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mercy of the flames. He funk into the deepest defpair, when, upon inquiry, he found that his fon, who flept in an upper apartment, had been forgotten in the general confufion. He raved in agonies of grief, and offered half his fortune to any one who would risk his life to fave his child. As he was known to be very rich, feveral ladders were inftantly raifed by thofe who wished to obtain the reward: but the violence of the flames drove every one down who attempted it.

The unfortunate youth then appeared on the top of the houfe, extending his arms, and calling out for aid. The unhappy father became motionless, and remained in a state of infenfibility. At this critical moment, a man rushed through the crowd, and afcended the talleft ladder, feemingly determined to rescue the youth, or perish in the attempt. A fudden guft of flame bursting forth, led the people to fuppofe he was loft; but he presently appeared defcending the ladder with the child in his arms, without receiving any material injury. An universal shout attended this noble action, and the father, to his inexpreffible surprise, on recovering from his fwoon, found his child in his arms.

After giving vent to the first emotions of tenderness, he inquired after his generous deliverer, whose features were fo changed by the smoke, that they could not be diftinguished. Francifco immediately prefented him with a purfe of gold, promifing the next day to give him the reward he offered. The ftranger replied, that he should accept of no reward. Francifco ftarted, and thought he knew the voice, when his fon flew to the arms of his deliverer, and cried out, "It is my dear Hamet! it is my dear Hamet!"

The astonishment and gratitude of the merchant were equally excited, and, retiring from the crowd, he took Hamet with him to a friend's houfe. As foon as they were alone, Francisco inquired by what means he had been a second time enflaved.

"I will tell you in a few words," faid the generous Turk. When I was taken by the Venetian gallies,

my.

my father shared in my captivity. It was his fate, and not my own, which so often made me fhed those tears, which first attracted the notice of your amiable son.As foon as your bounty had fet me free, I flew to the Christian who had purchased my father. I told him, that as I was young and vigorous, and he aged and infirm, I would be his flave instead of my father. I added, too, the gold which your bounty had bestowed on me, and by these means I prevailed with the Christian to fend back my father in that ship you had provided for me, without his knowing the cause of his freedom.Since that time I have ftaid here a willing flave, and Heaven has been fo gracious as to put it into my power to fave the life of that youth, which I value a thousand times more than my own."

7

The merchant was astonished at fuch an instance of gratitude and affection, and preffed Hamet to accept of the half of his fortune, and to fettle in Venice for the remainder of his days. Hamet, however, with a noble magnanimity refused the offer, faying, he had done no more than what every one ought to do in a fimilar fituation. Though Hamet feemed to under-rate his past fervices to the merchant, yet the latter could not suffer things to pass in this manner. He again purchased his freedom, and fitted out a ship on purpose to take him back to his own country. At parting, they mutually embraced each other, and, as they thought, took an

eternal farewel.

After many years had elapfed, and young Francifco was grown up to manhood, beloved and refpected by every one, it fo happened, that fome business made it neceffary for him and his father to vifit a neighbouring city on the coaft; and as they supposed a passage by fea would be more expeditious than by land, they embarked in a Venetian veffel, which was bound to that port, and ready to fail.

A favourable gale foon wafted them out of fight, and promised them a speedy paffage; but unfortunately for them, before they had proceeded half their voyage, they

were

were met by fome Turkish veffels, who, after an obstinate refistance from the Venetians, boarded them, loaded them with irons, and carried them prisoners to Tunis. There they were exposed in the market-place in their chains, in order to be fold as flaves.

At laft a Turk came to the market, who feemed to be a man of superior rank, and after looking over the prifoners, with an expreffion of compaffion, he fixed his eyes upon young Francifco, and afked the captain what was the price of that young captive. The captain replied, that he would not part with him for lefs than five hundred pieces of gold. The Turk confidered that as a very extraordinary price, fince he had feen him fell others, that exceeded him in ftrength and vigour, for lefs than a fifth part of that money.

"That is true," replied the captain, "but he. fhall either fetch me a price that will repay me the damage he has occafioned me, or he fhall labour all the reft of his life at the oar." The Turk asked him, what damage he could have done him more than the rest of the crew. "It was he," replied the captain, "who animated the Chriftians to make a defperate refiftance, and thereby proved the deftruction of many of my braveft feamen. We three times boarded them with a fury that feemed invincible, and each time did that youth attack us with a cool and determined oppofition; fo that we were obliged to give up the conteft, till other fhips came up to our affiftance. I will therefore have that price for him, or I will punish him for life."

The Turk now furveyed young Francifco more attentively than before; and the young man, who had hitherto fixed his eyes in fullen filence on the ground, at length raised them up; but he had no fooner beheld the person who was talking to the captain, than, in a loud voice, he uttered the name of Hamet. The Turk, ftruck with astonishment, furveyed him for a moment, and then caught him in his arms.

After a moment's paufe, the generous Hamet lifted up his hands to Heaven, and thanked his God, who had

put

put it in his power to fhew his gratitude; but words cannot express his feelings, when he found that both father and fon were flaves. Suffice it to fay, that he instantly bought their freedom, and conducted them to his magnificent house in the city.

They had here full leisure to discourse on the strange viciffitudes of fortune, when Hamet told his Venetian friends, that after their generofity had procured him liberty, he became an officer in the Turkish army, and happening to be fortunate in all his enterprises, he had been gradually promoted, till he arrived at the dignity of bafhaw of Tunis. That in this fituation, he found the greatest confolation in alleviating the misfortunes of the Christian prifoners, and always attended the fales of those unhappy flaves, to procure liberty to a certain number of them. "And gracious Allah," added he, "has this day put it in my power, in fome measure, to return the duties of gratitude."

T

They continued fome days with Hamet, who did every thing in his power to amufe and divert them; but as he found their defire was to return to their own country, he told them, that he would not wifh to detain them against their wishes, and that they should embark the next day in a fhip bound for Venice, which would be furnished with a paffport to carry them fafe there.

The next day he difmiffed them with every mark of tenderness and affection, and ordered a party of his own guards to attend them to the veffel. They had no fooner got on board, than they found, to their inexpreffible furprise and joy, that they were in the very ship in which they had been taken, and that, by the generosity of Hamet, not only the fhip, but even the whole crew, were redeemed and reftored to freedom. Francifco and his son, after a quick paffage, arrived in their own country, where they lived beloved and refpected, and endeavoured to convince every one they knew, how great were the viciffitudes of fortune, and that God never fuffers humanity and generofity to go unrewarded, here or hereafter.

On

On the Respect paid by the Lacedæmonians and Athenians to Old Age.

T happened at Athens, during a public representa

monwealth, that an old gentleman came too late for a place fuitable to his age and quality. Many of the young gentlemen, who obferved the difficulty and confufion he was in, made figns to him that they would accommodate him if he came where they fat: The good man buftled through the crowd accordingly; but when he came to the feat to which he was invited, the jeft was, to fit clofe and expofe him, as he stood out of countenance, to the whole audience. The frolic went round all the Athenian benches. But, on those occafions, there were also particular places affigned for foreigners: When the good man skulked towards the boxes appointed for the Lacedæmonians, that honeft people, more virtuous than polite; rofe up all to a man, and, with the greatest respect, received him among them. The Athenians, being fuddenly touched with a fenfe of the Spartan virtue, and their own degeneracy, gave a thunder of applaufe; and the old man cried out, "The Athenians understand what is good, but the Lacedæmonians practise it."

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