8. Then outspake Spurius Lartius; a Ramnian bold was he: "Lo! I will stand at thy right hand, and keep the bridge with thee." And outspake strong Herminius; of Titian blood was he: 'I will abide on thy left side, and keep the bridge with thee." 4. "Horatius," quoth the Consul," as thou say'st, so let it be !" And straight against that great array forth went the dauntless three. For Romans in Rome's quarrels spared neither land nor gold, Nor son nor wife, nor limb nor life, in the brave days of old. LXXVIII. GOOD ADVICE. Macaulay. 1. YE who would save your features florid, 3. Seek not in Mammon's worship pleasure, In books, friends, music, polished leisure: Make the sole scale by which ye measure 4. This is the solace, this the science, - LXXIX. ALL HIS WORKS PRAISE HIM. 1. In that beautiful part of Germany which borders on the Rhine, there is a noble estate, as you travel on the western bank of the river, which you may see lifting its ancient towers on the opposite side, above the grove of trees about as old as itself. 2. About forty years ago, there lived in that castle a noble gentleman, whom we shall call Baron Mansberg. He had only one son, who was not only a comfort to his father, but a blessing to all who lived on his father's land. 3. It happened, on a certain occasion, that, this young man being from home, there came a French gentleman to the castle, who was a flippant, shallow assailant of that faith in Deity which all good men entertain. He began talking of sacred things in terms that chilled the old baron's blood; on which the baron reproved him, saying, “Are you not afraid of offending God, who reigns above, by speaking in such a manner?” 4. The gentleman (if gentleman we ought to call him) said he knew nothing about God, for he had never seen him. The baron this time did not notice what the gentleman said; but the next morning he conducted him about his castle grounds, and took occasion first to show him a very beautiful picture that hung on the wall. The gentleman admired the picture very much, and said, "Whoever drew this picture knows very well how to use the pencil." 5. "My son drew that picture," said the baron.— “ Then your son is a clever man," replied the gentleman. The baron then went with his visitor into the garden, and showed him many beautiful flowers, and plantations of forest trees. "Who has the ordering of this garden?" asked the gentleman." My son," replied the baron; "he knows every plant, I may say, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop on the wall.” In-. deed!" said the gentleman; "I shall think very highly of him, soon." 6. The baron then took him into the village, and showed him a small, neat cottage, where his son had established a school and where he caused all young children who had lost their par The ents to be received and nourished at his own expense. children in the house looked so innocent, and so happy, that the gentleman was very much pleased, and when he returned to the castle he said to the baron, "What a happy man you are, to have so good a son!" 7. "How do you know I have so good a son ?". -"Because I have seen his works; and I know that he must be good and clover, if he has done all that you have shown me.". "But you have not seen him.' "No, but I know him very well, because I judge of him by his works." 8. "True," replied the baron; "and in this way I judge of the character of our Heavenly Father. I know, by his works, that he is a being of infinite wisdom, and power, and goodness." The Frenchman felt the force of the reproof, and was careful not to offend the good baron any more by his remarks. LXXX. From the German. PETER THE GREAT AND THE DESERTER. The following scene is founded on an incident in the life of Peter the Great, Czare of Russia, who in 1697 went to Holland to learn the art of ship-building. He assumed the disguise and name of a common workman, was employed in the ship-yards at Saardam, and received wages like a common ship-carpenter. Peter. (Disguised as a carpenter.) WELL, before I quit this place, I may let you into my secret. Stanmitz. And do you think of leaving us? Pet. I have now been absent from my native country a twelvemonth. I have acquired some knowledge of ship-building, the object for which I came here, and it is time 1 should return home. Sta. Our master, Von Block, will be sorry to lose you, because you are the most industrious fellow in the yard; and I shall be sorry, because because, Peter, I like you. Pet. And I don't dislike you. Sta. Peter, I think I may venture to tell you a secret. Pet. Why, surely you have done nothing to be ashamed of? Sta. No, not ashamed; but I'm considerably afraid. Know, then, that I was born at Moscow, Pet. Well, there is no crime in being born at Moscow; besides, that was no fault of yours. Sta. That's not it. Listen! It happened, one day, that a party of soldiers halted near my mother's hut; the commanding officer presently cast an eye at me, and was so amazingly taken with my appearance, that he requested I'd make one of his company. I was about to decline; but he assured me that the Czar Peter (our namesake, you know), having particular occasion for my services, would take it as an offence if I refused the invitation; so he forthwith" clapped a musket on my shoulder, and marched me off. Sta. Enlisted! why, I can't say but I was. Now, I was always an independent sort of fellow, fond of my own way, and couldn't stomach being ordered about against my inclination. Pet. (Aside.) So, so! This fellow is a deserter! Sta. I put up with it a long while, though; till, one bitter cold morning in December, just at three o'clock, I was roused from my comfortable, warm sleep, to turn out and mount guard on the bleak, blustering corner of a rampart," in the snow. It was too bad, was n't it? Pet. I don't doubt you would rather have been warm in bed. - Sta. Well, as I could n't keep myself warm, I laid down my musket and began to walk; then I began to run, and — will you believe it? — I did n't stop running till I found myself five leagues away from the outposts! Pet. So, then, you are a deserter! Sta. A deserter! You call that being a deserter, do you? Well, putting this and that together, I should n't wonder if I were a deserter. Pet. Do you know, my dear fellow, that if you are discovered you will be shot? Sta. I've some such idea. Indeed, it occurred to me at the time; so, thinking it hardly worth while to be shot for being so short a distance as only five leagues away from my post, I made the best of my way to Saardam; and here I am. Pet. This is an awkward affair, indeed, and if the burgomaster" were informed of it, however, be assured your secret is safe n my keeping. Sta. I don't doubt you, for I suspect you 're in a similar scrape yourself. Pet. I?-Ridiculous' Sta. There's something very mysterious about you, at any rate. But, I say — you will keep my secret? Pet. O! trust me for that. Sta. Because, if it should get to the ears of any of the agents of the Czar, I should be in rather a bad fix, you know. Pet. The Czar shall know no more about it than he does now, if I can help it; so don't be afraid. He himself, they say, is rather fond of walking away from his post. Sta. Ha, ha! Is he? Then he has no business to complain of me for running away, eh? Pet. You must look out for him, though. They say he has a way of finding out everything. Don't be too sure of your secret. EI Sta. Come, now; he 's in Russia, and I'm in Holland; and I don't see where's the danger, unless you mean to blab. Pet. Fellow-workman, do you take me for a traitor? Sta. Not so, Peter; but, if I am ever taken up here as a deserter, you will have been the only one to whom I have told my secret. and Pet. A fig for the Czar ! Sta. Don't say that he's a good fellow, is Peter the Czar; you 'll have to fight me if you say a word in his dispraise. Pet. O! if that's the case, I'll say no more. Anon. LXXXI. SCENERY OF THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI. 1. Ir has been the fashion, with travellers, to talk of the scenery of the Mississippi as wanting grandeur and beauty. Mōst certainly, it has neither. But there is no scenery on earth more striking. The dreary and pestilential solitudes, untrod |