against others, were now compelled to submit to it themselves. The soldiers immediately stripped those late judges of their robes; and ranged them with those who were before prisoners, in order to conduct them to the place of execution appointed for criminals.

How dreadful a spectacle was this, the

princess, the two generals, with all the nobility and magistracy of the kingdom, about to be destroyed at once! Who, when they were no more, would be left to maintain order among the people? Where could there one be found to protect the peace of Crete?-All administration of public justice must cease, and the whole realm be involved in a wild confusion.

The old general could hold out no longer; his obdurate heart melted at the ruin of his country; and, as he knew the whole depended on himself, he forgave his son; his son, with tears of joy, the princess; and

she

she, no less readily, remitted the offences of the father.—The young lady, by whose stratagem this happy change was wrought, desired the senate to resume their places, and all was now restored to its ancient form; but the terrible consequences which this law had like to have occasioned, and which it would always have been liable to draw on, made them unanimously agree to repeal it.

"This short relation, my dear children, may serve to shew of how ambiguous and perplexed a nature ingratitude, in reality is; how impossible it is to be entirely free from it ourselves, and how readily we fix the imputation of it on others. In short, there has yet never been, nor possibly never will be, a standard for it, by which une may truly know what is, or is not so. Every one who labours under any distress in life, is full of accusations on the ingratitude of persons whom he either has,

66

or

or imagines he has, conferred some obligation on at one time or another; though, perhaps, those whom he thus brands were never sensible of any favour; or, if they are, may not have it in their power to return them in the manner they expected.

SIXTH

SIXTH EVENING.

THE

FOLLY OF DISCONTENT.

A TALE.

AT Ispahan, in Persia, there lived a

young man of a noble family and great fortune, named Achmet; who from his infancy shewed the earliest signs of a restless, turbulent spirit; and though by nature endowed with an understanding superior to any of his age, was led away with every gust of passion to precipitate himself into the greatest dangers. After having a little experienced the misfortunes that accrue

from

from such a disposition, he became somewhat more diffident of his own abilities; and determined to take the advice of those who had been more conversant with human nature how to proceed for the future. There dwelt not far from the city, in a little cell among a ridge of mountains, an old hermit; who many years before had retired from the world to that place to spend the rest of his days in prayer and contemplation. The good man became so famous through the country for his exemplary life, that if any one had any uneasiness of mind. he immediately went to Abudah, (for so he was called) and never failed of receiving consolation, in the deepest affliction, from his prudent counsel; which made the superstitious imagine, that there was a charm in the sound of his words to drive away despair, and all her gloomy attendants.

Hither Achmet repaired; and as he was entering a grove near the sage's habitation,

met,