foreft, the afylum of tranquillity and peace; fretful inquietude, remorfe and grief kept a refpectful diftance, nor dared to approach within his retreat; ambition only flattered herself with hopes of being introduced.

Philemon, favoured of the gods, offered them pure victims: a lamb, and a ram, which he facrificed by turns, attefted the gratitude he felt for their unlimited goodness. The earth, fubmiflive to his labour, produced in abundance whatever was neceffary for his fubfiftence. He Aled from cities, and never repaired thither but to exchange fruit for the grain, when he wanted to fow a field that was cultivated by his labour.

After thefe excurfions, his cot was dearer to him than before. The ebony, gold, and ivory, deftined to embellish the palaces of the great, did not display their magnificence in the habitation of our philofopher. Nature had been at the whole expence in furnishing his moveables, and had provided for his defence.

A double row of trees concealed his retreat from the eye of the traveller. A clear rivulet ran murmuring to bring him its waves, and forming many meanders, lengthened his ftay in this delightful place. Philemon drank of its ftreams; with them he watered his flowers; and from an arbour in which he was accuftomed to give a loofe to his reflec

dering course.

Here he enjoyed a happy life; he had no falfe friend, no perfidious miftrefs, no unfaithful fervants. His heart had hitherto been undisturbed by his paffions. The gods had beftowed this blefling as the recompence of his piety; but his zeal began to relax, and from the moment he perceived that his life was too uniform, he complained of his deftiny.

Difquiet feized upon him his little inclofure was open to defires; ambition entered into this retreat, which he had hitherto found inacceflible. And having gained the poffeffion of his new habitation, she went in fearch of chimerical projects, received them into her retinue, and brought them into Philemon's cottage, who was foon infected by the contagion of their company. The offended gods withdrew their influence; he was parched up with the thirst of riches. Ambition spurred on his defires, filled him with wishes, and engaged him to intreat the gods to be propitious to plans of fortune, little meditated, and which he had traced out in oppofition to their will.

Philemon had neglected his facrifices; he now renewed them with more fervor than ever. The choiceft of his flocks bled on the altars.

One day, in the folly of his thoughts, he befought the gods to change to a river, the rivulet which

watered

watered his retreat; and that a little boat which he launched into the ftream might be transformed to a fhip richly laden. A clap of thunder followed his prayer; he took this for a happy omen, and certain that the heavens would grant his requeft, boldly entered the boat, and hafting to meet his punishment, waited in full fecurity for the effect of his petitions. As the moment approached in which Philemon was to have them granted, ambition abandoned to his misfortunes her credulous difciple.

The river fwelled, the torrents poured from the tops of the neighbouring mountains, and there united their foaming ftreams. The new river no fooner appeared, than it tore up all before it. The little boat, changed miraculoufly into a large veffel, was raised by the waters and carried away with rapidity. However happy Philemon might fancy himfelf in that moment, (for the hip in which he was placed was filled with treasure) at a diftance he faw with regret the ruin of that dear cottage in which he had lived for more than twenty years whilft all his days flid on in peace and ferenity.

The river difcharging itself into the fea carried, with it, Philemon and his fhip. Expofed on the vaft ocean, and having loft fight of land, he recovered from his folly; he recollected that he had forgot to fupplicate the gods happily to conduâ his veffel to fome port: but it was now too late: he invoked in vain the deities who had formerly been his protectors; for he had justly merited their anger.

The fea grew enraged, its billows fwelled; a horrible tempeft affailed the veffel on all fides; a furious wave caft it againft a rock, the ship split, and the fea fwallowed up the riches it had contained.

Philemon, after having for a long time ftruggled against this imperious element, was caft on a defert coaft, when exhaufted with fatigue, before he expired, he confefs'd himfelf worthy of the death he suffered, for the indifcretion of his prayers.

Let us leave the gods the arbiters of our lot; man, alas! is more dear to them than he is to himself. Let prudence regulate our wishes; otherwife we fhall have reafon to fear we fall become, like Philemon, the victims of our rafhness.

body, he anfwered, that he had commiffioned him to acquaint Auguftus, that the Romans were not yet paid the money bequeathed them by his will. Tiberius did not relish this joke; he therefore ordered the wit to be brought before him; and after paying him his three hundred fefterces, fent him immediately to execution, defiring him to deliver with his own mouth, his meffage to Auguftus.

IT is commonly faid in France, that the intendants of the provinces abuse their power, tyrannizing over the people, to enrich themfelves. But the following history proves this rule not to be without exception. Mr. de M*** adminiftrated his post with fuch probity and disinterestedness, that all he left to an only daughter, was the love and veneration of all who had enjoyed their properties under him, and been protected against injuries. A fcheme was fet on foot by them for railing a handfome fortune for the young lady, by way of contribution, when a rich merchant deprived them of that pleafure. This merchant, whom I shall call Defbures, was in the thirty fifth year of his age, of an excellent heart, but no great head-piece. He had fuch a high idea of the late intendant's merit, and thought fo humbly of him felf, that it was not without great timidity, and a kind of trembling, that he fignified to the daughter, that it would be an infinite honour done to him if she would condufcend to fhare his immenfe fortune. Mifs was pleafed with the juftice which he did to her, and not lefs with his owning himself unworthy of her; and, in recompence for it, the ftooped fo low as to give him her hand. By this preamble, the reader will conceive, that the intendant's daughter was not like her father; this haughty perfon however lived very well with her husband, because he never departed from the profound refpe which he had vowed to her; and fuch was his affection for a wife, who deferved fo little, that dying three years after his marriage, he October 1754.

left her his whole fortune, though he had two fons by her. The elder, who was called de Dufbures, to give fome air of nobility to his name, had fo ingroffed his mother's whole heart, that not any little part of it was left for the younger, who was named Jacque. The latter was put out to nuife, whilft the elder was brought up at home, and no care and expence thought too great for him. Jacquo was afterwards fent for home; but it was only to be a victim to the freaks of his ill-natured brother. The mafters, who attended on this darling fon, found him fo perverse and stubborn, that they complained of it to Mrs. Def bures, and were fo imprudent, as to praife the talents of the younger. They were immediately difmiffed; and their fucceffors, wifer by that example, beftowed all their praifes on de Defbures, and all their cares on Jacquo, and it was fearce poffible to do otherwife. This poor boy being brow-beaten by every body, had fought relief under his fufferings in the practice of devotion; and God, who is the comfort of the afflicted, had fo ftrengthened him, that he never allowed himself any thoughts contrary to the respect which he owed his mother, but preferved for her an unreserved affection.

This was far from being the cafe with her idol. A dangerous diftemper brought her to a keen fenfe of her injuftice towards her children, but without any effe&t. The elder loved his diverfions too much to confine himself in a fick perfon's chamber; and the younger, who was then thirteen years of age, durft not appear before her, who had never 3 U locked

looked on him but with an eye of averfion and difdain. However, his affection got the better of his fear, and watching the moment, when a nurfe opened the door, he filently flipt in to his mother's room, and gently drew near to her bed. Is it you, my fon? faid the patient. No, mamma, answered the child with a trembling voice; it is Jacquo. Thefe words planted daggers in Mrs. Def bures's heart: it relented fo, that by a kind of natural inftin&t, the could not forbear holding out her hand to this flighted child, and felt fome concern at feeing it bedewed with his tears. Thefe good motions paffed away with her illness, and Jacquo having reached his feventeenth year, Mrs. Desbures coldly advised him to go into orders, as the inheritance left by his father, fo far from being what was generally thought, would fcarce fet up his elder brother. Jacquo thought he was not to carry his obedience to his mother fo far, as to endanger his falvation, by engaging, out of complaifance to her, in a holy ftate, for which he had no vocation. Then young park, there is only one expedient, faid this barbarous mother to him; I will buy you a lieute nancy, and then you may either ob tain a St. Lewis's crofs, or be knocked on the head. There is another way of life, anfwered he modeftly, in which I would try my fortune: I have a liking to trade, fo that, if you will be so kind as to furnish me with a venture, I will go to Martinico. Your father's own fon! anfwered Mrs. Defbures, with a contemptuous look. Go, get your elf ready, and I will furnish you with what you are fo mean-fpirited as to alk. This harshness from a mother, whom he fill tenderly loved, fo dif

pirited Jacquo, that he durft not afk her leave to write to her. He embarked fome days after, and by God's blefling on his industry, he had not been long at Martinico, before his little fortune was confidera. bly increased. Mrs. Defbures, overjoyed to be thus cheaply rid of Jacquo, now bent all her thoughts on the advantageous fettlement of the elder, to whom he had facrificed her younger fon. In her eyes, he was every thing that is amiable and accomplished; and, to facilitate bis match with a rich heiress, the made over to him her whole fortune. Some months after his marriage, de Defbures muft needs go to Paris, where, in less than two years, he made fhift to fpend the whole immenfe eftate which his mother had beftowed on him. His spouse, whom he had never treated with any regard, fued for a feparation of fortunes, and having obtained it, de Defbures was reduced to the extremity of diftrefs. During thofe two years, his mother had written feveral times to him, that he must be fenfible that he lived only on his credit; but that the tradefmen, who fipplied her houfe, began to be tired upon receiving no money, This ungrateful fon had not fo much as returned any anfwer to her letters; and when he was preparing to go to him, with a view of extorting a fupply, the received news that he had been ruined, and foon after ended his days by his debaucheries. Mrs. Defbures's creditors being informed of her situation, obliged her to give up to them what little remained to her; fo that he was neceffitated to betake herself to a garret, where he endeavoured to fupport herfelf by work. This was too frange a kind of life for her to

hold

hold it long; vexations, the want of neceffaries, and efpecially remorfe, foon brought her fo low, that the period of her troubles feemed near at hand. The parish-priest hearing of her condition, overlooked all her defects, and provided her with a nurfe, wholesome food, and a good physician; but the caufe of her illnefs did not lye within the verge of ́ phyfic. The agitations of her diftracted heart leaving her no refpite, hindered the effect of the best 12medies.

Abfence, in the mean time, had not extinguished Jacquo's filial affe&tion. Having received advice from one of his acquaintance of his mother's deplorable condition, he thought it his indifpenfible duty to haften to her relief, though he had at the fame time very powerful reafons for ftaying at Martinico. He was there in a very thriving way; but a fudden abfence might greatly hurt his expectations: befides, he was in love, and on the eve of being happy; a young widow left with a vaft fortune, had gained his heart; but at the fame time given him hopes of being preferred to feveral rivals, far above him in point of fortune. Was it not reasonably to be apprehended, that a long abfence would deprive him of his miftrefs's heart? Yet could not all thefe confideration's make him hefitate a moment, concerning what his duty required. He got together what money he could; and, being ready to take shipping, he waited on his widow with a countenance full of une finess. She was at firft ftartled with fuch an unusual change; but, on hearing the reafons of his return to Europe, with his fear of lofing ber, transported with fuch an heroic defign, the embraced him: Go, thou

generous fon, faid fhe, and discharge the duties of nature; I take upon me to difcharge thofe of virtue and love; my fortune and perfon are yours, and after fuch an inftance of your excellent temper, you may be affured, that it is not in the power of a prince to prejudice you in my love and efteem.

Jacquo, in an extafy on his knees, thanked the generous widow, a feparation from whom was now much more painful to hm; yet delayed he not to follow the call of filial duty, and embarked that very day. He had a pleafant and fpeedy paffage, till they came into the European feas, where his fhip was attacked by a Corfair of much greater force. This ftruck the whole fhip's company with confternation; but Jacquo, who had always before his eyes his diftreffed mother, fo pathetically exhorted his hip-mates to prefer death to flavery, that their courage revived. The Corfair boarded them, and Jacquo embracing the dear cafket in which was the gold defigned to fave the life of her to whom he owed his being, he cried out: O God, have mercy on my wretched mother! After this fhort prayer, uttered with fervency, he throws himself, lion-like, among the enemies, and, eying their commanding officer, he ruthes on him, at the manifeft hazard of his life, and fortunately lays him at his feet. Animated by this fuccefs, he exerts himfelf with ftill more vigour, and being well feconded by his companions, they drive the Barbarians back into their fhip, which immediately theered off. The fight being over, Jacquo, who was no warrior by inchipation, was fhocked to fe himfelf covered with blood, and a heap of carcaffes firewing the deck: he food agnoft 3 Uz

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