CHAPTER XIII.

The little nation of Fredonia, was now in a happy and prosperous condition. It is true that they had not the means of living luxuriously, but still they possessed all that was necessary to comfort. It must be remembered that they had no such things as axes, saws, knives, nor any of those tools made of iron, which are so common with us, and which are so useful in many ways. It is with iron tools that we cut down trees for fuel, for houses, and furniture: it is with tools of iron that we make all the machines by which we cultivate the earth, and weave cloths of every kind. It is, therefore, by means of iron, that we, in civilized society, obtain furniture, food and dwellings. So important is this metal in the affairs of life, that one of the greatest distinctions between civilized and savage nations, is that the former possess it and know its use, while the latter are generally destitute of it. Iron is therefore much more important than gold or silver--for nations may possess the latter, while they are yet barbarous. The Indians of Mexico and Peru had abundance of gold and silver, when discovered three hundred and fifty years ago; yet they had no iron, and therefore no good cutting tools. Accordingly, they had no very fine or perfect manufactures.

Some circumstances occurred at Fredonia, which made the use of iron very apparent. In building their houses, and making their furniture, the people of the island often wished they had saws, and axes, and planes. How much time these tools would have saved! They were obliged to use sharp stones for cutting down trees and shaping them, as they desired. It, therefore, often took a man a week to do a job, which he might have performed much better in an hour, with a carpenter’s axe.

Well, after a time, as Piquet was fishing one day, he saw a piece of timber floating in the sea at some distance. Being curious to know what it might be, he swam out to it, a distance of near a mile, and you may guess his surprise to find that it was a log of wood, in the end of which was stuck a carpenter’s axe! It had evidently fallen from the deck of some vessel; and as the axe was exceedingly rusty, it must have been in the water for several months.

Piquet managed, with a great deal of labor, to push the log, with the axe, to the shore. He then carried the latter to the village, and it is not easy to tell what an excitement the event produced. “Piquet has found an axe!”--was shouted from house to house: “an axe! an axe!” was echoed from hill to hill. The inhabitants came running together--men, women and children,--and there stood Piquet, holding up his trophy, more proudly than did David the head of Goliah!

It was indeed an affair of national importance, and for two or three days after, Piquet was called upon, again and again, to tell the story of the axe. He grew indeed to be a hero, not only among the people, but especially in the fancies of the children and in his own conceit. His narrative, became more and more marvellous every time he told it, and in the space of a couple of years, the wonderful tale of the “Fisherman and the axe,” was at least equal to our legend of old Blue Beard.

When the first excitement had a little subsided, the question arose, as to who should be the owner of the axe. Some persons insisted that it belonged to Piquet--he found it, and he was entitled to the fruits of his good luck. Beside, he swam out a mile into the sea, and by risking his life, and making great exertions, he brought it to the shore. It was, therefore, due to him as a reward for his sacrifices and exertions. On the other hand, it was maintained that it ought to belong to the state or the nation, inasmuch as it was found upon the waters near the island, which were said to belong to the people at large. This question produced a good deal of discussion; but finally it was put at rest by the governor, who decided, for the reasons suggested, that the axe belonged to its finder.

From this time Piquet became a great man. He ground up his axe, and such was the demand for it, that he could get a great deal more money, or more pieces of salt, merely for the use of it, than by fishing all day. In the space of a year he had more salt than any other man on the island, and was in fact the richest of the whole society. But it is curious and interesting to remark, that what seemed his good fortune, came near proving his ruin. Finding it unnecessary to work for his support, he grew idle, and then discontented. Some persons suggested that as he was the richest man on the island, he ought to be the governor. This idea having entered into his head, he set about endeavoring to carry the scheme into effect. He gathered around him several partisans, whom he paid liberally in salt, and pretty soon these persons set up quite a clamor against M. Bonfils. They insisted that the latter was despotic, haughty and aristocratic. They found fault with all he had done: and even where his conduct admitted of no reproach, they impugned his motives, and said he had done good only to get honor and glory in the eyes of the people, that he might thus rivet firmly the chains of that despotism which he exercised! They also started a thousand false stories about him, and if one was proved to be untrue, another was immediately invented to take its place.

M. Bonfils did not heed all this, but pursued the even tenor of his way, devoting himself, with all the energy his great age permitted, to the promotion of the public good. But his patriotism was not sufficient to ensure tranquillity. Intoxicated by the flattery of his partisans, and deceived as to the state of opinion among the people, Piquet, at the head of his followers, took forcible possession of the Outcast’s Cave, and thence issued a command for all the people to come before him, and acknowledge him as their governor. This summons was so far obeyed that in a few hours all the men of the island were gathered at the cave, and after a while Piquet appeared, and commanded them to acknowledge him as their governor.

This was followed by a general burst of laughter--and Piquet, stung with shame, to find himself thus an object of ridicule, slunk back into the cave. His partisans, finding their position to be anything but respectable, deserted their leader, and left him alone. Piquet remained in the cave till it was night; then creeping out, he went straight to his hut, took the axe which had been the source of all his trouble, and ascending a high rock on the border of the ocean, hurled it as far as he could into the sea. The next morning he again took to his hooks and lines, and from that day he quietly pursued the life of a fisherman, declaring that the intoxication of riches was by no means so pleasant as the content attending a career of humble but useful toil.

As I am telling this story chiefly to show how necessary it is to have some established government, and how this contributes to the happiness of society, I cannot detail very minutely the history of individuals. I must not forget to say, however, that Brusque was married to Emilie, and, notwithstanding the part he had taken in the French Revolution, he became a very kind, honest and useful man. He devoted his time to the manufacture of salt, and was thus able to procure all the articles produced on the island, which he needed.

François continued to pursue the life of a huntsman, and supplied the market with goat’s flesh and wild game. He had also tamed several of the goats, and some families were beginning to get milk from them. He had also tamed some wild ducks and geese, and from these eggs were now obtained.

Two years soon passed away in Fredonia, and the people were, on the whole, prosperous and happy. Every family had a house, and sufficient land--but now a difference began to appear between their several situations. Some of the houses seemed constantly to grow better; instead of looking old and shabby, they had, month by month, a more agreeable and comfortable look. The furniture also became better; the lands around them grew more and more productive; the gardens were not only more fruitful, but they were stocked with a greater variety of fruits and vegetables.

There were other estates, where a totally opposite state of things was to be remarked. Here the houses were going to decay; they were dirty, and ill-furnished, and the lands were but poorly tilled. All around wore an aspect rather of poverty than thrift.

The causes of these differences were easily to be traced. Those people who were industrious and frugal, had good houses and good farms; every year they advanced a little, and gradually they became rich, comfortable and happy. On the other hand, those who were idle, had comfortless houses, poor furniture, poor farms and poor gardens.

About this period an event occurred which excited great interest in Fredonia, and served eventually to change the prospects of the island in no small degree. Vessels had frequently passed within sight of the place, but never had come near enough to be hailed. But now, on a fine summer morning, a vessel was seen under full sail, passing close to the shore. A signal was immediately raised, and the vessel heaving to, sent her boat ashore.

The captain, who was an Englishman, was greatly astonished at finding such a society on the island, which was generally regarded as uninhabited. He spent two or three days at the place, and supplied the people with a number of articles which they particularly wanted. Among them were a saw, hatchet, hammer, auger, several gimblets, a quantity of nails, some knives, and other similar instruments. He furnished them also with two or three books, and several newspapers, which were objects of great interest; for there was nothing of the kind on the island. But that which gave the greatest satisfaction, was about a pint of wheat, which happened to be on board the ship, and which was taken by the islanders for the purpose of sowing, so as to obtain the means of making flour bread. After staying at the island a few days, the captain departed on his voyage to China, whither he was bound.

The iron tools were put into the hands of a man who had been brought up a carpenter, and he began to make various articles of furniture, such as chairs, bedsteads and other things, which the Fredonians had been obliged hitherto to do without--or if they had them, they were of a very rude kind. The carpenter was also called upon to make doors and windows to the houses, which before consisted only of rough openings, fastened with a frame-work thatched with palm leaves. In this way a great improvement in the comfort of the people speedily took place.

But that which now became the source of the greatest interest was the building of a little vessel, which was undertaken by Brusque and François. The latter had been brought up on the sea-shore, and was familiar with the construction of vessels of all kinds, from the keel to the top-gallant-mast. Brusque, by his industry and skill, had laid up salt enough to pay the cost of the enterprise. The vessel which they undertook to build was of about seventy tons burthen, to be rigged schooner-fashion--that is, with two masts.

You may well believe that it was no small job to build a vessel, under such circumstances. The want of iron, for making spikes and nails, was the greatest difficulty, but industry and ingenuity can conquer all obstacles. Instead of spikes, pins of hard wood were used. Tar for filling up the seams between the boards, so as to keep out the water, was made from fir trees found on the island; and paint was made of yellow and red earth found on one of the hills, mixed with grease obtained from the goats. Every obstacle was at last overcome, and in about a year from its commencement, the vessel was launched, amid the shouts and rejoicing of the whole nation--men, women and children.

In six months more, the vessel was rigged, and named the Hope. François took command of her, and lifting his broad sail, woven of the fibrous bark of the palm tree, sailed forth upon the sea, in the presence of all the people. You may have seen a more splendid ship--but never did one appear half so beautiful and so wonderful as did the Hope of Fredonia, in the eyes of the admiring spectators, as she scudded before the breeze, on the occasion we describe.

Field Teachers.

“I will now tell you of a little boy who determined to be idle:--

“‘I do hate my tasks,’ said little Robert,--‘I wish there never had been a school in the whole world. I think the man that first thought of a school must have been a very cruel, hardhearted man, and could never have been a child. What is the good of sitting, and spell, spell, spell? First, learn _this_ by heart, and then _that_; then say the multiplication table; and then say the pence table; and then the Latin grammar; and then the catechism; and then read; and then write; and then cypher; and then, and then, and then----. But there is no end to it,’ said Master Robert.

“‘But there is one good thing,--we can play truant; and so I am off for a ramble, and am determined to be as idle as ever I can be. I am resolved not to do anything to-day; I will do nothing but caper, and run, and catch butterflies, and make ducks and drakes in the water, and blow the heads off the dandelions, and kick my hat about for sport, and roll about among the daisies. There, you stupid old spelling-book,’ continued he, giving it a toss into a corner,--‘go and take your rest there. If you were as tired of me, as I am of you, we should never see each other again.’

“So saying, little Robert ran out at the garden gate, bounded over the next meadow, leaped over hedge and ditch, up hill and down dell, till, at last, he thought no one would follow him.

“So he leaped, and capered, and rolled on the grass. He took up many a dandelion stalk, and blew off the winged seeds; at last he approached a pond, and began to make ducks and drakes in the water. At this sport he continued for some time, but at last grew tired; he then set himself down in the warm sun. The smell of the flowers and vernal grass quite overpowered him, and so, in a short time, he fell fast asleep.

“No sooner had he fallen asleep than he began to dream. He dreamed that a number of birds, and beasts, and insects, were humming and singing about him, and that they were busied in all sorts of ways. On a tall tree, just above him, he thought he saw a monkey swinging by his tail to and fro, with his arms folded, and looking as if he was half asleep. This monkey very much resembled himself.

“Buzz, buzz, buzz, went a bee, close to his ear, as he thought. ‘What makes you so merry, Mr. Bee?’ said the little boy. The bee never turned to look at him, but immediately dived deeply into the bell of a flower, and licked out all the honey, and scraped up the wax; then he came out, and dived into another flower, singing all the time. ‘What makes you so merry, Mr. Bee?’ called out Robert, a second time. ‘Because I have got something to do,’ said the bee. ‘And pray what can you have to do?’ the little boy thought he said to the bee. ‘Oh! a great deal,’ said the bee:--‘I have to visit above a thousand flowers this afternoon; I have to go to my hive, and back, a score of times; I have honey to put in my cells, and wax to make, and a great deal to do.’ And hum, hum, hum--bum, bum--m-m-m, z-z-z-z-z; and so the bee put its head into another flower.

“‘But you seem so merry,’ said Robert: ‘you seem so merry, Mr. Bee.’

“‘That is because I have plenty to do:--

‘To work is my delight, From morning until night.’

“So the bee flew away, and the little boy thought that he got up, and walked, and walked, till he reached a wood. He came to a sunny bank, and sat down upon it. He had not sat long, however, before he felt a smart pinch on his leg, and leaped up in great consternation,--he looked, and saw an ant; it appeared to him as if the ant spoke. ‘Go away, you idle boy,’ said the ant; ‘see what mischief you have done,--you are breaking down our city walls, and destroying our dwellings. Why do you not work as we do?--Look at us!’

“So the little boy looked, and beheld a great number of ants, some bringing small grains and seeds up the steep bank, some scooping out the ground with their paws, some pushing, some pulling, some running hither and thither, but all busy.

“‘Why, how you _do_ work?’ said Robert.

“‘Yes,’ said the ant. ‘Winter will come, you know; besides, we are never so happy as when we are at work,--that is the greatest pleasure we have. Our fathers worked, our mothers worked, our little ones work,--we all work here.--There is nobody idle.’

“‘Then, if you are so fond of work, you may work by yourselves,’ said Robert; so he walked away, and set himself down upon a little hillock, at no great distance.

“Presently he felt the ground shake under him, and heard a slight noise in the earth: a little animal peeped from the turf close by.--‘Ha!’ said Robert, ‘that is a mouse.--No; it is a ----. What is your name, pray?’

“‘My name is mole,’ said the little animal; ‘I am very busy just now, and cannot stop to talk to you. You would oblige me, however, by moving a little further, for I cannot do my work properly if you do not.’

“‘Work again?’ said Robert.

“‘Yes: I have my castle to build; a great many trenches to place round it; a number of galleries to construct, with various outlets, that I may not be caught napping by my enemies. I have plenty to do, I assure you; but the more I have to do, the happier I am. So, go along.’

“Robert moved off, for he began to be ashamed of himself; and, as he passed through the trees, he felt something pass over his eyes;--it was the long thread of a spider, which had just began to form its web. The spider was suspended from the branch of a tree.

“‘Little boy,’ said the spider, ‘can you not find anything better to do than to come and spoil my work?’

“‘Work again?’ said Robert.

“‘Yes,’ said the spider. ‘I should be sorry to live without work; and, if you will stop a minute, I will show you how I make my web.’ So saying, the spider passed his threads from bough to bough; formed it in one place, and tied it in another;--now tightened it;--now made it secure in its weaker parts; and, at last, gave it a shake in every part, to see that it was firm. ‘There,’ said he, ‘that _task is done_, and now for a fat fly for supper.’

“‘_Task?_--do not talk of tasks, I pray you,’ said Robert.

“‘It is no task to me, I can assure you,’ said the spider; ‘but, have the goodness to stand on one side, if you please, for I see you are not fond of work. If you won’t do any good, do not do any harm.’

“‘No,’ said Robert, ‘I came out to play.’

“‘Play, play?’ said the spider; ‘I never heard of such a thing.’

“Robert was glad to get away from the spider, and said, ‘You are an ugly looking thing,’ and left him. He had not gone far, however, before he saw a beautiful bird, with a twig in his bill. ‘Bird,’ said he, ‘I want to speak with you.’ ‘I have no time,’ said the bird,--‘I am busy,--I have my nest to build.’

“Presently a rabbit crept from the underwood, with some dried grass in its mouth. ‘Bunny! Bunny!’ said Robert. ‘I can’t stop,’ said the rabbit: ‘I am particularly engaged.’

“‘Well,’ thought the little boy, ‘everything seems very ill-natured;’ and so he wandered to the side of a rivulet, and began to throw pebbles in the water; whereupon he thought a beautiful little boy, with flowing locks, came up out of the spring, and said,--‘Why do you disturb me, little boy?’

“‘I am only playing,’ said Robert.

“‘But I have a great deal to do,’ said the river sprite, ‘and must not be interrupted. I have a long journey to perform; and, although I am only a rivulet now, I shall some day be a river. I have to afford moisture to millions of plants; drink to thousands of animals; to bear heavy burdens; to turn mills; to grind corn; and to do a great number of things. There are few so busy as I am;--so, go along, little boy, to some one who has time to idle away.’

“‘Then I will go the wind,’ said Robert; ‘I have heard the wind called the idle wind.’ ‘Stop,’ said the wind, with a violent gust just in his face; ‘hold, if you please,--I am not so idle as you think me.’

“‘Not idle!--why, what do you do, I should like to know?’

“‘I am just going to turn a few hundred mills between this and the seacoast, and then I have a few thousand ships to convey into port. Besides this, I have to disperse, as I go along, a great variety of seeds. I have also to carry the clouds from one part to the other, that they may discharge their showers in different places; and, then, I exercise the trees, and shrubs, and plants; I do not like to see anything idle.’ Thus saying, the wind started off at a rapid rate.

“‘Well,’ said Robert, ‘I am quite tired of talking to all these things, and was it not for the nice, warm, soft, sunshine, I should really think everything was busy; but that seems as if it would be as playful and careless as myself. How it dances and capers in the brook; and how softly it slumbers in the pond.’

“‘Not so fast,’ said a beam of the sun, which, glancing among the trees, stood like a spirit of light; ‘not so fast, little boy, I have more to do than you think for; I have millions of plants to bring forth out of the earth, fruits to ripen, seeds to perfect. I am the least idle of anything; I go from world to world, from clime to clime: now I am melting the ice at the poles, and now bringing to maturity the vegetation of the torrid zone. I am never idle, even in playing on the waters. It is true, I laugh and sparkle on the brooks and rivulets; but this is because I am happy. You thought I was sleeping in the lake;--at that very moment I was busily employed in bringing to perfection a number of water plants and young fish. I am never idle; and, to show you that I am not, I will just take the skin off your nose.’

“So saying, the hot and mid-day sun, which had all this time been scorching little Robert, raised a very fine blister on the bridge of his nose. Robert felt the smart,--he leaped up,--and behold it was a dream!

“Yes, all was a dream, except the last part of it. The sun had, indeed, taken the skin off the little boy’s nose; but he had been taught a lesson, which he was not soon likely to forget.

“He went home, therefore; and, as he walked onwards, came to the conclusion, that everything had some task to accomplish,--some duty to perform,--_something to do_. That nothing seemed to live for itself alone; that the idle are sure to get into mischief; and that to _be idle_ was to be unnatural. He went, therefore, to his tasks, made up for lost time, soon mastered the Latin grammar and the multiplication table,[15] and ever afterwards found _something to do_.--_Martin’s Holiday Book._”

[15] There is a corollary to this lesson, which my young readers ought not to forget, namely, that when Adam was placed in _Paradise_, he had _something given him to do_,--to dress the garden, and to keep it.--GEN. ii.

The Life and Character of Alexander the Great.

Alexander, the son of Philip, succeeded at the age of twenty to the throne of Macedon, on the death of his father, which took place three hundred and thirty-six years before Christ.

On the night of his birth, the great temple of Diana, at Ephesus, one of the most wonderful edifices ever erected by human skill, was burnt to the ground by Eratostratus, who madly hoped to perpetuate his memory by the incendiary deed.

The first warlike expedition of Alexander was against the barbarians to the north of his kingdom. During his engagements here, a powerful confederacy was formed against him by the Grecian states; and the Thebans, upon a false report of his death, killed all the Macedonians within the reach of their fury.

Alexander speedily came against their city, took it, and utterly destroyed it: six thousand of the inhabitants were slain, and thirty thousand were sold for slaves. This dreadful example of severity spread the terror of his arms through all Greece, and those who had been opposed to him were compelled to submit.

A general assembly of the states of Greece was now summoned at Corinth. Alexander, as heir of his father, was made generalissimo against the Persians, and he immediately commenced preparations for the momentous expedition.

Alexander set off with an army of only thirty thousand foot, and five thousand horse, and provisions for a single month. He crossed the Hellespont, and marched through Asia Minor, towards Persia. Darius Codomannus resolved to crush at once this inconsiderate youth, and met him on the banks of the Granicus, with one hundred thousand foot, and ten thousand horse. The Greeks swam the river, their king leading the van, and attacking the astonished Persians, left twenty thousand dead upon the field, and put to flight their whole army. Darius was left almost alone in his lofty chariot; he had but just time to get on horseback, and gallop away from the battle.

Alexander now sent home his fleet, leaving to his army the sole alternative, that they must subdue Asia, or perish. Prosecuting their course for some time, without resistance, the Greeks were attacked by the Persians in a narrow valley of Cilicia, near the town of Issus. The Persian host amounted to four hundred thousand, but their situation was such, that only a small part could come into action, and they were defeated with prodigious slaughter. The loss of the Persians was one hundred and ten thousand, that of the Greeks very inconsiderable.

After the battle of Issus, Alexander besieged Tyre, but the Tyrians resisted him with great bravery for seven months. At length, the city was taken by storm, and thirty thousand of its population were sold for slaves, and two thousand were crucified upon the sea-shore, for no other crime than that of defending the country from an invader. The shocking cruelty of Alexander to this city, stamps him with eternal infamy.

Incensed with the Jews for not sending supplies to his army, when besieging Tyre, Alexander marched to Jerusalem, resolved upon its ruin. Jaddus, the high priest, and all the other priests of the temple, proceeded from the city to meet him, and to implore his mercy. Alexander no sooner saw the venerable procession, than he paid the high priest all the tokens of profound respect, and left them in satisfaction and peace, without the least molesting the temple or the city.

The whole of Syria had submitted to Alexander; Gaza had followed the fate of Tyre; ten thousand of its inhabitants were sold into slavery; and its brave defender, Belis, was dragged at the wheels of his victor’s chariot,--an act far more disgraceful to the conqueror than to the conquered.

The taking of Gaza opened Egypt to Alexander, and the whole country submitted without opposition. Amidst the most incredible fatigues, he led his army through the deserts of Lybia, to visit the temple of his pretended father, Jupiter of Ammon. When intoxicated with the pride of success, he listened to the base flattery of the priests; and, upon the foolish presumption of his being the son of that Lybian god, he received _adoration from his followers_.

Returning from Egypt, Alexander traversed Assyria, and was met at Arbela by Darius, at the head of seven hundred thousand men. Peace, on very advantageous terms, was offered by the Persians, but was haughtily rejected. The Persians were defeated at Arbela, with the loss of three hundred thousand men, and Darius fled from province to province. At length, betrayed by Bessus, one of his own satraps, he was cruelly murdered, and the Persian empire submitted to the conqueror, B. C. 330.

After the battle of Arbela, Alexander marched in triumph to the cities of Babylon, Susa, and Persepolis, where he found amazing treasures. Excited by intemperance, and instigated by a wicked woman, he set fire to the magnificent palaces of the Persian kings, that no one should enjoy them but himself.

Alexander, firmly persuaded that the sovereignty of the whole habitable globe had been decreed him, now projected the conquest of India. He penetrated to the Ganges, defeated Porus, and would have proceeded to the Indian Ocean, if the spirit of his army had kept pace with his ambition; but his troops, seeing no end to their toils, refused to proceed. Indignant that he had found an end to his conquests, he abandoned himself to every excess of luxury and debauchery.

Returning again to Babylon, laden with the riches and plunder of the east, he entered that celebrated city in the greatest pomp and magnificence. His return to it, however, was foretold by his magicians as fatal, and their prediction was fulfilled.

Giving himself up still further to intoxication and vice of every kind, he at last, after a fit of drunkenness, was seized with a fever, which at intervals deprived him of his reason, and after a few days put a period to his existence; and he died at Babylon, on the 21st of April, in the thirty-second year of his age, after a reign of twelve years and eight months, of the most brilliant success.

His death was so sudden and premature, that many attributed it to poison. Antipater has been accused of administering the fatal draught, but it was never proved against him.

In the character of Alexander we shall find little to admire. In the early part of his career he had shown many excellent and noble traits of character; but he met with such great and continual success in all his undertakings, that his disposition was ruined by it. At last he began to think himself something more than mortal, and made himself a god.

Yet so far was Alexander from being a god, that some of his actions were unworthy of a man. One of his worst deeds was the murder of Clytus, an old officer, who had fought under King Philip. He had once saved Alexander’s life in battle, and on this account he was allowed to speak freely to him.

One night, after having become intoxicated, Alexander began to brag of his own exploits, and he spoke more highly of them than old Clytus thought he deserved; accordingly he told Alexander that his father, Philip, had done much greater things than ever he had done.

The monarch was so enraged, that he snatched a spear from one of his attendants, and gave Clytus a mortal wound; but, when he saw the old man’s bloody corpse extended on the floor, he was seized with horror:--he had murdered the preserver of his own life!

Alexander’s remorse did not, however, last long. He still insisted on being a god, the son of Jupiter Ammon; and he was highly offended with a philosopher, named Callisthenes, because he refused to worship him: for no other crime, Callisthenes was put into an iron cage, and tormented, till he killed himself in despair.

After Alexander’s return from India to Persia, he met with a great misfortune,--it was the loss of his dearest friend, Hephestion, who died of a disease which he had contracted by excessive drinking. For three days afterwards Alexander lay prostrate on the ground, and would take no food.

He erected a funeral pile of spices, and other precious materials, so that it was as costly as a palace would have been. The lifeless body of Hephestion was then placed on the summit. Alexander then set fire to the pile, and stood mournfully looking on, while the corpse of his friend was consumed to ashes.

It would have been well if he had taken warning by the fate of Hephestion: but Alexander the Great was destined to owe his destruction to the wine-cup, the bane of more heroes than one.

There was once a certain pirate, who made great havoc among the shipping of the Mediterranean Sea. He was taken prisoner by the Macedonian soldiers, and brought before Alexander, who asked him by what right he committed his robberies. “I am a robber by the same right that you are a conqueror,” was the reply: “the only difference between us is, that I have but a few men, and can do but little mischief, while you have a large army, and can do a great deal.”

It must be confessed, that this is the chief difference between some conquerors and robbers.--_Treas. of Knowledge._

Varieties.

TRUTH has been thus eloquently described by a writer who lived upwards of two hundred years ago:

“Truth is the glory of time, and the daughter of eternity; she is the life of religion, the light of love, the grace of wit, and the crown of wisdom; she is the brightness of honor, the blessing of reason, and the joy of earth; she is the angel’s worship, the saint’s bliss, and martyr’s crown; she hath a pure eye, a plain hand, a piercing wit, and a perfect heart. Her tongue never trips, her heart never faints, her hand never fails, and her faith never fears. She is honored in love, and graced in constancy; in patience admired, and in charity beloved.”

* * * * *

HONEY MOON. Though this phrase is in common use among us for the first month after marriage, yet its derivation is not commonly known. Its origin is from a custom of the Teutones, an ancient people of Germany, who drank mead, or metheglin, a beverage made of honey, for thirty days after every wedding.

* * * * *

A WILD man of Oronoko, in South America, said to a priest, who was urging him to forsake his gods, “Thou keepest thy God in thy church, as if he were sick and needed thy care; our God is on the mountain top, directing the storm, and guarding us in the still watches of the night.”

MERRY’S MUSEUM.

VOLUME IV.--No. 6.

Merry’s Adventures.