When bad example bids me be unjust, False to my word, or faithless to my trust, And shun the world, to find repose with thee: Oppose, kind poverty, thy temper'd shield, If giddy fortune e'er returns again, Anecdote of Henry IV. of France. The city of Orleanes had a privilege, time immemorial, to send two deputies to congratulate each French King in his ascension to the throne. At the audience the deputies were seated, and after finishing the congratulation, a cup of wine was administred to each of them, which they drank sitting, with the toast "Vive le Roy;" this custom of a citizen's sitting in the presence of Majesty appeared absurd to Henry, and he resolved to abolish it. When the deputies came to congratulate him, he ordered every seat to be taken out of the audience room. The deputies did not find any seat; but etiquette did not permit them to ask for one. After the ceremony of congratulation was over, the cups of wine were administered to them to drink the toasts, (which was considered as the homage of the city) they looked around once more, and not finding any chairs brought in, they sat themselves down on the floor, gave their toast, and drank their wine sitting in the King's presence, according to ancient custom. "Ventre-saint gris !" cried Henry, (an expression that the prince always made use of when agreeably surprised), "It is a seat na tore furnished them with, and I could not withhold it from them." ON ANCIENT ROME. Translated from Petrarch. "Here stood the august, and ancient seat of empire, "And what was Rome;" lies buried in its ruins. INSTANCES OF SPANISH VANITY. The grave and phlegmatic air of the Spaniard, is taken by strangers, for pride: but, it is not so always.--It must, however, be granted, that this nation is remarkable for a certain haughtiness, which may be attri buted to the extent of its conquests-to the grand ideas it entertains of its origin; and perhaps, to the majesty of its language. It is not only among people of condition, that Spanish pride is most apparent; a tradesman, and even one of the lowest class, a mean beggar retains, in the midst of wretchedness, a deportment and tone of confidence, which seem to raise him above his condition. Here, may be remembered, the answer of the beggar, at Madrid, to a passenger, who reproached him, with preferring laziness to useful labour.. "It is money, and not advice that I ask you for," said the beggar, turning his back upon him, with all the gravity of a Castillian. The French have endeavoured to ridicule the Spanish gravity, by this short story : A certain cavalier, as noble as the King,. as catholic as the Pope, and as poor as Job, arrived in the night-time, at a village in France, where there was only one inn. As it was past midnight, he knocked for a long time at the door, without being able to awake the landlord; but at last made him rise, by louder and more frequent rapping. "Who is there?" cried the landlord from a window." It is" says the Spaniard, "Don Juan Pedro, Hernandez, Roderique-de-villa-nova Conde de Malazza, Cavalero de Santiago D'Alcantara." The landlord answered him, immediately shutting the window....." Sir, I am very sorry, but we have not chambers enough, for lodging all those gentlemen.” It is usual to see, at Rome, a great multitude of poor from all countries, to whom soup is distributed at a certain hour, at the gate of the monasteries. A Castillian, newly arrived, and who was unacquainted with the time of the distribution, addressed himself to a poor French ecclesiastic, to be informed of it. But Spanish vanity, would not suffer him to ask in plain terms after the house, where the soup was given. This way of speaking, seemed to him too |