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horses, and the rattling of many coaches. He looked out, and presently saw a multitude of horses, and a train of splendid carriages. He knew the imperial guards, and instantly called his family to come and see the emperor go by. They all run out in a hurry, and stand before their door. The horsemen and carriages soon formed a circular line; and at last the state coach of the czar stopped, opposite the good peasant's door. The guards kept back the crowd, which the hopes of seeing their sovereign had collected together. The coach-door was opened; the czar alighted; and, advancing to his host, thus addressed him: "I promised you a godfather; I am come to fulfil my promise; give me your child, and follow me to church."

The peasant stood like a statue: now looking at the emperor, with the mingled emotions of astonishment and joy; now observing his magnificent robes, and the costly jewels with which they were adorned; and now turning to a crowd of nobles that surrounded him. In this profusion of pomp he could not discover the poor stranger who had lain 'all night with him upon the straw. The emperor, for some moments, silently enjoyed his perplexity, and then addressed him thus: "Yesterday you performed the duties of humanity: to-day I am come to discharge the most delighful duty of a sovereign, that of recompensing virtue. I shall not remove you from a situation to which you do so much honour, and the innocence and tranquillity of which I envy. But I will bestow upon you such things as may be useful to you. You shall have numerous flocks, rich pastures, and a house that will enable you to exercise the duties of hospitality with pleasure. Your new-born child shall become my ward; for you may remember," continued the emperor, smiling, "that I prophesied he would be fortunate."

The good peasant could not speak; but with tears of grateful sensibility in his eyes, he ran instantly to fetch the child, brought him to the emperor, and laid him respectfully at his fect.

This excellent sovereign was quite affected: he took the child in his arms and carried him himself to church; and after the ceremony was over, unwilling to deprive him of his mother's milk, he took him back to the cottage, and ordered that he should be sent to him as soon as he could, be weaned. - The czar faithfully observed his engagements, caused the boy to be educated in his palace, provided amply for his fotore settlement in life, and continued ever after to heap favours upon the virtuous peasant and his family.

FEMALE INTREPIDITY.

A merchant, the brother of a lady of distinguished birth and respectable condition, had the misfortune to suffer great losses, and to fail in his payments. His largest dealings were with a foreign nation, whose subjects were, of course, his principal creditors. The ambassador of that nation insisted upon payment of the whole; and sued him with the greatest rigour. The merchant, conscious of his inability to discharge the full amount of his debts, had no resource but in the flexibility of the ambassador's disposition. The lady undertook the arduous task of waiting upon the ambassador: and, in order more strongly to excite his compassion, proposed that the daughters of her unfortunate brother should accompany her: "My dear nieces," said she, "do not waste your tears at home; in vain you vent your sorrows here. Come with me, and let us try if the force of prayers and supplications cannot melt the heart of that unfeeling man, who seems to take delight in the ruin of your father. Dress yourselves suitably to your melancholy situation, and follow me."

This said, she hastened with her brother's children to the ambassador's palace; but what was her surprise and grief, when she was informed by the servants, that entrance was refused to her by their master's express order. A lady, accustomed to be treated with honour and respect by every person with whom she had any concern, could not but sensibly feel such a palpable affront. However, having once assumed the office of a petitioner, and engaged herself in such an interesting cause, her courage was not to be damped by a single rebuke. On the contrary, after repeated denials of admittance, she as constantly essayed to gain it. "Perhaps," said she, "his excellency is engaged in important affairs; I will respectfully wait the time of his going out." One of the children was so affected by this treatment, that she could no longer sustain the excess of her grief. Her sight and limbs failing her, she fell into a swoon at the palace gate. The affrighted aunt implored their humanity for some assistance to the unhappy child; but the domestics, in obedience to their master's commands, still refused to take the least notice of her or her children. Exasperated at their cruelty, the lady ran to the guard of janissa ries, who were at that time upon duty; and, in the extravagance of her sorrow, cried out: "O Musselinen! O ye, whom the Christians call infidels! come to my assistance;

help me to relieve this distressed child, who must otherwise die unpitied, in the midst of those barbarous Christians, who surround us, and refuse the aid of a drop of water to succour the unfortunate infant. Come hither, O Musselmen; let us try if the voice of indignation, joined to the piercing accents of woe, can reach the man inaccessible to the complaints of the unfortunate. Let him at least know, that you are not like him, deaf to the cries of the afflicted."

The janissaries flew to the lady's assistance. Her majestic deportment commanded their services. The gathering crowd reviled the domestics with the severest reproaches, till they could no longer resist her importunities, but ran to procure some relief; while the doors of the palace flew open, as if by divine interposition. The ambassador himself, alarmed at the noise, and seeing a great mob assembled at his gate, came out to enquire the cause. This courageous female summoned, at that moment, every idea that her just indiguation could suggest. The moving spectacle, which had roused every spark of sensibility, inspired her in such a degree, that she spoke the language of the soul in most energetic terms. She reproached him for the obduracy of his disposition, which could unmoved hear the complaints of the wretched, and that in terms so powerful, she roused at length the torpid feelings of his heart. What he denied to her supplications, he granted to the dignity of her mind.

ADVICE PREVIOUS TO MATRIMONY.

IF a young man make his addresses to you, or give you any reason to believe he will do so, before you allow your affections to be engaged, endeavour, in the most prudent and secret manner, to procure from your friends every necessary piece of informatión concerning him; such as his character, as to his sense, his morality, his religion, his temper, and family; whether it be distinguished for parts and worth or for folly and knavery. When your friends inform you of these, they have fulfilled their duty; and it behoves you to hearken to their counsel, and to attend to their advice.

Avoid a companion that may entail any hereditary disease on your posterity, particularly that most dreadful of all human calamities, madness. It is the height of impru

dence to run into such a danger; and, farther, it is highly criminal.

Do not marry a fool: he is the most untractable of all animals; he is led by his passions and caprices, and is incapable of hearing the voice of reason. It may probably hurt your vanity, to have a husband for whom you have reason to blush and tremble, every time he opens his lips in 'company.

A rake is ever to be avoided by a prudent woman; he always makes a suspicious husband, because he has only known the most worthless of your sex. He likewise entails the worst diseases on his wife and children, if he has the misfortune to have any.

If you have a sense of religion yourself, do not think of a husband who has none. If you marry an infidel, or an irreligious character, what hope can you entertain of happiness? If you have children, you will suffer the most bitter distress, in seeing all your endeavours to form their minds to virtue and piety, all your endeavours to secure their present and eternal happiness, frustrated and turned into ridicule.

As the choice of a husband is of the greatest consequence to your happiness, be sure you make it with the utmost circumspection. Do not give way to a sudden sally of passion, and then dignify it with the name of love. Genuine love is not founded in caprice; it is founded in nature, on honourable views, on virtue, on similarity of tastes, and sympathy of souls.

If you have these sentiments, you will never marry any one when you are not in that situation which prudence suggests to be necessary to the happiness of either of you. What that competency may be, can only be determined by your own tastes: if you have as much between you as to satisfy all your demands, it is sufficient..

Marriage may dispel the enchantment raised by external beauty; but the virtues and graces that first warmed the heart, may, and ought ever to remain. The tumult of passion will necessarily subside; but it will be succeeded by an endearment that affects the heart in a more equal, a more sensible and tender manner.

To the neglect of such considerations as these, may be traced the cause of most unhappy connections of this kind; and to this idea we are indebted for the following verses by the celebrated Watts:

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