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the ship struck upon a rock, which shattered its bottom, and permitted the water to come in, so that it could not fail soon to go to the bottom. The pinnace, a small vessel carried on board the larger, was now launched by the captain, who threw into it a bag of biscuit, and some boxes of marmalade. He then jumped in with nineteen others, who, with their swords, prevented the coming in of any more, lest the boat should sink. In this condition they put off into the great Indian Ocean, without a compass to steer by, or any fresh water but what might chance to fall from the heavens. The ship, it is supposed, soon after sank, with the many unfortunate persons whom it contained.

Those in the pinnace rowed to and fro four days in the most miserable condition, when the captain, who had for some time been in weak health, died. This added, if possible, to the distress of the rest, for now they fell into confusion every one would govern, and none would obey. At length they agreed to elect one of their number to the command, and to follow his directions. This person proposed to the company to draw lots, and to cast every fourth man overboard, that their small stock of provisions might last a little longer. They were now nineteen persons in all, in which number were a friar and a carpenter, both of whom they agreed to exempt, as the one was useful to comfort them in their last extremity, and the other to repair the pinnace in case of a leak or other accident. The same compliment they paid to their new captain, he being the odd man, and his life of much consequence. He refused their indulgence a great while; but at last they obliged him to acquiesce; so there were four to die out of the sixteen remaining persons.

The first three, after having performed the rites of their religion, submitted to their fate. The fourth was a Portuguese gentleman, who had a younger brother in the boat, who, seeing the elder about to be thrown overboard, most tenderly embraced him, and with tears in his eyes begged to be allowed to die in his room. His brother, he said, had a wife and children, besides three sisters, depending on him, while he himself was single, and therefore his life was of much less consequence. The elder brother, astonished and

THE PORTUGUESE BROTHERS.

21

melted by this generosity, answered that it would be wicked and unjust to permit any other to die for him, especially a brother to whom he was so infinitely obliged. The younger, persisting in his purpose, would take no denial; but, throwing himself on his knees, held his brother so fast, that the company could not disengage them. Thus they disputed for a while, the elder brother bidding him be a father to his children, and recommending his wife to his protection, and, as he would inherit his estate, to take care of their sisters; but all he could say could not make the younger desist. At last the resolve of the elder yielded to the generous wishes of the other, who was thrown into the sea in his stend.

Being a good swimmer, the young man soon overtook the pinnace, and laid hold of the rudder with one of his hands, when a sailor, with a cutlass, chopped off the hand, and he dropped back into the sca. Then collecting his strength, he laid hold of the boat with the other hand, which the sailor in like manner cut off. Nevertheless, he still made shift to keep himself above water with his feet and two stumps, which he held bleeding upwards. This spectacle, with the consideration of his fraternal affection, so moved the pity of the company, that they cried out, "He is but one man; let us endeavour to save his life;" and he was accordingly taken into the boat, where he had his hands bound up as well as the place and circumstances could permit. They rowed all that night, and next morning, when the sun arose, they descried land, which proved to be the mountains of Mozambique in Africa, not far from a Portuguese colony. There they all arrived safe, and remained until the next ship from Lisbon passed by and carried them to Gon.

At that city, Linschoten, a writer of good credit, assures us that he himself saw them land, supped with the two brothers that very night, beheld the younger with his stumps, and had the story from both their mouths, as well as from the rest of the company.

MY MOTHER.

Who fed me from her gentle breast,
And hushed me in her arms to rest,
And on my check sweet kisses press'd?
My Mother.
When sleep forsook my open cye,
Who was it sang sweet lullaby,
And rocked me that I should not cry?
My Mother.
Who sat and watched my infant head,
When sleeping in my cradle bed,
And tears of sweet affection shed?

My Mother.

When pain and sickness made me cry,
Who gazed upon my heavy eye,
And wept for fear that I should die?
My Mother.
Who ran to help me when I fell,
And would some pretty story tell,
Or kiss the part to make it well?

My Mother.
Who taught my infant lips to pray,
To love God's holy word and day,
And walk in wisdom's pleasant way?
My Mother.

And can I ever cease to be
Affectionate and kind to thee,
Who wast so very kind to me?

My Mother.

Oh no! the thought I cannot bear:
And, if God please my life to sparc,
I hope I shall reward thy care,

My Mother.
When thou art feeble, old, and gray,
My healthy arm shall be thy stay,
And I will soothe thy pains away,
My Mother.

THE PRISONER AND THE RATS.

13

was, he said, a trifle; but the wickedness of a little boy, who could wantonly rob so harmless an animal, was not a trifle. Boys who could do that, showed that they had cruel hearts, and were likely to be more cruel afterwards. He was delighted to think that he had two sons who already felt it to be wrong to rob birds' nests.

THE CRUEL BOY AND THE MICROSCOPE.

A certain youth indulged himself in the cruel entertainment of torturing and killing flies. He tore off their wings and legs, and then watched with pleasure their vain attempts to escape from him. Sometimes he collected a number of them together, and crushed them at once to death, glorying in the wickedness he committed. His tutor remonstrated with him in vain on this barbarous conduct. He could not persuade him to believe that flies ever feel pain, and have a right, no less than ourselves, to life, liberty, and enjoyment. The signs of agony which they expressed by their movements, the cruel boy neither understood nor would attend to.

The tutor had a glass for enabling us to see small objects, and he desired his pupil one day to examine a most beautiful and surprising animal. "Mark," said he, "it is studded from head to tail with black and silver, and its body is covered all over with the most curious bristles! The head contains a pair of lively eyes encircled with silver hairs, and the trunk consists of two parts which fold over each other. The whole body is ornamented with plumes and gildings, which surpass the dress of the greatest princes." Pleased and astonished with what he saw, the youth was impatient to know the name and properties of this wonderful animal. It was withdrawn from the magnifier; and when presented to his naked eye, proved to be a poor fly, which had been the victim of his wanton cruelty.

THE PRISONER AND THE RATS.

In Paris there was once a large fortress called the Bastile, which was used as a prison. When the king was offended

with any one, he caused him to be taken to the Bastile, and confined there. Some prisoners were kept in confinement for many years: they were loaded with heavy chains; they were never allowed to go into the open air; and they were not permitted to see any of their relations. There was once in the Bastile a prisoner named La Tude. He was put in when twenty-three years of age, and kept there and in other prisons for thirty-five years, so that he was quite an old man when he got free. This poor man was kept for many years in a little room, where he had no company. He saw no one but the jailor who brought him his food. This was the greatest of all his afflictions, for there are few things more necessary to happiness than the society of our fellow-crea

tures.

In La Tude's room there was no light, except what came through a horizontal slit in the wall; and as the wall was thick, this slit was very deep. One day as he was looking through the slit, he saw a rat come to the farther end of it. Rats are creatures which human beings do not in general like to have near them; but La Tude was so solitary, that he was glad of the approach of any living thing. He threw the rat a small piece of bread, taking care not to frighten it by any violent movement. It came forward and took the bread, and then scemed to wish for more. La Tude threw another piece to a less distance, and the animal came and took that piece also. He then threw another to a still less distance, by which the rat was tempted to come still nearer to him. Thus he induced the creature to have some confidence in him. As long as he threw bread, it remained; and when it could eat no more, it carried off to its hole the fragments which it had not devoured.

Next day the rat appeared again. He threw it some bread, and also a small piece of beef, which it seemed to relish very much. On the third day it came again, and was now so tame as to cat from La Tude's hands. On the fifth day it changed its residence to a small hole near the inner end of the slit, apparently wishing to be nearer to its benefactor. It came very early next morning to get its breakfast from La Tude, and appeared no more that day. On the ensuing morning it came again, but it now had a

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