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ftupidity. They often fmile at the tricks of a young lain, and ever feca pleafed with boyish profligacy.

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15. Hence it happens, that their offspring frequently prove a fcourge to them, and that they feel that fting, which, to ufe Shakespeare's expreffion, is fharper than a ferpent's tooth; the fting inflicted by a thanklefs, an immoral, an ignorant, an extravagant, and an infidel child.

HISTORY OF POCAHONTAS.

PERHAPS they who are not particularly ac

quainted with the history of Virginia, may be ignorant that Pocahontas was the protectrefs of the English, and often fcreened them from the cruelty of her father.

2. She was but twelve years old, when captain Smith, the braveft, the moft intelligent, and the most humane of the first colonifts fell into the hands of the favages. He already understood their language, had traded with them feveral times, and often appeafed the quarrels between the Europeans and them. Often had he been obliged alfo to fight them, and to punish their perfidy.

3. At length, however, under the pretext of commerce, he was drawn into an ambush, and the only two companions, who accompanied him, fell before his eyes; but though alone, by his dexterity he extricated himfelf from the troop which furrounded him; until, unfortunately, imagining he could fave himself by croffing a morafs, he stuck faft, fo that the favages, againft whom he had no means of defending himfelf, at lalt took and bound him, and conducted him to Powhatan.

4. The king was fo proud of having Captain Smith in his power, that he fent him in triumph to all the tributary princes, and ordered that he fhould be fplendidly treated till he returned to fuffer that death which was prepared for

him.

5.

The fatal moment at laft arrived. Captain Smith was laid upon the hearth of the favage king, and his head placed upon a large ftone to receive the ftroke of death; when Pocahontas, the youngest and darling daughter of Powhatan,

Powhatan, threw herself upon his body, clasped him in her arms, and declared, that if the cruel fentence was executed, the first blow fhould fall on her.

6. All favages (abfolute fovereigns and tyrants not excepted) are invariably more affected by the tears of infancy, than the voice of humanity. Powhatan could not resist the tears and prayers of his daughter.

7. Captain Smith obtained his life, on condition of paying for his ranfom a certain quantity of mufkets, powder, and iron utenfils; but how were they to be obtained? They would neither permit him to return to James-Town, nor let the English know where he was, left they fhould demand him fword in hand.

8. Captain Smith, who was as fenfible as courageous, faid, that if Powhatan would permit one of his fubjects to carry to James-Town a leaf which he took from his pocketbook, he should find under a tree, at the day and hour appointed, all the articles demanded for his tanfom.

9. Powhatan confented; but without having much faith in his promifes, believing it to be only an artifice of the Captain to prolong his life. But he had written on the leaf a few lines, fufficient to give an account of his fituation. The meffenger returned. The king fent to the place fixed upon, and was greatly astonished to find every thing which had been demanded.

10. Powhatan could not conceive this mode of tranfmitting thoughts; and Captain Smith was henceforth looked upon as a great magician, to whom they could not show too much refpect. He left the favages in this opinion, and haftened to return home.

11. Two or three years after, fome fresh differences arifing amidst them and the English, Powhatan, who no longer thought them forcerers, but still feared their power, laid a horrid plan to get rid of them altogether. His project was to attack them in profound peace, and cut the throats of he whole colony.

12.

of this intended confpiracy, Pocahontas took advantage of the obfcurity; and in a terrible storm which kept the favages in their tents, efcaped from her father's house, advised the English to be on their guard, but conjured them to fpare her family; to appear ignorant of

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the intelligence she had given, and terminate all their differences by a new treaty.

13. It would be tedious to relate all the fervices which this angel of peace rendered to both nations. I fhall only add, that the English, I know not from what motives, but certainly against all faith and equity, thought proper to carry her off. Long and bitterly did the deplore her fate; and the only confolation fhe had, was Captain Smith, in whom the found a fecond father.

14. She was treated with great respect, and married to a planter by the name of Rolfe, who foon after took her to England. This was in the reign of James the Firft; and it is faid, that the monarch, pedantic and ridiculous in every point, was fo infatuated with the prerogatives of royalty, that he expreffed his difpleafure, that one of his fubjects fhould dare to marry the daughter even of a favage king.

15. It will not perhaps be difficult to decide on this occafion, whether it was the favage king who derived honorfrom finding himfelf placed upon a level with the European prince, or the English monarch, who, by kis pride and prejudices, reduced himself to a level with the chief of the favages.

16. Be that as it will, Captain Smith, who had returned to London before the arrival of Pocahontas, was ex-. tremely happy to fee her again; but dared not treat her with the fame familiarity as at James-Town. As foon as fhe faw him, fhe threw herfelf into his arms, calling him her father; but finding that he neither returned her careffes with equal warmth, nor the endearing title of daughter, fhe turned afide her head and wept bitterly; and it was a long time before they could obtain a fingle word from her.

17. Captain Smith inquired feveral times what could be the caufe of her affliction, "What! faid fhe, did I not fave thy life in America! When I was torn from the arms. of my father, and conducted amongst thy friends, didst thou not promise to be a father to me? Didst thou not affure me that if I went into thy country, thou wouldst be my father, and that I fhould be thy daughter? Thou haft deceived me, and behold me now here, a ftranger and an orphan.” It was not difficult for the Captain to make his peace with this charming creature, whom he tenderly loved.

18.

He

He prefented her to feveral people of the first quality; but never dared to take her to court, from which, however, the received feveral favors.

19.

After a refidence of feveral years in England, an example of virtue and piety, and attachment to her hufband, fhe died, as fhe was on the point of embarking for America. She left an only fon, who was married, and left none but daughters; and from these are defcended fome of the principal characters in Virginia.

SPEECH OF CAIUS MARIUS TO

THE RO. MANS; SHOWING THE ABSURDITY OF THEIR HESI TATING TO. CONFER ON HIM THE RANK OF GENERAL, MERELY ON ACCOUNT OF HIS EXTRACTION,

IT is but too common, my countrymen, to ob

ferve a material difference between the behavior of those who ftand candidates for places of power and trust, before and after their obtaining them. They folicit them in one manner, and execute them in another.

2. They fet out with a great appearance of activity,. humility, and moderation; but they quickly fall into sloth,. pride, and avarice. It is undoubtedly no eafy matter to difcharge, to general fatisfaction, the duty of a fupreme commander in troublesome times.

3. You have committed to my conduct the war againft Jugurtha. The patricians are offended at this. But, where would be the wifdom of giving fuch a command to one of their honorable body? a perfon of illuftrious birth, of ancient family, of innumerable ftatues, but-of no expe-. rience!

4. What fervice would his long line of dead ancestors, or his multitude of motionless statues, do his country in the day of battle? What could, fuch a general do, but in his trepidation and inexperience, have recourfe to fome infe-. rior commander for direction in difficulties to which he was not himself equal? Thus, your patrician general would in fact have a general over him; fo that the acting commander would still be a plebeian.

5. So true is this, my countrymen, that I have, myself, known those who have been chofen confuls, begin then to read the history of their own country, of which, till that time, they were totally ignorant; that is, they first obtained the employment, and then bethought themselves of the qualifications neceffary for the proper discharge of it.

6. I fubmit to your judgment, Romans, on which fide the advantage lies, when a comparison is made between patrician haughtinefs and plebeian experience. The very actions which they have only read, I have partly feen, and party myself achieved. What they know by reading, I know by action. They are pleafed to flight my mean 'birth; I defpife their mean characters.

7. Want of birth and fortune is the objection against me; want of perfonal worth, against them. But are not all men of the fame fpecies? What can make a difference between one man and another, but the endowments of the mind? For my part, 1 fhall always look upon the bravest man as the noblest man.

8. If the patricians have reafon to defpife me, let them likewife defpife their ancestors, whofe nobility was the fruit of their virtue. Do they envy the honors bestowed upon me? let them envy, likewife, my labors, my abftinence, and the dangers I have undergone for my country, by which I have acquired them.

9.

But thofe worthlefs men lead fuch a life of inactivity, as if they defpifed any honors you can beftow; while they afpire to honors as if they had deferved them by the most industrious virtue. They lay claim to the rewards of activity, for their having enjoyed the pleafures of luxury. Yet none can be more lavish than they are in praise of their anceftors.

10. And they imagine they honor themselves by celebrating their forefathers; whereas they do the very contrary ; for, as much as their ancestors were diftinguished for their virtues, fo much are they difgraced by their vices.

11. The glory of ancestors cafts a light, indeed, upon their pofterity; but it only ferves to fhow what the defcendants are. It alike exhibits to public view their degenand their worth. I own I cannot boast of the deeds of my forefathers; but I hope I may anfwer the cavils of

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