this, gave him two or three blows on the shoulder with his stick, saying, "You rogue, what are you doing among so many honest, innocent men? Get you out of their company." The poor fellow was then set at liberty, while the rest were left to tug at the oar.

CAPTIVES BEFORE CYRUS.

Xenophon relates, that when an Armenian prince had been taken captive, with his princess, by Cyrus, and was asked what he would give to be restored to his kingdom and liberty, he replied, "As for my kingdom and liberty, I value them not; but if my blood would redeem my princess, I would cheerfully give it for her." When Cyrus had liberated them both, the princess was asked, "What think you of Cyrus?" to which she replied, "I did not observe him; my whole attention was fixed upon the generous man who would have purchased my liberty with his life."

SERVILIA.

Among the numerous victims of the tyranny of Nero, was one Bareas Soranus, a man, as Tacitus informs us, of singular vigilance and justice in the discharge of his duty. During his confinement, his daughter Servilia was apprehended, and brought into the senate to be arraigned. The crime laid to her charge was, that she had turned into money all her ornaments and jewels, and the most valuable part of her dress, to defray the expense of consulting magicians. To this the young Servilia, with a flood of

tears, replied, "That she had indeed consulted magicians, but the whole of her enquiry was to know whether the emperor and senate would afford protection and safety to her dear and indulgent parent, against his accusers. "With this view," continued she, "I presented the diviners, men till now utterly unknown to me, with my jewels, my apparel, and other ornaments peculiar to my quality, as I would have presented my blood and life, could they have procured my father's liberty. But whatever this my proceeding was, my unfortunate father was an utter stranger to it; and if it is a crime, I alone am guilty."

This pathetic appeal was lost on the sanguinary monster; and Servilia and her father were condemned to die.

KING AGRIPPA.

When Agrippa was in a private station, he was accused by one of his servants of having spoken injuriously of Tiberius, and was condemned by the emperor to be exposed in chains before the palace gate. The weather was very hot, and Agrippa became excessively thirsty. Seeing Thaumastus, a servant of Caligula, pass by, with a pitcher of water, he called to him, and entreated leave to drink. The servant presented the pitcher with much courtesy ; and Agrippa having allayed his thirst, said to him, "Assure thyself, Thaumastus, that if I get out of this captivity, I will one day pay thee well for this glass of water." Tiberius dying, his successor, Caligula, soon after not only set Agrippa at liberty, but made him king of Judea. In this high situation, Agrippa

was not unmindful of the glass of water given to him when a captive. He immediately sent for Thaumastus, and made him comptroller of his household.

FILIAL PIETY.

Valerius Maximus relates, that a woman of distinction having been condemned to be strangled, was delivered to the triumvir, who caused her to be carried to prison in order to be put to death. The gaoler who was ordered to execute her, was struck with compunction, and could not resolve to kill her. He chose however to let her die with hunger; but meanwhile suffered her daughter to visit her in prison, taking care that she brought her nothing to eat. Many days passed over in this manner, when the gaoler at length surprised that the prisoner lived so long without food, and suspecting the daughter, took means of secretly observing their interviews. He then discovered that the affectionate daughter had all the while been nourishing her mother with her own milk. Amazed at so tender, and at the same time so ingenious an artifice, he related it to the triumvir, and the triumvir to the prætor, who thought the fact merited stating in the assembly of the people. This produced the happiest effects; the criminal was pardoned, and a decree passed, that the mother and the daughter should be maintained for the remainder of their lives at the expense of the public, and that a temple, sacred to filial piety, should be erected near the prison.

ESCAPE OF CAVADES.

When Cavades, king of the Persians, was deposed and imprisoned by his subjects, his queen, who alone remained attached to him in his misfortunes, never failed to bring him necessaries with her own hands, although she was not permitted to see him. One day, while on this visit of conjugal affection, she observed that the keeper of the castle noticed her very particularly, and appeared affected at her beauty and misfortunes. She took advantage of the favourable impression, and soothed him so far, as to be allowed access to her husband. Her visits were at length permitted to take place so free from observation, that one evening she managed to change clothes with her husband, who thus disguised, stole out of the prison without being discovered. When the gaoler entered, he found his supposed prisoner in bed; a few words inarticulately uttered, indicated sickness as the cause; the gaoler was satisfied, nor was the cheat discovered till some days had elapsed, and Cavades had escaped beyond the reach of pursuit He fled to the king of the Euthalites, by whose assistance he was afterwards restored to his throne and kingdom.

BAJAZET.

Tamerlane the Great having made war on Bajazet, Emperor of the Turks, took him prisoner.

overthrew him in battle, and The victor gave the captive

monarch at first a very civil reception; and entering in familiar conversation with him, said Now, king,

tell me freely and truly what thou wouldst have done with me, had I fallen into thy power? Bajazet, who was of a fierce and haughty spirit, is said to have thus replied: "Had the gods given unto me the victory, I would have enclosed thee in an iron cage, and carried thee about with me as a spectacle of derision to the world." Tamerlane wrathfully replied, "Then, proud man, as thou wouldst have done to me, even so shall I do unto thee." A strong iron cage was made, into which the fallen emperor was thrust; and thus exposed like a wild beast, he was carried along in the train of the conqueror. Nearly three years were passed by the once mighty Bajazet in this cruel state of durance; and at last being told that he must be carried into Tartary, despairing of then obtaining his freedom, he struck his head with such violence against the bars of the cage, as to put an end to his wretched life.

CHOICE OF CLOVIS.

Erchionalde, mayor of the palace in the reign of Clovis II., bought from some pirates a girl of exquisite beauty, named Bandour, or Baltide, whom he afterwards presented to his sovereign. The monarch was so transported with her charms, that he thought he could not better grace his throne than by raising her to share it along with him. History does the fortunate fair one the justice to inform us, that while on the throne, she never forgot having been a slave; and that after the death of Clovis, having taken the veil, her mind became wholly purified from any passion for grandeur, and she appeared almost to forget that she had once been a queen.