to

throw his rider, who kept his seat undaunted in spite of all his violent

agitation. The gates of the torillo were then thrown open, and two other

furious bulls rushed out, and seemed ready to attack the man; but at the

instant they perceived the manner in which he was mounted, their rage

gave way to terror, and they fled precipitately away. The other bull

followed his companions, and bore his rider several times round the

amphitheatre in this extraordinary chase. This spectacle had already

lasted some time, to the admiration of all present, when the governor

ordered the man to complete the business by putting all the bulls to

death. He, instantly drawing his knife, plunged it behind the horns of

the bull on which he rode, who immediately dropped down dead; while the

conqueror, disengaging himself as he fell, stood upright by the

slaughtered animal. He then mounted his horse again, who had been placed

in safety at some little distance; and, pursuing the chase as before,

with his fatal noose, despatched both the surviving animals without the

least difficulty."

Tommy expressed the greatest admiration at this recital; and now, as the

evening began to advance, Mr Barlow invited him to return. But Tommy,

instead of complying, took him by the hand, thanked him for all his

kindness and attention, but declared his resolution of staying some time

with his friend Harry. "The more I consider my own behaviour," said he

"the more I feel myself ashamed of my folly and ingratitude; but you

have taught me, my dear sir, that all I have in my power is to

acknowledge them, which I most willingly do before all this good family,

and entreat Harry to think that the impressions I now feel are such as I

shall never forget." Harry embraced his friend, and assured him once

more of his being perfectly reconciled; and all the family stood mute

with admiration at the condescension of the young gentleman, who was not

ashamed of acknowledging his faults even to his inferiors.

Mr Barlow approved of Tommy's design, and took upon him to answer for

the consent of Mr Merton to his staying some time with Harry; then,

taking his leave of all the company, he departed.

But Tommy began now to enter upon a course of life which was very little

consistent with his former habits. He supped with great cheerfulness,

and even found himself happy with the rustic fare which was set before

him, accompanied, as it was, with unaffected civility and a hearty

welcome. He went to bed early, and slept very soundly all night;

however, when Harry came to call him the next morning at five, as he had

made him promise to do, he found a considerable difficulty in rousing

himself at the summons. Conscious pride, however, and the newly-acquired

dignity of his character, supported him; he recollected that he should

disgrace himself in the eyes of his father, of Mr Barlow, and of all the

family with which he now was, if he appeared incapable of acting up to

his own declarations; he therefore made a noble effort, leaped out of

bed, dressed himself, and followed Harry. Not contented with this, he

accompanied him in all his rustic employments; and as no kind of country

exercise was entirely new to him since his residence with Mr Barlow, he

acquitted himself with a degree of dexterity that gained him new

commendations.

Thus did he pass the first day of his visit, with some little difficulty

indeed, but without deviating from his resolution; the second, he found

his change of life infinitely more tolerable, and in a very little space

of time he was almost reconciled to his new situation. The additional

exercise he used improved his health and strength, and added so

considerably to his appetite that he began to think the table of farmer

Sandford exceeded all that he had ever tried before.

By thus practising the common useful occupations of life, he began to

feel a more tender interest in the common concerns of his

fellow-creatures. He now found, from his own experience, that Mr Barlow

had not deceived him in the various representations he had made of the

utility of the lower classes, and consequently of the humanity which is

due to them when they discharge their duty. Nor did that gentleman

abandon his little friend in this important trial; he visited him

frequently, pointed out everything that was curious or interesting about

the farm, and encouraged him to persevere by his praises.

"You are now," said Mr Barlow, one day, "beginning to practise those

virtues which have rendered the great men of other times so justly

famous. It is not by sloth, nor finery, nor the mean indulgence of our

appetites, that greatness of character, or even reputation, is to be

acquired. He that would excel others in virtue or knowledge, must first

excel them in temperance and application. You cannot imagine that men,

fit to command an army, or to give laws to a state, were ever formed by

an idle and effeminate education. When the Roman people, oppressed by

their enemies, were looking out for a leader able to defend them, and

change the fortune of the war, where did they seek for this

extraordinary man? It was neither at banquets, nor in splendid palaces,

nor amid the gay, the elegant, or the dissipated; they turned their

steps towards a poor and solitary cottage, such as the meanest of your

late companions would consider with contempt; there they found

_Cincinnatus_ (whose virtues and abilities were allowed to excel all the

rest of his citizens) turning up the soil with a pair of oxen, and

holding the plough himself. This great man had been inured to arms and

the management of public affairs even from his infancy; he had

repeatedly led the Roman legions to victory, yet, in the hour of peace,

or when his country did not require his services, he deemed no

employment more honourable than to labour for his own subsistence.

"What would all your late friends have said, to see the greatest men in

England, and the bravest officers of the army, crowding round the house

of one of those obscure farmers you have been accustomed to despise, and

entreating him in the most respectful language to leave his fields and

accept of the highest dignity in the government or army? Yet this was

actually the state of things at Rome; and it was characters like these,

with all the train of severe and rugged virtues, which elevated that

people above all the other nations of the world. And tell me, my little

friend, since chance, not merit, too frequently allots the situation in

which men are to act, had you rather, in a high station, appear to all

mankind unworthy of the advantages you enjoy, or, in a low one, seem

equal to the most exalted employments by your virtues and abilities?"

Such were the conversations which Mr Barlow frequently held with Tommy,

and which never failed to inspire him with new resolution to persevere.

Nor could he help being frequently affected by the comparison of Harry's

behaviour with his own. No cloud seemed ever to shade the features of

his friend, or alter the uniform sweetness of his temper; even the

repeated provocations he had received were either totally obliterated or

had made no disagreeable impressions. After discharging the necessary

duties of the day, he gave up the rest of his time to the amusement of

Tommy with so much zeal and affection that he could not help loving him

a thousand times better than before.

During the evening, too, Tommy frequently conversed with the honest

negro concerning the most remarkable circumstances of the country where

he was born. One night that he seemed peculiarly inquisitive, the Black

gave him the following account of himself:--

"I was born," said he, "in the neighbourhood of the river Gambia in

Africa. In _this_ country people are astonished at my colour, and start

at the sight of a black man, as if he did not belong to their species;

but _there_ everybody resembles me, and when the first white men landed

upon our coast, we were as much surprised with their appearance as you

can be with ours. In some parts of the world I have seen men of a yellow

hue, in others of a copper colour; and all have the foolish vanity to

despise their fellow-creatures as infinitely inferior to themselves.

There, indeed, they entertain these conceits from ignorance, but in this

country, where the natives pretend to superior reason, I have often

wondered they could be influenced by such a prejudice. Is a black horse

thought to be inferior to a white one in speed, in strength, or courage?

Is a white cow thought to give more milk, or a white dog to have a more

acute scent in pursuing the game? On the contrary, I have generally

found, in almost every country, that a pale colour in animals is

considered as a mark of weakness and inferiority. Why then should a

certain race of men imagine themselves superior to the rest, for the

very circumstance they despise in other animals?

"But, in the country where I was born, it is not only _man_ that

differs from what we see here, but every other circumstance. _Here_, for

a considerable part of the year you are chilled by frosts and snows, and

scarcely behold the presence of the sun, during that gloomy season which

is called the winter. With us, the sun is always present, pouring out

light and heat, and scorching us with his fiercest beams. In my country

we know no difference between the length of nights and days; all are of

equal length throughout the year, and present not that continual variety

which you see here; we have neither ice, nor frost, nor snow; the trees

never lose their leaves, and we have fruits in every season of the year.

During several months, indeed, we are scorched by unremitting heats,

which parch the ground, dry up the rivers, and afflict both men and

animals with intolerable thirst. In that season you may behold lions,

tigers, elephants, and a variety of other ferocious animals, driven from

their dark abodes in the midst of impenetrable forests, down to the

lower grounds and the sides of rivers; every night we hear their savage

yells, their cries of rage, and think ourselves scarcely safe in our

cottages. In this country you have reduced all other animals to

subjection, and have nothing to fear, except from each other. You even

shelter yourselves from the injuries of the weather, in mansions that

seem calculated to last for ever, in impenetrable houses of brick and

stone, that would have scarcely anything to fear from the whole animal

creation; but, with us, a few reeds twisted together, and perhaps daubed

over with slime or mud, compose the whole of our dwelling. Yet the

innocent negro would sleep as happy and contented as you do in your

palaces, provided you do not drag him by fraud and violence away, and

force him to endure all the excesses of your cruelty.

"It was in one of these cottages that I first remembered anything of

myself. A few stakes set in the ground, and interwoven with dry leaves,

covered at top with the spreading leaves of the palm, composed our

dwelling. Our furniture consisted of three or four earthen pipkins, in

which our food was dressed; a few mats woven with a silky kind of grass

to serve as beds; the instruments with which my mother turned the

ground, and the javelin, arrows, and lines which my father used in

fishing or the chase. In this country, and many others where I have

been, I observe that nobody thinks himself happy till he has got

together a thousand things which he does not want, and can never use;

you live in houses so big that they are fit to contain an army; you

cover yourselves with superfluous clothes that restrain all the motions

of your bodies; when you want to eat, you must have meat enough served

up to nourish a whole village; yet I have seen poor famished wretches

starving at your gate, while the master had before him at least a

hundred times as much as he could consume. We negroes, whom you treat as

savages, have different manners and different opinions. The first thing

that I can remember of myself, was the running naked about such a

cottage as I have described, with four of my little brothers and

sisters. I have observed your children here with astonishment; as soon

as they are born, it seems to be the business of all about them to

render them weak, helpless, and unable to use any of their limbs; the

little negro, on the contrary is scarcely born before he learns to crawl

about upon the ground. Unrestrained by bandages or ligatures, he comes

as soon and as easily to the perfect use of all his organs as any of the

beasts which surround him; before your children here are taught to

venture themselves upon their feet, he has the perfect use of his, and

can follow his mother in her daily labours.

"This, I remember, was my own case. Sometimes I used to go with my

mother to the field, where all the women of the village were assembled

to plant rice for their subsistence. The joyful songs which they used to

sing, amid their toils, delighted my infant ear, and when their daily

task was done, they danced together under the shade of spreading palms.

In this manner did they raise the simple food which was sufficient for

themselves and their children; yams, a root resembling your potato,

Indian corn, and, above all, rice: to this were added the fruits which

nature spontaneously produced in our woods, and the produce of the chase

and fishing. Yet with this we are as much contented as you are with all

your splendid tables, and enjoy a greater share of health and strength.

As soon as the fiery heat of the sun declined, you might behold the

master of every cottage reposing before his own door, and feasting upon

his mess of roots or fruits, with all his family around him. If a

traveller or stranger happened to come from a distant country, he was

welcome to enter into every house, and share the provisions of the

family; no door was barred against his entrance, no surly servant

insulted him for his poverty; he entered wherever he pleased, set

himself down with the family, and then pursued his journey, or reposed

himself in quiet till the next morning. In each of our towns there is

generally a large building, where the elder part of the society are

accustomed to meet in the shade of the evening, and converse upon a

variety of subjects. The young and vigorous divert themselves with

dances and other pastimes, and the children of different ages amuse

themselves with a thousand sports and gambols adapted to their age; some

aim their little arrows at marks, or dart their light and blunted

javelins at each other, to form themselves for the exercises of war and

the chase; others wrestle naked upon the sand, or run in sportive races

with a degree of activity which I have never seen among the Europeans,

who pretend to be our masters.

"I have described to you the building of our houses; simple as they are,

they answer every purpose of human life, and every man is his own

architect. A hundred or two of these edifices compose our towns, which

are generally surrounded by lofty hedges of thorns, to secure us from

the midnight attacks of wild beasts, with only a single entrance, which

is carefully closed at night"----

"You talk," said Tommy, "of wild beasts; pray, have you many in your

country?"

"Yes, master," said the Black, "we have them of many sorts, equally

dreadful and ferocious. First, we have the _lion_, which I daresay you

have heard of, and perhaps seen. He is bigger than the largest mastiff,

and infinitely stronger and more fierce; his paws alone are such that,

with a single blow, he is able to knock down a man, and almost every

other animal; but these paws are armed with claws so sharp and dreadful

that nothing can resist their violence. When he roars, every beast of

the forest betakes himself to flight, and even the boldest hunter can

scarcely hear it without dismay. Sometimes the most valiant of our youth

assemble in bands, arm themselves with arrows and javelins, and go to

the chase of these destructive animals. When they have found his

retreat, they generally make a circle round, uttering shouts and cries,

and clashing their arms, to rouse him to resistance. The lion,

meanwhile, looks round upon his assailants with indifference or

contempt; neither their number, nor their horrid shouts, nor the glitter

of their radiant arms, can daunt him for an instant. At length he begins

to lash his sides with his long and nervous tail--a certain sign of

rising rage--his eyes sparkle with destructive fires; and if the number

of the hunters is very great, he perhaps moves slowly on. But this he is

not permitted to do; a javelin thrown at him from behind wounds him in

the flank, and compels him to turn. Then you behold him roused to fury

and desperation: neither wounds, nor streaming blood, nor a triple row

of barbed spears, can prevent him from springing upon the daring Black

who has wounded him. Should he reach him in the attack, it is certain

death; but generally the hunter, who is at once contending for glory and

his own life, and is inured to danger, avoids him by a nimble leap; and

all his companions hasten to his assistance. Thus is the lion pressed

and wounded on every side; his rage is ineffectual, and only exhausts

his strength the faster; a hundred wounds are pouring out his blood at

once; and at length he bites the ground in the agonies of death, and

yields the victory, though unconquered. When he is dead, he is carried

back in triumph by the hunters, as a trophy of their courage. All the

village rushes out at once; the young, the old, women and children,

uttering joyful shouts, and praising the valour of their champions. The

elders admire his prodigious size, his mighty limbs, his dreadful fangs,

and perhaps repeat tales of their own exploits; the women seem to

tremble at their fierce enemy, even in his death, while the men compel

their children to approach the monster and tinge their little weapons in

his blood. All utter joyful exclamations, and feasts are made in every

house, to which the victors are invited as the principal guests. These

are intended at once to reward those who have performed so gallant an

achievement, and to encourage a spirit of enterprise in the rest of the

nation."

"What a dreadful kind of hunting must this be!" said Tommy; "but I

suppose if any one meets a lion alone, it is impossible to resist him."

"Not always," answered the Black: "I will tell you what I once was

witness to myself. My father was reckoned not only the most skilful

hunter, but one of the bravest of our tribe; innumerable are the wild

beasts which have fallen beneath his arm. One evening, when the

inhabitants of the whole village were assembled at their sports and

dances, a monstrous lion, allured, I suppose, by the smell of human

flesh, burst unexpectedly upon them, without warning them of his

approach by roaring, as he commonly does. As they were unarmed, and

unprepared for defence, all but my father instantly fled, trembling, to

their huts; but he, who had never yet turned his back upon any beast of

the forest, drew from his side a kind of knife or dagger, which he

constantly wore, and, placing one knee and one hand upon the ground,

waited the approach of his terrible foe. The lion instantly rushed upon

him with a fury not to be described; but my father received him upon the

point of his weapon with so steady and so composed an aim, that he

buried it several inches in his belly. The beast attacked him a second

time, and a second time received a dreadful wound, not, however without

laying bare one of my father's sides with a sudden stroke of his claws.

The rest of the village then rushed in, and had soon despatched the lion

with innumerable wounds.

"This exploit appeared so extraordinary that it spread my father's fame

throughout the whole country, and gave him the name of the _undaunted

hunter_, as an honourable distinction from the neighbourhood. Under such

a parent it was not long before I was taught every species of the chase.

At first my father only suffered me to pursue stags and other feeble

animals, or took me in his canoe to fish. Soon, however, I was intrusted

with a bow and arrows, and placed with many other children and young men

to defend our rice-fields from the depredations of the _river-horse_.

Rice (it is necessary to observe) is a plant that requires great

moisture in the soil; all our plantations, therefore, are made by the

side of rivers, in the soft fertile soil which is overflowed in the

rainy season. But when the grain is almost ripe, we are forced to defend

it from a variety of hurtful animals, that would otherwise deprive us of

the fruits of our labours; among these one of the principal is the

animal I have mentioned. His size and bulk are immense, being twice the

bigness of the largest ox which I have seen in this country: he has four

legs, which are short and thick; a head of a monstrous magnitude, and

jaws that are armed with teeth of a prodigious size and strength;

besides two prominent tusks, which threaten destruction to all

assailants.

"But this animal, though so large and strong, is chiefly an inhabitant

of the river, where he lives upon fish and water-roots. It is sometimes

a curious but a dreadful sight, when a boat is gliding over a smooth

part of the stream of unusual depth and clearness, to look down and

behold this monstrous creature travelling along the bottom several yards

below the surface. Whenever this happens, the boatman instantly paddles

another way; for such is the strength of the creature, that he is able

to overset a bark of moderate size by rising under it, or to tear out a

plank with his fangs, and expose those who are in it to the dangers of

an unexpected shipwreck. All the day he chiefly hides himself in the

water, and preys upon fish; but during the gloom of night he issues from

the river, and invades the fields of standing corn, which he would soon

lay desolate, were he not driven back by the shouts and cries of those

who are stationed to defend them.

"At this work I had assisted several successive nights, till we were

almost wearied with watching. At length one of the most enterprising of

our young men proposed that we should no longer content ourselves with

driving back the enemy, but boldly attack him, and punish him for his

temerity. With this purpose we concealed ourselves in a convenient

spot, till we had seen one of the river-horses issue from the water, and

advance a considerable way into our plantations; then we rushed from our

hiding-place with furious shouts and cries, and endeavoured to intercept

his return; but the beast, confiding in his superior strength, advanced

slowly on, snarling horribly, and gnashing his dreadful tusks; and in

this manner he opened his way through the thickest of our battalions. In

vain we poured upon him on every side our darts and arrows, and every

missive weapon; so well defended was he in an impenetrable hide, that

every weapon either rebounded as from a wall, or glanced aside without

in the least annoying. At length one of the boldest of our youth

advanced unguardedly upon him, and endeavoured to wound him from a

shorter distance; but the furious beast rushed upon him with an

unexpected degree of swiftness, ripped up his body with a single stroke

of his enormous tusk, and then, seizing him in his furious jaws, lifted

up his mangled body as if in triumph, and crushed him into a bleeding

and promiscuous mass.

"Fear instantly seized upon our company; all involuntarily retreated,

and seemed inclined to quit the unequal combat; all but myself, who,

inflamed with grief and rage for the loss of my companion, determined

either to revenge his death or perish in the attempt. Seeing, therefore,

that it was in vain to attack the animal in the usual manner, I chose

the sharpest arrow, and fitted it to the bowstring; then, with a cool

unterrified aim, observing him moving nimbly into the river, I

discharged it full at his broad and glaring eye-ball with such success,

that the barbed point penetrated even to his brain, and the monster

fell expiring to the ground.

[Illustration: "I discharged it full at his broad and glaring eye-ball

with such success, that the barbed point penetrated even to his brain."

_P. 523._]

"This action, magnified beyond its deserts, gained me universal applause

throughout the hamlet; I was from that time looked upon as one of the

most valiant and fortunate of our youth. The immense body of the monster

which I had slain was cut to pieces, and borne in triumph to the

village. All the young women received me with songs of joy and

congratulations; the young men adopted me as their leader in every

hazardous expedition; and the elders applauded me with such expressions

of esteem as filled my ignorant heart with vanity and exultation.

"But what was more agreeable to me than all the rest, my father received

me with transport, and, pressing me to his bosom with tears of joy, told

me that now he could die with pleasure, since I had exceeded his most

sanguine expectations. 'I,' said he, 'have not lived inactive or

inglorious; I have transfixed the tiger with my shafts; I have, though

alone, attacked the lion in his rage, the terror of the woods, the

fiercest of animals; even the elephant has been compelled to turn his

back and fly before my javelin; but never, in the pride of my youth and

strength, did I achieve such an exploit as this.' He then went into his

cabin and brought forth the bow and fatal arrows which he was accustomed

to use in the chase. 'Take them, take them,' said he, 'my son, and

rescue my weaker arm from a burthen which it is no longer destined to

sustain. Age is now creeping on; my blood begins to cool, my sinews

slacken, and I am no longer equal to the task of supporting the glories

of our race. That care shall now be thine; and with a firmer hand shalt

thou henceforth use these weapons against the beasts of the forest and

the enemies of our country.'"

Such was the account which the negro gave to Tommy, in different

conversations, of his birth and education. His curiosity was gratified

with the recital, and his heart expanded in the same proportion that his

knowledge improved. He reflected, with shame and contempt, upon the

ridiculous prejudices he had once entertained; he learned to consider

all men as his brethren and equals; and the foolish distinctions which

pride had formerly suggested were gradually obliterated from his mind.

Such a change in his sentiments rendered him more mild, more obliging,

more engaging than ever; he became the delight of all the family; and

Harry, although he had always loved him, now knew no limits to his

affection.

One day Tommy was surprised by an unexpected visit from his father, who

met him with open arms, and told him that he was now come to take him

back to his own house. "I have heard," said he, "such an account of your

present behaviour, that the past is entirely forgotten; and I begin to

glory in owning you for a son." He then embraced him with the transports

of an affectionate father, who indulges the strongest sentiments of his

heart, but sentiments he had long been forced to restrain.

Tommy returned his father's caresses with genuine warmth, but with a

degree of respect and humility he had once been little accustomed to

use. "I will accompany you home, sir," said he, "with the greatest

readiness; for I wish to see my mother, and hope to give her some

satisfaction by my future behaviour. You have both had too much to

complain of in the past, and I am unworthy of such affectionate

parents." He then turned his face aside and shed a tear of real virtue

and gratitude, which he instantly wiped away, as unworthy the composure

and fortitude of his new character.

"But, sir," added he, "I hope you will not object to my detaining you a

little longer, while I return my acknowledgments to all the family, and

take my leave of Harry." "Surely," said Mr Merton, "you can entertain no

doubt on that subject; and to give you every opportunity of discharging

all your duties to a family to which you owe so much, I intend to take a

dinner with Mr Sandford, whom I now see coming home, and then to return

with you in the evening."

At this instant, farmer Sandford approached, and very respectfully

saluting Mr Merton, invited him to walk in. But Mr Merton, after

returning his civility, drew him aside, as if he had some private

business to communicate. When they were alone, he made him every

acknowledgment that gratitude could suggest, "but words," added Mr

Merton, "are very insufficient to return the favours I have received,

for it is to your excellent family, together with the virtuous Mr

Barlow, that I owe the preservation of my son. Let me therefore entreat

you to accept of what this pocket-book contains, as a slight proof of my

sentiments, and lay it out in whatever manner you please for the

advantage of your family."

Mr Sandford, who was a man both of sense and humour, took the book, and

examining the inside, found that it contained bank-notes to the amount

of some hundred pounds. He then carefully shut it up again, and,

returning it to Mr Merton, told him that he was infinitely obliged to

him for the generosity which prompted him to such a princely act; but,

as to the present itself, he must not be offended if he declined it. Mr

Merton, still more astonished at such disinterestedness, pressed him

with every argument he could think of; he desired him to consider the

state of his family; his daughters unprovided for, his son himself, with

dispositions that might adorn a throne, brought up to labour, and his

own advancing age, which demanded ease and respite, and an increase of

the conveniences of life.

"And what," replied the honest farmer, "is it but these conveniences of

life that are the ruin of all the nation? When I was a young man, Master

Merton (and that is near forty years ago), people in my condition

thought of nothing but doing their duty to God and man, and labouring

hard; this brought down a blessing upon their heads, and made them

thrive in all their worldly concerns. When I was a boy, farmers did not

lie droning in bed, as they do now, till six or seven; my father, I

believe, was as good a judge of business as any in the neighbourhood,

and turned as straight a furrow as any ploughman in the county of Devon;

that silver cup which I intend to have the honour of drinking your

health out of to-day at dinner--that very cup was won by him at the

great ploughing-match near Axminster. Well, my father used to say that a

farmer was not worth a farthing that was not in the field by four; and

my poor dear mother, too, the best-tempered woman in the world, she

always began milking exactly at five; and if a single soul was to be

found in bed after four in the summer, you might have heard her from one

end of the farm to the other. I would not disparage anybody, or

anything, my good sir; but those were times indeed; the women then knew

something about the management of a house; it really was quite a

pleasure to hear my poor mother lecture the servants; and the men were

men indeed. Pray, did you ever hear the story of father's being at

Truro, and throwing the famous Cornish wrestler, _squinting Dick_ the

miner?"

Mr Merton began to be convinced that, whatever other qualities good Mr

Sandford might have, he did not excel in brevity, and therefore

endeavoured in still stronger terms to overcome the delicacy of the

farmer, and prevail upon him to accept his present.

But the good farmer pursued his point thus: "Thank you, thank you, my

dear sir, a thousand times for your goodwill; but, as to the money, I

must beg your pardon if I persist in refusing it. Formerly, sir, as I

was saying, we were all happy and healthy, and our affairs prospered,

because we never thought about the conveniences of life; now, I hear of

nothing else. One neighbour (for I will not mention names) brings his

son up to go a-shooting with gentlemen; another sends his to market upon

a blood-horse with a plated bridle; and then the girls--the girls; there

is fine work indeed!--they must have their hats and feathers and riding

habits; their heads as big as bushels, and even their hind-quarters

stuck out with cork or pasteboard; but scarcely one of them can milk a

cow, or churn, or bake, or do any one thing that is necessary in a

family; so that, unless the government will send them all to this new

settlement, which I have heard so much of, and bring us a cargo of

plain, honest housewives, who have never been at boarding-schools, I

cannot conceive how we farmers are to get wives."

Mr Merton laughed very heartily at this sally, and told him that he

would venture to assert it was not so at _his_ house. "Not quite so bad

indeed," said the farmer; "my wife was bred up under a notable mother,

and though she must have her tea every afternoon, is, in the main, a

very good sort of woman. She has brought her daughters up a little

better than usual, but I can assure you she and I have had many a good

argument on the subject. Not but she approves their milking, spinning,

and making themselves useful, but she would fain have them genteel,

Master Merton; all women now are mad after gentility; and, when once

_gentility_ begins, there is an end of _industry_. Now, were they to

hear of such a sum as you have generously offered, there would be no

peace in the house. My wenches instead of _Deb_ and _Kate_, would be

_Miss Deborah_ and _Miss Catherine_; in a little time they must be sent

to boarding-school to learn French and music, and wriggling about the

room; and when they come back, who must boil the pot, or make the

pudding, or sweep the house, or serve the pigs? Did you ever hear of

Miss Juliana, or Miss Harriet, or Miss Carolina, doing such vulgar

things?"

Mr Merton was very much struck with the honest farmer's method of

expressing himself, and could not help internally allowing the truth of

his representations; yet he still pressed him to accept his present, and

reminded him of the improvement of his farm.

"Thank you, again and again," replied the farmer; "but the whole

generation of the Sandfords have been brought up to labour with their

own hands for these hundred years; and during all that time there has

not been a dishonest person, a gentleman, or a madman amongst us. And

shall I be the first to break the customs of the family, and perhaps

bring down a curse on all our heads? What could I have more if I were a

lord or a macaroni, as I think you call them? I have plenty of victuals

and work, good firing, clothes, warm house, a little for the poor, and,

between you and I, something perhaps in a corner to set my children off

with if they behave well. Ah! neighbour, neighbour, if you did but know

the pleasure of holding plough after a good team of horses, and then

going tired to bed, perhaps you'd wish to have been brought up a farmer

too. But, in one word, as well as a thousand, I shall never forget the

extraordinary kindness of your offer; but if you would not ruin a whole

family of innocent people that love you, e'en consent to leave us as we

are."

Mr Merton then seeing the fixed determination of the farmer, and feeling

the justice of his coarse but strong morality, was obliged, however

reluctantly, to desist; and Mrs Sandford coming to invite them to

dinner, he entered the house, and paid his respects to the family.

After the cloth was removed, and Mr Sandford had twice or thrice

replenished his silver mug, the only piece of finery in his house,

little Harry came running in, with so much alacrity and heedlessness

that he tore Miss Deborah's best apron, and he had nearly precipitated

Miss Catherine's new cap into the fire, for which the young ladies and

his mother rebuked him with some acrimony. But Harry, after begging

pardon with his usual good-humour, cried, "Father, father, here is the

prettiest team of horses, all matched, and of a colour, with new

harness, the most complete I ever saw in my life; and they have stopped

at our back-door, and the man says they are brought for you!" Farmer

Sandford was just then in the middle of his history of the

ploughing-match at Axminster; but the relation of his son had such an

involuntary effect upon him, that he started up, overset the liquor and

the table, and making a hasty apology to Mr Merton, ran out to see these

wonderful horses.

Presently he returned, in equal admiration, with his son. "Master

Merton," said he, "I did not think you had been so good a judge of a

horse. I suppose they are a new purchase, which you want to have my

opinion upon; and I can assure you they are the true Suffolk

sorrels--the first breed of working-horses in the kingdom; and these are

some of the best of their kind." "Such as they are," answered Mr Merton,

"they are yours; and I cannot think, after the obligations I am under to

your family, that you will do me so great a displeasure as to refuse."

Mr Sandford stood for some time in mute astonishment; but at length he

was beginning the civilest speech he could think of, to refuse so great

a present, when Tommy, coming up, took him by the hand, and begged him

not to deny to his father and himself the first favour they had ever

asked. "Besides," said he, "this present is less to yourself than to

little Harry; and surely, after having lived so long in your family, you

will not turn me out with disgrace, as if I had misbehaved." Here Harry

himself interposed, and, considering less the value of the present than

the feelings and intentions of the giver, he took his father by the

hand, and besought him to oblige Master Merton and his father. "Were it

any one else, I would not say a word," added he; "but I know the

generosity of Mr Merton and the goodness of Master Tommy so well, that

they will receive more pleasure from giving, than you from taking the

horses, though I must confess they are such as would do credit to

anybody; and they beat farmer Knowles all to nothing, which have long

been reckoned the best team in all the country."

This last reflection, joined with all that had preceded, overcame the

delicacy of Mr Sandford; and he at length consented to order the horses

to be led into his stable.

And now Mr Merton, having made the most affectionate acknowledgments to

all this worthy and happy family, among whom he did not forget the

honest Black, whom he promised to provide for, summoned his son to

accompany him home. Tommy arose, and with the sincerest gratitude bade

adieu to Harry and all the rest. "I shall not be long without you," said

he to Harry; "to your example I owe most of the little good that I can

boast: you have taught me how much better it is to be useful than rich

or fine; how much more amiable to be good than to be great. Should I

ever be tempted to relapse, even for an instant, into any of my former

habits, I will return hither for instruction, and I hope you will again

receive me." Saying this, he shook his friend Harry affectionately by

the hand, and, with watery eyes, accompanied his father home.

THE END.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE

Illustrations were interleaved between pages in the original text. In

this version, they have been moved close to the relevant section of the

text.

Inconsistent hyphenation for bare-footed" / "barefooted", "fire-side" /

"fireside", and "good-will" / "goodwill" has been retained. Page numbers

are documented in the source of the associated HTML version.

Here is a list of the minor typographical corrections made:

- "off" changed to "of" on Page 7

- "the the" changed to "the" on Page 17

- Period added after "fury" on Page 22

- Single quote added after "returns" on Page 30

- "thefore" changed to "therefore" on Page 35

- "several their" changed to "several of their" on Page 36

- Quote added before "and" on Page 59

- Single quote removed after "me." on Page 60

- Quote removed before "this" on Page 70

- Comma and closing quote added after "But" on Page 72

- Single quote removed after "labour;" on Page 76

- "happend" changed to "happened" on Page 92

- Period added after "Harry" on Page 96

- End quote added after "leg." on Page 99

- Quote added after "up?" on Page 105

- "bcause" changed to "because" on Page 112

- Single quote added after "appearance." on Page 127

- "fondness" changed to "Fondness" on Page 128

- Single quote moved to after the dash on Page 131

- Period added after "slavery" on Page 131

- Period changed to comma after "inconvenience" on Page 135

- "elasped" changed to "elapsed" on Page 135

- Quote added after "cider?" on Page 143

- "suprised" changed to "surprised" on Page 147

- Quote added after "distress." on Page 149

- "aminal" changed to "animal" on Page 162

- "and and" changed to "and" on Page 170

- Period added after "fellow" on Page 172

- Closing quote added after "songs." on Page 175

- "prepetual" changed to "perpetual" on Page 176

- "aminals" changed to "animals" on Page 177

- "suprise" changed to "surprise" on Page 178

- "are are" replaced with "are" on Page 179

- Single quote added after "pieces." on Page 184

- Comma changed to period after "scrofula" on Page 186

- "docter" changed to "doctor" on Page 192

- "possesssion" changed to "possession" on Page 198

- "warmeth" changed to "warmth" on Page 200

- New paragraph started at "The Man." on Page 204

- Quote added after "contented." on Page 204

- Comma changed to a period after "plainly" on Page 209

- Hyphen added between "the" and "lantern" on Page 216

- "sweatmeats" changed to "sweetmeats" on Page 222

- Capitalized "because" on Page 227

- Quote added after "consequence." on Page 228

- Quote added after "himself." on Page 232

- Quote added after "be?" on Page 236

- "appeard" changed to "appeared" on Page 245

- "imagaine" changed to "imagine" on Page 246

- "ncessaries" changed to "necessaries" on Page 247

- "determinded" changed to "determined" on Page 250

- "prosposal" changed to "proposal" on Page 251

- Quotation mark added before "that" on Page 256

- "accidently" changed to "accidentally" on Page 272

- "connot" changed to "cannot" on Page 275

- Question mark changed to a period after "houses" on Page

280

- Quote added after "this," on Page 283

- "Syracse" changed to "Syracuse" on Page 287

- Quotation mark added after "madam," on Page 291

- Period added after "Barlow" on Page 297

- "formely" changed to "formerly" on Page 299

- "harpsicord" changed to "harpsichord" on Page 300

- "artifical" changed to "artificial" on Page 303

- "to to" changed to "to" on Page 304

- "digusted" changed to "disgusted" on Page 322

- Changed "admist" to "amidst" on Page 330

- "huried" changed to "hurried" on Page 348

- "accidently" changed to "accidentally" on Page 355

- "While" rendered in smallcaps as first word in a chapter

on Page 355

- Quotation mark moved to after the dash on Page 358

- "inbibed" changed to "imbibed" on Page 387

- Single quote removed after "hospitality." on Page 393

- Single quote removed after "children" on Page 394

- Single quote removed after "natives" on Page 396

- Single quote removed after "tribute." on Page 396

- Additional single quote added after "Arabians.'" on Page

399

- "contenance" changed to "countenance" on Page 399

- Double quote followed by a single quote reversed after

"yoke" on Page 399

- Single quote changed to a double quote after "question?"

on Page 399

- Quote added after "rich." on Page 401

- Quote added after "with." on Page 410

- Single quote added after "this," on Page 417

- Comma moved to within the single quote after "resolution"

on Page 434

- "continned" changed to "continued" on Page 435

- "and and" changed to "and" on Page 446

- "harships" changed to "hardships" on Page 449

- Quote added before "The" on Page 467

- Quote removed before "'I" on Page 467

- "he" changed to "she" on Page 473

- Comma changed to a period after "power" on Page 476

- Single quote added after "mouse," on Page 480

- "exorting" changed to "exhorting" on Page 497

- "quanity" changed to "quantity" on Page 499

- "protend" changed to "portend" on Page 501

- "Tom my" changed to "Tommy" on Page 513

- "suprised" changed to "surprised" on Page 525

- Quote added after "miner?" on Page 528

- Comma changed to a period after "industry" on Page 529

- Quote added after "things?" on Page 529

End of Project Gutenberg's The History of Sandford and Merton, by Thomas Day