THE Percy Anecdotes. ANECDOTES OF YOUTH. "Come hither, boy, and clear thy open brow; Yon summer clouds, now like the Alps, and now A ship, a whale, change not so fast as thou." THE BOY KING, ROGERS. ASTYAGES, King of the Medes, dreamed that while he was yet alive, the child of which his daughter Mandane was then pregnant, was raised to a throne; this so troubled him with fears for the safety of his crown, that he caused the infant as soon as born to be delivered to Harpagus, with strict orders to have it destroyed. Harpagus, willing to shift the sin of so cruel a deed from himself, entrusted the execution of it to the herdsman of Astyages; but the herdsman's wife happened at the very time to be delivered of a still-born child, she prevailed on her husband to substitute the living, for the dead, infant. When Cyrus (for such was the boy's name) grew up, he was particularly distinguished among his playmates, for his boldness and intelligence; and as an honour justly due to super-eminent merit, they conferred on him the title of the KING. Cyrus put the rush crown on his head with all the confidence of one who was entitled to a real one. He proceeded to appoint one playmate to be his prime minister; another to be his chamberlain; a third to be his sword-bearer; so many to be of his privy council; and so many to be his guards. One of these boy-subjects, the son of a nobleman, called Artembaris, happening to disobey some of the royal commands, Cyrus ordered him to be siezed by his guards, and soundly flogged. The lad, as soon as at liberty, ran home to his father, and complained bitterly of the treatment he had received. The father repaired to Aystages, and shewing him the bruised shoulders of his son, "Is it thus, O King!" said he, "that we are treated by the son of thy bondsman and slave?" Astyages sent for the herdsman, and his supposed son; and addressing the latter, sternly said, How darest thou, being the son of such a father as this, treat in so vile a manner the son of one of my court?"'-"Sire," answered Cyrus, with firmness, "I have done nothing unto him but what was fit. The country lads, (of whom he was one) chose me for their King in play, because I seemed the most worthy of that dignity; but when all the rest obeyed my commands, this boy alone regarded not what I said. For this was he punished; and if on this account I have merited to suffer any punishment, I am here ready to suffer it." While Cyrus spoke, Astyages was so struck with the family resemblance of the boy's features, that he was tempted to make some particular inquiries of the herdsman; and pressed him so hard, that he at last extorted from him a confession of the truth. Dismissing them for the present, |