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The Czar Ivan, who reigned over Russia about the middle of the sixteenth century, frequently went out disguised, in order to discover the opinion which the people entertained of his administration. One day, in a solitary walk near Moscow, he entered a small village, and pretending to be overcome by fatigue, implored relief from several of the inhabitants. His dress was ragged; his appearance mean; and what ought to have excited the compassion of the villagers, and ensured his reception, was productive of refusal. Full of indignation at such inhuman treatment, he was just going to leave the place, when he perceived another habitation, to which he had not yet applied for assistance. It was the poorest cottage in the village. The emperor hastened to this, and knocking at the door, a peasant opened it, and asked him what he wanted. "I am almost dying with fatigue and hunger," answered the czar, can you give me a lodging for one night?"

"Alas!" said the peasant, taking him by the band, "you will have but poor fare here: you are come at an unlucky time : ny wife is in labour : her cries will not let you sleep : hut come in, come in; you will at least be sheltered from the cold;, and such as we have you shall be welcome to."

'The peasant then made the czar enter a little room full of children; in a cradle were two infants sleeping soundly; a girl, three years old, was sleeping on a rug near the cradle; while her two sisters, the one five years old, the other seven, were on their knees, crying and praying to God for their mother, who was in a room adjoining, and whose piteous "plaints and groans were distinctly heard.

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Stay here," said the peasant to the emperor, "I will go and get something for your supper."

He went out, and soon returned with some black bread, eggs, and honey.

"You see all I can give you," said the peasant; " partake of it with my children. I must go and assist my wife." "Your charity, your hospitality," said the czar," must bring down blessings upon your house: I am sure God will reward your goodness."

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Pray to God, my good friend," replied the peasant, pray to God Almighty, that she may have a safe delivery;

that is all I wish for."

"And is that all you wish to make you happy?" "Happy! judge for yourself; I have five fine children; a dear wife that loves me; a father and mother, both in good health; and my labour is sufficient to maintain them all."

"Do your father and mother live with you?" "Certainly; they are in the next room with my wife." "But your cottage here is so very small!" "It is large

enongh; it can hold us all."

The good peasant then went to his wife, who an hour after was happily delivered. Her husband, in a transport of joy, brought the child to the czar; "Look," said he, "look; this is the sixth she has brought me! What a fine hearty child he is! may God preserve him, as he has done my others!"?

The czar, sensibly affected at this scene, took the infant in his arms: "I know," said he, " from the physiognomy of this child, that he will be quite fortunate: he will arrive, I am certain, at great preferment."

The peasant smiled at this prediction; and at that instant, the two eldest girls came to kiss their new-born brother, and their grandmother came also to take him back. The little ones followed her; and the peasant, laying himself down upon his bed of straw, invited the stranger to do the same. In a moment, the peasant was in a sound and peaceful sleep; but the czar, sitting up, looked around, and contemplated every thing with an eye of tenderness and emotion the sleeping children, and their sleeping father. An undisturbed silence reigned in the cottage.

"What a happy cal'n! What delightful tranquillity said the emperor: "avarice and ambition, suspicion and remorse, never enter here. How sweet is the sleep of innocence!"

In such reflections, and on such a bed, did the mighty Emperor of all the Russias spend the night! The peasant awoke at break of day, and his guest, taking leave of him, said, "I must return to Moscow, my friend: I am acquainted there with a very benevolent man, to whom I shall take care to mention your kind treatment of me. I can prevail upon him to stand godfather to your child. Promise me, therefore, that you will wait for me, that I may be present at the christening: I will be back in three hours at farthest."

The peasant did not think much of this mighty promise; but, in the good nature of his heart, he consented, however, to the stranger's request. The czar immediately took his leave the three hours were soon gone, and nobody appeared. The peasant, therefore, followed by his family, was preparing to carry his child to church; but as he was leaving his cottage, he heard, on a sudden, the trampling of

horses, and the rattling of many coaches. He looked out, and presently saw a multitude of horses, and a train of splendid carriages. He knew the imperial guards, and instantly called his family to come and see the emperor go by. They all run out in a hurry, and stand before their door. The horsemen and carriages soon formed a circular line; and at last the state coach of the czar stopped, opposite the good peasant's door. The guards kept back the crowd, which the hopes of seeing their sovereign had collected together. The coach-door was opened; the czar alighted; and, advancing to his host, thus addressed him: "I promised you a godfather; I am come to fulfil my promise; give me your child, and follow me to church."

The peasant stood like a statue: now looking at the emperor, with the mingled emotions of astonishment and joy; now observing his magnificent robes, and the costly jewels with which they were adorned; and now turning to a crowd of nobles that surrounded him. In this profusion of pomp he could not discover the poor stranger who had lain all night with him upon the straw. The emperor, for some moments, silently enjoyed his perplexity, and then addressed him thus: "Yesterday you performed the duties of humanity: to-day I am come to discharge the most delighful duty of a sovereign, that of recompensing virtue. I shall not remove you from a situation to which you do so much honour, and the innocence and tranquillity of which I envy. But will bestow upon you such things as may be useful to you. You shall have numerous flocks, rich pastures, and a house that will enable you to exercise the duties of hospitality with pleasure. Your new-born child shall become my ward; for you may remember," continued the emperor, smiling, "that I prophesied he would be fortunate.”

The good peasant could not speak; but with tears of grateful sensibility in his eyes, he ran instantly to fetch the child, brought him to the emperor, and laid him respectfully at his feet.

This excellent sovereign was quite affected: he took the child in his arms and carried him himself to church; and after the ceremony was over, unwilling to deprive him of his mother's milk, he took him back to the cottage, and ordered that he should be sent to him as soon as he could be weaned.

The czar faithfully observed his engagements, caused the boy to be educated in his palace, provided amply for his future settlement in life, and continued ever after to heap favours upon the virtuous peasant and his family.

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FEMALE INTREPIDITY.

A merchant, the brother of a lady of distinguished birth and respectable condition, had the misfortune to suffer great losses, and to fail in his payments. His largest dealings were with a foreign nation, whose subjects were, of course, his principal creditors. The ambassador of that nation insisted upon payment of the whole; and sued him with the greatest rigour. The merchant, conscious of his inability to discharge the full amount of his debts, had no resource but in the flexibility of the ambassador's disposition. The lady undertook the arduous task of waiting upon the ambassador; and, in order more strongly to excite bis compassion, proposed that the daughters of her unfortunate brother should accompany her: "My dear nieces," said she, " do not waste your tears at home; in vain you vent your sorrows here. Come with me, and let us try if the force of prayers and supplications cannot melt the heart of that unfeeling man, who seems to take delight in the ruin of your father. Dress yourselves suitably to your melancholy situation, and follow me."

This said, she hastened with her brother's children to the ambassador's palace; but what was her surprise and grief, when she was informed by the servants, that entrance was refused to her by their master's express order. A lady, accustomed to be treated with honour and respect by every person with whom she had any concern, could not but sensibly feel such a palpable affront. However, having once assumed the office of a petitioner, and engaged herself in such an interesting cause, her courage was not to be damped by a single rebuke. On the contrary, after repeated denials of admittance, she as constantly essayed to gain it." Perbaps," said she, "his excellency is engaged in important affairs; I will respectfully wait the time of his going out." One of the children was so affected by this treatment, that she could no longer sustain the excess of her grief. Her sight and limbs failing her, she fell into a swoon at the palace gate. The affrighted aunt implored their humanity for some assistance to the unhappy child; but the domestics, in obedience to their master's commands, still refused to take the least notice of her or her children. Exasperated at their cruelty, the lady ran to the guard of janissaries, who were at that time upon duty; and, in the extravagance of her sorrow, cried out: "O Musselmen! O ye, whom the Christians call infidels! come to my assistance;

help me to relieve this distressed child, who must otherwise die unpitied, in the midst of those barbarous Christians, who surround us, and refuse the aid of a drop of water to succour the unfortunate infant. Come hither, O Musselmen ; let us try if the voice of indignation, joined to the piercing accents of woe, can reach the man inaccessible to the complaints of the unfortunate. Let him at least know, that you are not like him, deaf to the cries of the afflicted."

The janissaries flew to the lady's assistance. Her majestic deportiment commanded their services. The gathering crowd reviled the domestics with the severest reproaches, till they could no longer resist her importunities, but ran to procure some relief; while the doors of the palace flew open, as if by divine interpositlon. The ambassador himself, alarmed at the noise, and seeing a great mob assembled at his gate, came out to enquire the cause. This courageous female summoned, at that moment, every idea that her just indignation could suggest. The moving spectacle, which had roused every spark of sensibility, inspired her in such a degree, that she spoke the language of the soul in most energetic terms. She reproached him for the obduracy of his disposition, which could unmoved hear the complaints. of the wretched, and that in terms so powerful, she roused at length the torpid feelings of his heart. What he denied to her supplications, he granted to the dignity of her mind.

ADVICE PREVIOUS TO MATRIMONY.

IF a young man make his addresses to you, or give you any reason to believe he will do so, before you allow your affections to be engaged, endeavour, in the most prudent and secret manner, to procure from your friends every necessary piece of information concerning him; such as his character, as to his sense, his morality, his religion, his temper, and family; whether it be distinguished for parts and worth or for folly and knavery. When your friends inform you of these, they have fulfilled their duty; and it behoves you to hearken to their counsel, and to attend to 'their advice.

Avoid a companion that may entail any hereditary disease on your posterity, particularly that most dreadful of all human calamities, madness. It is the height of impru

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