the Genius of fire and the Goddess of levity. They seldom remain two days in the same opinion; in other respects they are polite, agreeable, and sprightly, but these qualities only serve to make their friends uneasy at the little use they make of their understanding, and they wish the possession of such fine talents would make them more solid and rational; for their enemies frequently take advantage of (1) this inconstancy of temper, to expose them to ridicule. During the first five days that we were among these people, we were obliged to alter the fashion of our dress six different times. One day in particular, when we imagined ourselves equipped entirely in taste, we were much surprised to find, by five o'clock in the evening, that we were looked upon as a couple of antiques, and of consequence the rest of the day exposed to the laughter of every company we were in; for they in general love raillery to excess; and though they behave with the utmost politeness to strangers, they, from their love of, and propensity to this vain foible, take all opportunities to ridicule them. " INGRATITUDE. Of all vices, there is no one more common, nor more shameful, than ingratitude; and Seneca has ranked it immediately after robbing, murder and sacrilege. This philosopher has not exaggerated its heinousness, for we cannot reproach a man for his ingratitude, with (1) To take advantage of, profiter de..... out reproaching him with every other vice: Omne dixeris maledictum, cum ingratum dixeris. Some fishermen throwing their net into the sea, perceived a man near being drowned. One of them immediately took his hook (1), seized hold of the man and saved him from death. When he was perfectly recovered, he perceived that he had lost an eye; he accused the fisherman of having deprived him of it, and went to law (2) with him to obtain satisfaction for the loss. They pleaded their cause. The judges were much at a loss how to determine this singular case, when one of their assistants arose, and said that it would be proper to throw the plaintiff into the sea again, exactly at the same place whence he had been taken out (3), and if he then saved himself without any person's assistance, they would condemn the fisherman to give him a proper recompense for the loss of his eye. This counsel was approved, but the plaintiff would not venture to adopt it. DISCOVERY OF DIAMONDS. What most distinguishes the kingdom of Golconda from other countries in Asia, is the immense riches of its diamond mines. The discovery of them is attributed to chance.-A shepherd, conducting his flock to an unfrequented part of the country, perceived on the (1) Hook, crochet, gaffe. (2) To go to law, poursuivre, faire un procès. (3) Taken out, retirė. DISCOVERY OF DIAMONDS. 49 ground a stone which glittered (1) very much; he took it up and sold it for a little rice to a person who did not know the value of it any more than himself. It passed through many hands, and was at length purchased by a merchant who understood the worth of it, by which he got a large profit. This discovery was soon spread abroad, and every one hastened to dig in that part where the diamond had been picked up. The place in which they found the mines is the most sterile part of the kingdom. They seek for the diamonds in the veins of the rocks, and there are more than thirty thousand labourers employed at this work. The king reserves for himself all the diamonds of above ten carats (2) weight; he is however often cheated. The miners swallow them to prevent detection, and afterwards sell them to Europeans; this trick however frequently costs them their lives. The most beautiful diamonds which are known in the world, are those that belonged to the king of France, which the regent Duke of Orleans bought for the crown; they asked four millions of livres for them, but for want of purchasers they were obtained for two. Our minister's (Mr. Pitt) uncle bought them originally of a labourer from Mogul; they were preferred to the king of Spain's famous pearl, and to the dish formed of one emerald, which belonged to the Doge of Genoa. The largest which was the French King's, and was sometimes called (1) To glitter, briller. (2) Carat, carat, poids de quatre grains. the Regent, and sometimes the Pitt, weighed one hundred and six carats. That which the Grand Duke of Tuscany has, weighs one hundred and thirty nine carats, and is valued at naerly one hundred and ten thousand pounds sterling (1). That which belonged to the Grand Mogul and now to Thamas Kouli-Kan, weighs two hundred and eighty carats, and is valued at upwards of four hundred thousand pounds sterling (2). JUVENILE PRUDENCE. The address with which the young Papirius eluded his fond mother's pressing solicitations to communicate to her a secret which he possessed, has often been a subject of praise. This was the circumstance. His father, as a senator of Rome, one day took him to the senate, when they were deliberating on some subjects of importance. On his return his mother asked him what had passed at the senate. The young Papirius answered that he was ordered not to speak of it. This answer, as we may readily conceive, only increased his mother's curiosity. She became more solicitous, and employed every means in her power to obtain the information she wished. Her son, to avoid any further inquiries, and to satisfy his mother's anxiety, told her that they had been deliberating whether it (1) 2,750,000 fr. would be better for the republic to suffer the men to have two wives, or the women two husbands. The senator's wife, much vexed at this pretended deliberation, went immediately and communicated her fears to some other Roman ladies. The next morning a large body of them presented themselves at the door of the senate, and in a loud voice declared it would be better to let the women have two husbands, and expressed their surprise that they should discuss a matter of such importance, without hearing what they had to say. The senate not understanding the women's requests, the young Papirius arose and related in what manner he had eluded his mother's curiosity. The senators. praised his prudence; but it was resolved that in future no young man, except Papirius, should be admitted into the senate. GOOD BREEDING. Good breeding (1) has been justly defined to be the result of much good sense, some good nature and a little self-denial (2). Good manners are to particular societies, what good morals are to society in general. The immoral man who invades another's property is justly punished for it; and the ill-bred man who, by his illmanners, invades and disturbs the quiet and comforts of private life, is by common consent as justly banished from society. (1) Good breeding, politesse, honnêteté. (2) Self-denial, abnégation. |