had undertaken and performed fince the commencement of his administration. He obferved, that, from the seventeenth year of his age, he had dedicated all his thoughts and attention to public objects; referving no portion of his time for the indulgence of his eafe, and very little for the enjoyment of private pleafure: That, either in a pacific or hoftile manner, he had vifited Germany nine times, Spain fix times, France four times, Italy feven times, the Low Countries ten times, England twice, Africa as often, and had made eleven voyages by fea: That, while his health permitted him to discharge his duty, and the vigour of his constitution was equal, in any degree, to the arduous office of governing fuch extensive dominions, he had never fhunned labour, nor repined under fatigue: That now, when his health was broken, and his vigour exhausted by the rage of an incurable diftemper, his growing infirmities admonished him to retire; nor was he fo fond of reigning, as to retain the fceptre in an impotent hand, which was no longer able to protect his fubjects, or to render them happy: That, instead of a fovereign worn out with difeafes, and scarcely half alive, he gave them one in the prime of life, accustomed already to govern, and who added to the vigour of youth all the attention and fagacity of maturer years: That if, during the course of a long administration, he had committed any material error in government; or if, under the preffure of fo many and great affairs, and amidst the attention which he had been obliged to give to them, he had either neglected or injured any of his subjects, he now implored their forgiveness: That, for his part, he should ever retain a grateful fense of their fidelity and attachment, and would carry the remembrance of it along with him to the place of his retreat, as his fweeteft confolation, as well as the best reward for all his fervices; and, in his last prayers to Almighty God, would pour forth his ardent wishes for their welfare.

Then, turning towards Philip, who fell on his knees, and kiffed his father's hand, "If," fays he, "I had

left

left you, by my death, this rich inheritance, to which I have made fuch large additions, fome regard would have been justly due to my memory on that account : but now, when I voluntarily refign to you what I might still have retained, I may well expect the warmest expreffions of thanks on your part. With thefe, however, I dispense; and fhall confider your concern for the welfare of your subjects, and your love of them, as the best and most acceptable teftimony of your gratitude to me. It is in your power, by a wife and virtuous administration, to justify the extraordinary proof which I this day give of my paternal affection; and to demonftrate that you are worthy of the confidence which I repose in you, preferve an inviolable regard for religion; maintain the Catholic faith in its purity; let the laws of your country be facred in your eyes; encroach not on the rights and privileges of your people: and, if the time fhall ever come, when you shall wish to enjoy the tranquillity of private life, may you have a fon endowed with fuch qualities, that you can refign your fceptre to him with as much fatisfaction as I give up mine to you!"

As foon as Charles had finished this long addrefs to his fubjects and to their new fovereign, he funk into the chair exhausted, and ready to faint with the fatigue of fuch an extraordinary effort. During his difcourfe, the whole audience melted into tears; fome, from admiration of his magnanimity; others, foftened by the expreflions of tenderness towards his fon, and of love to his people; and all were affected with the deepest sorrow, at lofing a fovereign, who had diftinguished the Netherlands, his native country, with particular marks of his regard and attachment.

A few weeks afterwards, Charles, in an affembly no lefs fplendid, and with a ceremonial equally pompous, refigned to his fon the crowns of Spain, with all the territories depending on them, both in the Old and in the New World. Of all these vaft poffeffions he referved nothing to himself, but an annual penfion of a

Ꮓ

hundred

hundred thousand crowns, to defray the charges of his family, and to afford him a fmall fum for acts of beneficence and charity.

The place he had chofen for his retreat, was the monaftery of St Juftus, in the province of Eftremadura. It was feated in a vale of no great extent, watered by a fmall brook, and furrounded by rifing grounds, covered with lofty trees. From the nature of the foil, as well as the temperature of the climate, it was esteemed the most healthful and delicious fituation in Spain. Some months before his refignation, he had fent an architect thither, to add a new apartment to the monaftery, for his accommodation; but he gave strict orders, that the style of building should be fuch as fuited his prefent fituation rather than his former dignity. It confifted only of fix rooms; four of them in the form of friars' cells, with naked walls; the other two, each twenty feet fquare, were hung with brown cloth, and furnished in the most fimple manner. They were all on a level with the ground; with a door on one fide, into a garden, of which Charles himself had given the plan, and which he had filled with various plants, intending to cultivate them with his own hands. On the other fide, they communicated with the chapel of the monastery in which he was to perform his devotions. Into this humble retreat, hardly fufficient for the comfortable accommodation of a private gentleman, did Charles enter, with twelve domeftics only. He buried there, in folitude and filence, his grandeur, his ambition, together with all thofe vaft projects which, during half a century, had alarmed and agitated Europe, filling every kingdom in it, by turns, with the terror of his arms, and the dread of being fubjected to his power.

The

The Whistle: A true Story. Written by Dr Benjamin Franklin.

WHEN I was a child of feven years old, my

WHEN I friends, on a holiday, filled my pocket with

coppers. I went directly to a hop where they fold toys for children, and being charmed with, the found of a whiffle, that I met by the way in the hands of another boy, I voluntarily offered him all my money for one. I then came home, and went whiftling all over the house, much pleased with my whistle, but disturbing all the family. My brothers, and fifters, and cousins, aunderstanding the bargain I had made, told me I had given four times as much for it as it was worth. This put me in mind what good things I might have bought with the rest of the money; and they laughed at me fo much for my folly, that I cried with vexation; and the reflection gave me more chagrin than the whistle gave me pleasure.

This, however, was afterwards of ufe to me, the impreffion continuing on my mind; fo that often, when I was tempted to buy fome unneceffary thing, I said to myself, Don't give too much for the whistle; and fo I faved my money.

As I grew up, came into the world, and obferved the actions of men, I thought I met with many, very many, who gave too much for the whiftle.

When I faw any one too ambitious of court favours, facrificing his time in attendance on levees, his repofe, his liberty, his virtue, and perhaps his friends, to attain it, I have faid to myself, This man gives too much for his whistle.

When I faw another fond of popularity, conftantly employing himself in political buffles, neglecting his own affairs, and ruining them by that neglect: He pays, indeed, fays I, too much for his whistle.

Za 2

If

If I knew a mifer, who gave up every kind of comfortable living, all the pleasure of doing good to others, all the esteem of his fellow-citizens, and the joys of benevolent friendship, for the fake of accumulating wealth; Poor man, fays I, you do indeed pay too much for your whiftle.

When I meet a man of pleasure, facrificing every laudable improvement of the mind, or of his fortune, to mere corporeal fenfations: Miftaken man, fays I, you are providing pain for yourself inftead of pleasure: you give too much for your whiftle.

If I fee one fond of fine clothes, fine furniture, fine equipages, all above his fortune, for which he contracts debts, and ends his career in prifon : Alas, fays I, he has paid dear, very dear, for his whistle.

When I fee a beautiful, fweet-tempered girl, married to an ill-natured brute of a husband: What a pity is it, fays I, that he has paid fo much for a while!

In fhort, I conceived that great part of the miferies of mankind were brought upon them by the falfe eftimates they had made of the value of things, and by their giving too much for their whiftles.