proportionate to the offence committed; or what, in the same situation, we should think unreasonable to undergo ourselves.

Lady M. I now think the moral of this parable very applicable to Lady Louisa and myself; and sincerely hope we shall both profit by the excellent lesson it contains.

Ment. To enforce what I have already said, I shall produce the following example, to convince your Ladyship of its further importance and use. If your sister were guilty of any slight offence, and you suggested to me the necessity of her being severely punished, might I not, with great propriety, make a reply similar to that which Nathan addressed to David? and whilst you were expatiating with vehemence on the nature of Lady Louisa's fault, I might check and silence you entirely, by saying, "Thou art the girl;" as most probably she is never guilty of any offence which you have not committed at some time or other of your life. Let me entreat each of you to grow wise by the example David has afforded you; nor ever subject yourselves to so mortifying a repulse.

DIALOGUE

DIALOGUE VIII.

MONDAY.

ON THE SPARTAN FORM OF GOVERNMENT, AND SYSTEM OF EDUCATION, WITH MORAL REFLECTIONS.

Lady Louisa.

My dear Mentoria, did you not some time ago, promise to give us a short account of the Spartan Form of Government, and Plan of Education? If it be agreeable, I wish you would make them the subject of your instruc tions this morning.

Mentoria. My dear Lady Louisa, I will readily comply with your request; and hope you will find the research instructive and entertaining. Sparta, or Lacedæmon, was situated

in

in Laconia, a part of the Peloponnesus, now the Morea; which, with many other parts of ancient Greece, is in subjection to the Turks. Lycurgus, the Legislator of the Spartan Laws, governed the Lacedæmonians during the minority of his nephew. The excellent rules he established for their general conduct, and the attention he paid to the instruction of their "youth, have rendered his memory immortal. To prevent all disputes of precedency, he caused the whole country and private property to be a common stock, and divided into equal lots. It would have been difficult to have effected this, if gold and silver had not previously been rendered of no intrinsic value, by making the current coin of iron. stratagem banished many crimes from Sparta; as there was no temptation to rob one another of those possessions which were too cumbrous to be concealed. Effectually to prevent any distinction in the economy of private families, Lycurgus established public tables, where no food was allowed but such as the law directed; they usually were divided into dif ferent companies, consisting of about fifteen in each class.

This

Lord George. Did the Spartans like those regulations?

regulations? I should think it hard if such were to take place now.

Ment. Those who had possessed great riches, and been accustomed to live luxuriously, were so enraged at the diminution of their privileges, that they rebelled, and proceeded so far as to pelt Lycurgus with stones: to escape their resentment, he endeavoured to seek refuge in a temple: he outran all his enemies, except Alcander, whose zeal tempted him to pursue Lycurgus with speed and cruelty. As he was turning his head to form an opinion of his own safety, this young man beat out one of his eyes with a stick. Lycurgús bore this unfortunate circumstance with the greatest fortitude: immediately stopping short, he showed his face streaming with blood to the citizens, who were struck with the most poignant grief, and delivered Alcander to Lycurgus to be punished as he thought fit; he, instead of inflicting one adequate to his offence, took him into his house, and appointed him to the office of waiting on him as a domestic servant. This unmerited and unexpected lenity wrought such a change in Alcander's conduct, that he afterwards became one of the most distinguished citizens of Sparta;

which proves the good effect of forgiving an injury, rather than seeking means to revenge it.

Lady Mary. I am very sorry, my dear Mentoria, that Lycurgus met with such an accident, as he was so good a man.

Ment. To perpetuate the memory of this unfortunate circumstance, the Lacedæmonians never after suffered a person to enter their assemblies with a staff in their hand.

Lady L. On what food did the Spartans chiefly live, my good Mentoria?

Ment. The dish held in the highest estimation was a kind of black broth; the old men, who sat by themselves, lived entirely upon it, and left the meat to the younger part of the society.

Dionysius the Tyrant, partaking of one of those repasts, complained of the insipidity of the broth. "I am not surprised (said the cook), the seasoning is wanting." "What seasoning?" replied the Tyrant. "Hunger and thirst, produced by exercise of various kinds (answered the cook) are the ingredients with which we relish our food."

Lord G. Was it not very impertinent of a servant to speak in such a familiar manner to a king? I should think it very extraordinary,