The child took great pains
to please all such persons, and when he had had occa-
sion to reply obligingly to the Mayor, or to the mem-
bers of a Commune, he would go and whisper to the
Queen, "Was that well?
to please all such persons, and when he had had occa-
sion to reply obligingly to the Mayor, or to the mem-
bers of a Commune, he would go and whisper to the
Queen, "Was that well?
Childrens - Little Princes
" The person who put the
question then asked him whom he loved next, and again
he said, his brother: whom in the third place, and still
it was his brother, and so on, as long as he put the
question to him. This affection increased with his
years, insomuch, that when he was twenty years old,
if he supped, if he went out into the country, if he
appeared in the Forum, Caepio must always be with
him.
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? EARLY DISCIPLINE.
"Of fertile genius, him they nurtured well,
In every science, and in every art,
By which mankind the thoughtless brutes excel, That can or use, or joy, or grace impart,
Disclosing all the powers of head and heart:
Nor were the goodly exercises spared,
That brace the nerves, or make the limbs alert,
And mix elastic force with firmness hard:Was never knight on ground mote be with him compared. "
Thomson.
IMPLICITY of diet and regular exercise are
essential to health; and health of body is not
only necessary to the enjoyment of life, but is so
intimately connected with vigour of mind, that many
royal parents have with great wisdom accustomed their
children to habits of as simple living, and as constant
industry, as the child of the peasant pursues from
necessity.
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? 30
EARLY DISCIPLINE.
THE CHILDREN OF GEORGE THE THIRD.
HE extreme simplicity with which the children of
George the Third were brought up, at a time
when luxury seems to have pervaded all ranks
of society, from infancy to old age, is proved by an
anecdote related of the Duke of Montague. The first
time he attended the levee after a visit to his daughter's
family at Dalkeith House, his Majesty inquired about
the health of his grandchildren. His Grace, thanking
his Majesty, told him they were all well, and making a
meal of oatmeal pottage every day. The King asked
if they got good oatmeal. The Duke told him they
had it excellent from some mills near Laswade; upon
which his Majesty desired the Duke to order some for
him; and from that time the Royal Family were sup-
plied with oatmeal from the same mills.
HE early education of the sons of George the
Third was, in another point, very judiciously con-
ducted: habits of activity and useful labour were
practically established. In the garden at Kew, a plot
of ground was dug by the Prince of Wales and the
Duke of York, and they then sowed it with wheat,
attended to the growth of their little crop, weeded,
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? EARLY DISCIPLINE.
31
reaped, and laid it up. They then thrashed it them-
selves, and separated the wheat from the chaff, and
thus learned, from their own experience, the various
labours of the husbandman and farmer.
THE DUKE OF CLARENCE, AFTERWARDS
WILLIAM THE FOURTH.
HE first actual service in which the Duke of
Clarence was engaged, was when Lord Rodney
captured the Spanish fleet, commanded by Lan-
gara. On this occasion, when the English admiral's
boat was manned to bring Langara on board, his Royal
Highness was one of those at the oar, a circumstance
which struck the Spanish admiral so forcibly, that he
exclaimed, "That nation must be invincible by sea,
whose king's sons are sailors. "
THE PRINCES OF ORLEANS.
HE Princes of Orleans, during the time that their
education was conducted by Mad. de Genlis,were
taught, during their hours of recreation, the arts
of the carpenter, the turner, and the joiner, and never
were boys so happy as while they were engaged in
these exercises.
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? 32
EARLY DISCIPLINE.
The Duke de Valois and the Duke de Montpensier
completed for the cottage of a poor woman at Saint-Leu, of whom they took care, a large chest of drawers,
and a table, which were as well finished as if they had
come out of the hands of the best cabinet-maker.
A USEFUL LESSON TO CHECK THE PRIDE OF
PRINCES.
HE Dauphin, father of Louis the Sixteenth, once
showed to his three sons the register of their bap-
tism in the parish books, and made them observe
that their names were inserted with those of other
children. "You see," said he, "that your names are here
mixed and confounded with those of the common peo-
ple: this ought to prove to you, that the distinction you
enjoy does not come from nature, which has made all
men equal: virtue alone establishes a real difference
among them; and perhaps the name of the peasant's
child which stands above yours shall hereafter be
more worthy in the sight of God than yours! "
THE YOUNG SOLDIER'S PILLOW.
HEN Turenne was but ten years old, his pre-
ceptor missed him, and at length found him
asleep upon a cannon, which he embraced with
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? EARLY DISCIPLINE.
33
his little arms, as far round as they would reach. When
awakened, he said, that he intended to have slept
there all night, in order to convince the Duke, his
father, that he was hardy enough to undergo the
fatigues of war.
CHILDHOOD OF THE GREAT HENRY THE
FOURTH OF FRANCE.
HE great Henry the Fourth of France passed
his childhood in the castle of Coarasse, in Beam, situated amidst rocks and mountains. Henry
D'Albret, his grandfather, would not have him brought
up with the delicacy usually practised with children
of high rank, knowing that in a soft and tender body,
there generally lodges a weak and timid soul. He
would not allow him to be richly clothed, nor useless
playthings given to him, nor would he have him flat-
tered, because all these things tend to inspire vanity,
and incline the hearts of children rather to pride, and
to trifling pleasures, than to sentiments of generosity
and useful occupation. This young prince was clothed
and fed like the children of the country, and like
them was accustomed to clamber up and down the
rocks, barefooted and bareheaded. It is said that his
ordinary food was brown bread, beef, cheese, and
garlic.
D
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? 34
EARLY DISCIPLINE,
By these means, his good grandfather accustomed
him to fatigue, and rendered his body strong and
robust, qualities which were no doubt necessary to a
prince, who had to suffer much in reconquering his
dominions.
EARLY EDUCATION OF SESOSTRIS, KING OF
EGYPT,
MENOPHIS, King of Egypt, caused all the male
children in his kingdom, who were born on the
same day as his eldest son, Sesostris, to be brought
to his court. Here they were educated as if they had
been his own children, and with the same care that was
bestowed upon Sesostris, with whom they were brought
up. He could not possibly have provided for his son
more faithful ministers, nor officers who more zealously
desired the success of his arms. With the view of
making them great warriors, the chief part of their
education was the inuring them, from their infancy,
to a hard and laborious life, in order that they might
one day be capable of sustaining with ease the toils
of the field. They were never suffered to eat till they
had run, on foot or horseback, a considerable race.
Hunting was their most common exercise, but when
they were more advanced in years, the king sent them
against the Arabians, in order to acquire practical
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? EARLY DISCIPLINE.
35
military knowledge. Here the young prince learned
to bear hunger and thirst, and subdued a nation which,
till then, had never been conquered: the youths
educated with him, attended him in all his campaigns,
and upon his father's death, he became one of the
greatest conquerors that antiquity boasts.
CYRUS THE GREAT AND HIS GRANDFATHER.
YRUS, when about twelve years old, went with his
mother Mandane on a visit to his grandfather, the
King of the Medes. Astyages, being at table with
his daughter and with Cyrus, and being desirous to treat
the boy with all delight and pleasure, that he might the
less miss what he enjoyed at home, set before him seve-
ral dishes, with sauces and meats of all kinds; upon
which Cyrus is reported to have said, "What a deal of
business and trouble, grandfather, have you at your
meals, if you must reach out your hands to all these
several dishes, and taste of all these kinds of meats! "
"What, then," said Astyages, "do not you think this en-
tertainment much finer than what you have in Persia? "
Cyrus replied, "No, grandfather; with us we have a
much plainer and readier way to get satisfied than you
have; for plain bread and meat bring us to our end;
but you, in order to the same end, have a deal of busi-
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? 36
EARLY DISCIPLINE.
ness upon your hands, and wandering up and down
through many mazes, you at last arrive where we have
long got before you. " To this Astyages answered,
"Well, child, if this be your opinion, eat heartily of
plain meats, that you may return young and healthy
home;" and at the same time he ordered to be pre-
sented to him various meats, both of the tame and
wild kinds. Cyrus, when he saw this variety of meats,
said, "And do you give me all these meats, grand-
father, to do with them as I think fit? " "Yes, truly,
I do," said Astyages; then Cyrus, taking the several
meats, distributed them around to the servants about
his grandfather, saying to one, " This for you, because
you take pains to teach me to ride: This for you, be-
cause you gave me a javelin, and I have it yet: This
for you, because you serve my grandfather well: This
for you, because you honour my mother:" and thus
he did till he had distributed all he had received.
Astyages then said, "And do you give nothing to this
Sacian, my cup-bearer, that I favour above all? " Cy-
rus answered, "For what reason is it, grandfather, that
you favour this Sacian so much? " Astyages replied
in a jesting way, "Do you not see how handsomely
and neatly he pours me my wine? " For these cup-
bearers to kings perform their business very cleverly;
they pour out their wine very neatly, and give the cup,
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? EARLY DISCIPLINE.
37
bearing it along with three fingers, and present it in
such a manner as it may best be received by the person
who is to drink. "Grandfather," said Cyrus, "bid
the Sacian give me the cup, that, pouring you your
wine to drink, I may gain your favour if I can. " As-
tyages bids the Sacian give him the cup; and Cyrus,
taking it, is said to have washed the cup as he had ob-
served the Sacian to do; and settling his countenance
in a serious and decent manner, brought and presented
the cup to his grandfather in such a manner as afforded
much laughter to his grandfather and his mother.
Then Cyrus, laughing out, leaped up to Astyages, and
kissing him, cried out, " Oh, Sacian, you are undone;
I will turn you out of your office, for I can do the busi-
ness better than you. " Now these cup-bearers, when
they have given the cup, dip with a dish and take a
little out, which pouring into their left hand, they swal-
low; and this they do that in case they mix poison in
the cup, it may be of no advantage to themselves.
Therefore Astyages, in a jesting way, said, "And why,
Cyrus, since you have imitated the Sacian in every
thing else, did you not swallow some of the wine? "
"Because, truly," said he, "I was afraid there had been
poison mixed in the cup; for when you feasted your
friends upon your birthday, I plainly found that he
had poured you all poison. " "And how, child," said
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? 38 EARLY DISCIPLINE.
he, "did you know this? " "Truly," said he," because
I saw you all disordered in body and mind; for, first,
what you do not allow us boys to do, that you did
yourselves, for you all bawled together, and could
learn nothing of each other: Then you fell to singing
very ridiculously; and without attending to the singer,
you swore he sung admirably; then every one telling
stories of his own strength, you rose up, and fell to
dancing; but without all rule or measure, for you could
not so much as keep yourselves upright. Then you all
entirely forgot yourselves; you, that you were king,
and they, that you were their governor. And then I
discovered for the first time that you were celebrating
a festival, where all were allowed to talk with equal
liberty; for you never ceased talking. " Astyages then
said, "Does your father, child, never drink till he gets
drunk? " "No, truly," said he. "What does he,
then? " "Why he quenches his thirst, and gets no
farther harm; for, as I take it, grandfather," says he,
"it is no Sacian that officiates as cup-bearer about
him. "
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? DOCILITY.
"He made a blushing cital of himself,
And chid his truant youth with such a grace,
As if he master'd there a double spirit,
Of teaching, and of learning, instantly. "
Shakspeare.
OCILITY, or a willingness to be led by those
who are older and wiser than themselves, is a
quality in the young, very favourable to their
advancement in virtue; nor is there a greater proof of
superior sense, than a ready yielding of the inclinations
to the voice of Reason. A prompt obedience implies
a degree of Self-command, and is therefore peculiarly
graceful in young princes. Nor is any one fit to
command, who has not first learned to obey.
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? 40
DOCILITY.
LOUIS PHILIPPE, KING OF THE FRENCH.
E read in the Memoirs of Mad. de Genlis:
"When first I entered upon the education of
the princes, I found them very ignorant, and
the eldest of them, the Duke de Valois, then eight years
old, extremely wanting in application. I began by read-
ing history with them: M. the Duke de Valois stretched,
gaped, and I was greatly surprised to see him throw him-
self back upon a sofa, and put his feet up upon a table that
was before him. That we might at once understand each
other, I put him immediately into penance: he did not
resent it at all. He had by nature a degree of good sense,
that struck me from the first days of our acquaintance:
he loved rational conversation, as other children love
frivolous tales: as soon as good reasons were clearly
presented to him, he listened with interest: he became
warmly attached to me, because he always found me
consistent and reasonable. I had to cure him of many
ugly expressions and foolish habits. He was afraid
of dogs, and his former governor had had the absurd
attention, when they walked in the Bois de Boulogne,
to send on two footmen, to drive away all the dogs that
might be in their route. I found one single conversa-
tion sufficient to convince the young prince of the folly
and weakness of this prejudice: he listened to me
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? DOCILITY.
41
attentively, kissed me, and begged me to give him a
dog, which I did: he conquered his dislike at once,
and from that day has never shown any aversion to
dogs. "
THE DAUPHIN, SON OF LOUIS THE
SIXTEENTH.
PON the first breaking out of the French Revolu-
tion, Marie Antoinette impressed upon the little
Dauphin, the necessity of treating with affability
the officers of the National Guard, and all the Parisians
who might approach him.
The child took great pains
to please all such persons, and when he had had occa-
sion to reply obligingly to the Mayor, or to the mem-
bers of a Commune, he would go and whisper to the
Queen, "Was that well? "
YOUTH OF ALCIBIADES.
ANY persons of rank made their court to Alci-
biades, the Athenian, charmed and attracted by
his birth, riches, and beauty of person. Socrates
was the only one whose regards were fixed upon the
mind, and who bore witness to the youth's vritue
and ingenuousness: and fearing lest the pride of
riches and high rank, and the crowd of flatterers,
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? 42
DOCILITY.
should corrupt him, he used his best endeavours to
prevent it, and took care that so hopeful a plant
should not lose its fruit, and perish in the very flower.
From his childhood, Alcibiades was surrounded with
pleasures, and with a multitude of admirers, who were
determined to say nothing but what they thought
would please him, and who wished to keep him from
all admonition and reproof: yet by his native pene-
tration he distinguished the value of Socrates, and
attached himself to him: he perceived that he studied
to correct the errors of his heart, and to cure him
of his empty and foolish arrogance, and he learned
to despise himself, and to admire his friend, adoring
his wisdom, and revering his virtue. It surprised all
the world to see him constantly sup with Socrates,
take with him his exercises, and lodge in the same
tent with him; and though Socrates had many rivals,
yet he kept possession of the heart of Alcibiades,
by the excellence of his genius, and the pathetic turn
of his conversation, which often drew tears from his
young companion. And though sometimes he gave
Socrates the slip, and was drawn away by flatterers,
yet the philosopher took care to hunt out his fugitive,
and brought him away from the haunts of idleness
and dissipation.
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? SELF-CONTROL.
"The world's great master, and his own. "--Pope.
ELF-COMMAND is one of the most important
habits to be formed in every human being: it is
essential to all genuine virtue and real happiness;
but more especially should those learn to restrain
themselves, who hereafter shall be subject to little
restraint from others.
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? 44
SELF-CONTROL.
CHARLES THE TWELFTH OF SWEDEN.
HARLES the Twelfth of Sweden, when scarcely
seven years old, being at dinner with the queen,
his mother, and handing a bit of bread to his
favourite dog, the animal, snapping at it too eagerly,
bit his hand in a serious manner. The blood flowed
copiously; but the young hero, without crying, or
appearing to take any notice of what had happened,
merely wrapped his hand in his napkin. The queen
inquired why he did not eat, and he answered that he
was not hungry: at length, however, he grew pale
from the loss of blood, and an officer, who attended at
table, discovered the cause; but the prince would
sooner have died than have betrayed his dog.
PRINCE HENRY, SON OF HENRY THE
FOURTH.
URING the reign of Henry the Fourth, a riotous
companion of the Prince of Wales had been in-
dicted before the chief justice Gascoigne,for some
disorders, and the prince was not ashamed to appear at
the bar with the criminal, in order to give him counte-
nance and protection. Finding that his presence had not
overawed the chief justice, he proceeded to insult that
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? SELF-CONTROL.
45
magistrate on his tribunal; but Gascoigne, mindful of
the character which he then bore, and the majesty of
the sovereign, and the laws which he sustained, ordered
the prince to be carried to prison for his rude behaviour.
The spectators were astonished and pleased when they
saw the heir to the crown submit peaceably to this
sentence, making reparation for his error by acknow-
ledging it, and checking his impetuous nature in the
midst of its extravagant career.
When this transaction was reported to the king,
who was an excellent judge of mankind, he exclaimed,
in words to the effect of those which Shakspeare
gives us:
"Happy am I, that have a man so bold,
That dares do justice on my proper son;
And no less happy, having such a son,
That would deliver up his greatness so
Into the hands of justice. "
SIR PHILIP SYDNEY.
S||||IR Philip Sydney, at the battle near Zutphen, dis-
Bplayed the most undaunted courage. He had two
horses killed under him; and whilst mounting a
third, was wounded by a musket-shot out of the trenches,
which broke the bone of his thigh. He returned about
a mile and a half, on horseback, to the camp; and, being
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? 46
SELF-CONTROL.
faint with the loss of blood, and parched with thirst,
through the heat of the weather, he called for drink. Some water was presently brought him; but as he was
putting the vessel to his mouth, a poor wounded soldier,
who happened to be carried by him at that instant,
looked up to it with wishful eyes. The gallant and
generous Sydney took the bottle from his mouth, just
when he was going to drink, and delivered it to the
soldier, saying, "Thy necessity is yet greater than
mine. "
ALEXANDER THE GREAT.
URING Alexander's long and laborious pursuit
after Darius, the army often suffered more for
want of water than by fatigue, and many of the
cavalry were unable to hold out. While they were
upon the march, some Macedonians had filled their
bottles at a river, and were bringing the water upon
mules. These people, seeing Alexander greatly dis-
tressed with thirst, for it was the heat of the day,
immediately filled a helmet with water, and presented
it to him. He asked them to whom they were
carrying it: they said, "To our sons: but if our prince
does but live, we shall get other children, if we lose
them. " Upon this, he took the helmet in his hands;
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? SELF-CONTROL.
47
but looking round, and seeing all the horsemen bend-
ing their heads, and fixing their eyes upon the water,
he returned it without drinking. However, he thanked
the people that offered it, and said, "If I drink alone,
these good men will be dispirited. " The cavalry,
who were witnesses to this act of temperance and mag-
nanimity, cried out, "Let us march! We are neither
weary nor thirsty, nor shall we even think ourselves
mortal while under the conduct of such a king. " At
the same time they put spurs to their horses.
HEROIC ENDURANCE.
N one occasion, when Alexander the Great was
sacrificing to the gods, one of the noble youths
who waited upon him was so severely burned
by a piece of hot coal which fell upon his arm from
the censer he carried, that the smell of the scorched
flesh was sensible to all who stood by. Yet the boy
shrunk not, exhibited no symptom of pain, but kept
his arm immoveable, lest by shaking the censer he
should interrupt the sacrifice, or by his groaning, give
Alexander any disturbance.
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? 48
SELF-CONTROL.
THE TWIN SONS OF SABINUS.
||j|||ABINUS, a noble Gaul, headed a revolt of his
countrymen, in the time of Otho and Vitellius.
jffigUl Vespasian, as soon as he was made Emperor,
marched against him, and Sabinus, finding it impossible
to resist the great army that was approaching, set fire
to his house, and causing it to be reported that he had
perished in the flames, fled with his wife and his faith-
ful freedman, taking refuge, at length, in those vast
quarries of white marble, that still exist, at some little
distance from Rome.
Here the unfortunate but courageous Eponina gave
birth to twin sons: the one was named Fortis, from
his superior strength, the other Blandus, on account
of his gentleness of disposition. The faithful Martial
was the only purveyor to these illustrious fugitives: he
waited upon them, and watched over their safety with
indefatigable attention. Now and then he went by
night to Rome, to purchase provisions and other neces-
saries, returning by the least frequented roads.
But the greatest disquietudes that the unhappy pa-
rents experienced, were from the cries of the infants,
which resounded through these gloomy caverns: count-
less echoes repeated these sounds, and terrified the
anxious mother, lest they should guide occasional tra-
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? SELF-CONTROL.
49
vellers to their retreat. Before these innocent recluses,
however, were two years old, they learned to under-
stand the danger of their parents: they mastered their
little feelings, and in all the painful diseases to which
childhood is liable, they restrained themselves, and
suffered not a complaint to escape them. Little Blan-
dus having once been attacked with severe internal
pains, his sufferings were so intense, that he bent him-
self double upon his mother's knees! his body, now
burning with fever, was soon covered with a cold sweat:
yet still had the child the force to constrain himself:
he pressed his little hands upon his mouth, and thus
suppressed the complaints that his sufferings were
forcing from him. "Dear child," said his father, "do
not try to restrain yourself: it will relieve you to cry
out. " "Papa," said the child, "if I do, you and
mamma will be taken: I would rather die than make
a noise. "
For seven years this unfortunate family inhabited
their dismal dwelling, but at length they were disco-
vered, and, to the eternal disgrace of Vespasian, the
parents were executed: the twins, after languishing a
short time in prison, died, and were found stretched
side by side, in each other's arms.
E
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? DECISION OF CHARACTER,
"All thy virtue dictates, dare to do. "--Mason.
DECISION of character, or the power of adhering
firmly to the judgment formed upon calm and
conscientious deliberation, is a quality very im-
portant to the prince, and is quite opposed to obstinacy,
which implies a headstrong adherence to the will, with-
out reference to reason or principle. Fickleness and
irresolution, which seem to be little more than pardon-
able weaknesses in private persons, may, by their con-
sequences, prove in princes fatal errors.
History furnishes us with instances of very young
princes, who have shown this power of adhering to
what they believed right, and fitting the position in
which they found themselves.
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? DECISION OF CHARACTER. 51
CHARLES THE TWELFTH OF SWEDEN.
HARLES the Twelfth of Sweden succeeded his
father, Charles the Eleventh, at the early age of
fifteen. Three powerful kings, presuming upon
his youth, threatened his dominions: Sweden was in
consternation at their preparations, and the privy coun-
cil of the king was alarmed: their great generals were
no more, and every thing was to be dreaded under a
young king, who, as yet, had given but bad impressions
of his abilities. When present at the council, he was
in the habit of sitting with his legs crossed, and his
feet upon the table before him: abstracted and indif-
ferent, he appeared to take interest in nothing that
passed.
The council was deliberating in his presence upon
the danger of the kingdom; some of the counsellors
proposed to divert the threatened tempest by negotia-
tions; on a sudden the young king rose, with the
gravity and confidence of a superior mind. "Gentlemen," said he, "I have determined never to carry on
an unjust war, but never to end a just one, except by
the destruction of my enemies. My resolution is taken;
I will march to attack the first power that declares
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? 52 DECISION OF CHARACTER.
against me, and when I have conquered that, I hope
the others will respect me. "
These words astonished all these old counsellors:
they looked at each other without daring to reply.
At length, astonished to find what a king they had,
and ashamed to hope less than he did, they received
with admiration and alacrity his orders to prepare for
war.
HEN Charles the Twelfth of Sweden was quite
a child, he was one day amusing himself in his
father's apartment, in looking over some maps.
One was a plan of a town in Hungary, which had been
taken by the Turks from the Emperor, and under it
were written these words from the book of Job: "The
Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be
the name of the Lord. " Another was a plan of Riga,
the capital of Livonia, conquered by the Swedes about
a century before. The young prince, having read the
words under the Hungarian town, took a pencil, and
wrote under the plan of Riga, "God gave it me, and
the devil shall not take it from me. " Thus in his very
childhood, his unconquerable spirit showed itself.
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? DECISION OP CHARACTER. 53
GUSTAVUS THE THIRD OF SWEDEN.
USTAVUS, the young king of Sweden, was fixed
upon by Catherine the Second, Empress of Rus-
sia, as a proper consort for her grand-daughter,
the grand-duchess Alexandrina. She was just fifteen,
but with a mind and person which had outgrown her
years; she was tall and well-formed, with noble and
regular features, a profusion of beautiful hair, and eyes
that beamed with intelligence and sensibility. Her
governess, Mademoiselle Willanof, had educated her
in retirement, and with the most devoted care and
affection; and in person, manners, and mind, Alex-
andrina was at this time one of the most lovely and
accomplished princesses in Europe.
The young king of Sweden was about eighteen; he
was well-looking and well-bred, with a fine martial
presence, and frank, captivating manners; the young
pair had been allowed to suppose that they were in-
tended for each other, and they soon became mutually
and strongly attached; proposals of marriage were for-
mally made; the treaty drawn up; the day of betroth-
ment fixed, and a splendid fete prepared for the occasion.
The morning arrived, and Catherine had assembled
all her family and court in her presence-chamber;
Alexandrina, adorned in bridal pomp, stood at her side:
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? 54 DECISION OF CHARACTER.
all was in readiness; but the royal bridegroom appeared
not;--they waited--there was a chill and ominous
silence--the courtiers looked upon each other.
The articles of marriage had been carried to the
young king, for his signature. Perhaps Catherine
supposed that, in the hurry of the moment, he would
not pay particular attention to their tenor. She was
mistaken: the chancellor read them over quickly, as
if a mere matter of form; but the king, who listened,
became aware that certain articles were introduced,
which had not been previously agreed upon. By a
fundamental law of Sweden, the queen of that country
must profess the faith of the nation, and Alexandrina,
therefore, ought to have exchanged the Greek for the
Lutheran church. The Empress, not from principle,
but from pride and arbitrary power, was resolved that
her imperial grand-daughter should be made an
exception to this law; and had introduced into the
marriage treaty a clause to that purport. The king
expressed his disapprobation, and refused to sign the
contract. The ministers of Catherine, thunderstruck
by this resistance to the will of their despotic sove-
reign, under such circumstances, and on the part of a
mere boy, knew not what course to take; they nattered,
they implored him only to sign the paper, and leave
the matter to be arranged afterwards, promising that
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question then asked him whom he loved next, and again
he said, his brother: whom in the third place, and still
it was his brother, and so on, as long as he put the
question to him. This affection increased with his
years, insomuch, that when he was twenty years old,
if he supped, if he went out into the country, if he
appeared in the Forum, Caepio must always be with
him.
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? EARLY DISCIPLINE.
"Of fertile genius, him they nurtured well,
In every science, and in every art,
By which mankind the thoughtless brutes excel, That can or use, or joy, or grace impart,
Disclosing all the powers of head and heart:
Nor were the goodly exercises spared,
That brace the nerves, or make the limbs alert,
And mix elastic force with firmness hard:Was never knight on ground mote be with him compared. "
Thomson.
IMPLICITY of diet and regular exercise are
essential to health; and health of body is not
only necessary to the enjoyment of life, but is so
intimately connected with vigour of mind, that many
royal parents have with great wisdom accustomed their
children to habits of as simple living, and as constant
industry, as the child of the peasant pursues from
necessity.
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? 30
EARLY DISCIPLINE.
THE CHILDREN OF GEORGE THE THIRD.
HE extreme simplicity with which the children of
George the Third were brought up, at a time
when luxury seems to have pervaded all ranks
of society, from infancy to old age, is proved by an
anecdote related of the Duke of Montague. The first
time he attended the levee after a visit to his daughter's
family at Dalkeith House, his Majesty inquired about
the health of his grandchildren. His Grace, thanking
his Majesty, told him they were all well, and making a
meal of oatmeal pottage every day. The King asked
if they got good oatmeal. The Duke told him they
had it excellent from some mills near Laswade; upon
which his Majesty desired the Duke to order some for
him; and from that time the Royal Family were sup-
plied with oatmeal from the same mills.
HE early education of the sons of George the
Third was, in another point, very judiciously con-
ducted: habits of activity and useful labour were
practically established. In the garden at Kew, a plot
of ground was dug by the Prince of Wales and the
Duke of York, and they then sowed it with wheat,
attended to the growth of their little crop, weeded,
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? EARLY DISCIPLINE.
31
reaped, and laid it up. They then thrashed it them-
selves, and separated the wheat from the chaff, and
thus learned, from their own experience, the various
labours of the husbandman and farmer.
THE DUKE OF CLARENCE, AFTERWARDS
WILLIAM THE FOURTH.
HE first actual service in which the Duke of
Clarence was engaged, was when Lord Rodney
captured the Spanish fleet, commanded by Lan-
gara. On this occasion, when the English admiral's
boat was manned to bring Langara on board, his Royal
Highness was one of those at the oar, a circumstance
which struck the Spanish admiral so forcibly, that he
exclaimed, "That nation must be invincible by sea,
whose king's sons are sailors. "
THE PRINCES OF ORLEANS.
HE Princes of Orleans, during the time that their
education was conducted by Mad. de Genlis,were
taught, during their hours of recreation, the arts
of the carpenter, the turner, and the joiner, and never
were boys so happy as while they were engaged in
these exercises.
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? 32
EARLY DISCIPLINE.
The Duke de Valois and the Duke de Montpensier
completed for the cottage of a poor woman at Saint-Leu, of whom they took care, a large chest of drawers,
and a table, which were as well finished as if they had
come out of the hands of the best cabinet-maker.
A USEFUL LESSON TO CHECK THE PRIDE OF
PRINCES.
HE Dauphin, father of Louis the Sixteenth, once
showed to his three sons the register of their bap-
tism in the parish books, and made them observe
that their names were inserted with those of other
children. "You see," said he, "that your names are here
mixed and confounded with those of the common peo-
ple: this ought to prove to you, that the distinction you
enjoy does not come from nature, which has made all
men equal: virtue alone establishes a real difference
among them; and perhaps the name of the peasant's
child which stands above yours shall hereafter be
more worthy in the sight of God than yours! "
THE YOUNG SOLDIER'S PILLOW.
HEN Turenne was but ten years old, his pre-
ceptor missed him, and at length found him
asleep upon a cannon, which he embraced with
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? EARLY DISCIPLINE.
33
his little arms, as far round as they would reach. When
awakened, he said, that he intended to have slept
there all night, in order to convince the Duke, his
father, that he was hardy enough to undergo the
fatigues of war.
CHILDHOOD OF THE GREAT HENRY THE
FOURTH OF FRANCE.
HE great Henry the Fourth of France passed
his childhood in the castle of Coarasse, in Beam, situated amidst rocks and mountains. Henry
D'Albret, his grandfather, would not have him brought
up with the delicacy usually practised with children
of high rank, knowing that in a soft and tender body,
there generally lodges a weak and timid soul. He
would not allow him to be richly clothed, nor useless
playthings given to him, nor would he have him flat-
tered, because all these things tend to inspire vanity,
and incline the hearts of children rather to pride, and
to trifling pleasures, than to sentiments of generosity
and useful occupation. This young prince was clothed
and fed like the children of the country, and like
them was accustomed to clamber up and down the
rocks, barefooted and bareheaded. It is said that his
ordinary food was brown bread, beef, cheese, and
garlic.
D
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? 34
EARLY DISCIPLINE,
By these means, his good grandfather accustomed
him to fatigue, and rendered his body strong and
robust, qualities which were no doubt necessary to a
prince, who had to suffer much in reconquering his
dominions.
EARLY EDUCATION OF SESOSTRIS, KING OF
EGYPT,
MENOPHIS, King of Egypt, caused all the male
children in his kingdom, who were born on the
same day as his eldest son, Sesostris, to be brought
to his court. Here they were educated as if they had
been his own children, and with the same care that was
bestowed upon Sesostris, with whom they were brought
up. He could not possibly have provided for his son
more faithful ministers, nor officers who more zealously
desired the success of his arms. With the view of
making them great warriors, the chief part of their
education was the inuring them, from their infancy,
to a hard and laborious life, in order that they might
one day be capable of sustaining with ease the toils
of the field. They were never suffered to eat till they
had run, on foot or horseback, a considerable race.
Hunting was their most common exercise, but when
they were more advanced in years, the king sent them
against the Arabians, in order to acquire practical
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? EARLY DISCIPLINE.
35
military knowledge. Here the young prince learned
to bear hunger and thirst, and subdued a nation which,
till then, had never been conquered: the youths
educated with him, attended him in all his campaigns,
and upon his father's death, he became one of the
greatest conquerors that antiquity boasts.
CYRUS THE GREAT AND HIS GRANDFATHER.
YRUS, when about twelve years old, went with his
mother Mandane on a visit to his grandfather, the
King of the Medes. Astyages, being at table with
his daughter and with Cyrus, and being desirous to treat
the boy with all delight and pleasure, that he might the
less miss what he enjoyed at home, set before him seve-
ral dishes, with sauces and meats of all kinds; upon
which Cyrus is reported to have said, "What a deal of
business and trouble, grandfather, have you at your
meals, if you must reach out your hands to all these
several dishes, and taste of all these kinds of meats! "
"What, then," said Astyages, "do not you think this en-
tertainment much finer than what you have in Persia? "
Cyrus replied, "No, grandfather; with us we have a
much plainer and readier way to get satisfied than you
have; for plain bread and meat bring us to our end;
but you, in order to the same end, have a deal of busi-
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? 36
EARLY DISCIPLINE.
ness upon your hands, and wandering up and down
through many mazes, you at last arrive where we have
long got before you. " To this Astyages answered,
"Well, child, if this be your opinion, eat heartily of
plain meats, that you may return young and healthy
home;" and at the same time he ordered to be pre-
sented to him various meats, both of the tame and
wild kinds. Cyrus, when he saw this variety of meats,
said, "And do you give me all these meats, grand-
father, to do with them as I think fit? " "Yes, truly,
I do," said Astyages; then Cyrus, taking the several
meats, distributed them around to the servants about
his grandfather, saying to one, " This for you, because
you take pains to teach me to ride: This for you, be-
cause you gave me a javelin, and I have it yet: This
for you, because you serve my grandfather well: This
for you, because you honour my mother:" and thus
he did till he had distributed all he had received.
Astyages then said, "And do you give nothing to this
Sacian, my cup-bearer, that I favour above all? " Cy-
rus answered, "For what reason is it, grandfather, that
you favour this Sacian so much? " Astyages replied
in a jesting way, "Do you not see how handsomely
and neatly he pours me my wine? " For these cup-
bearers to kings perform their business very cleverly;
they pour out their wine very neatly, and give the cup,
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? EARLY DISCIPLINE.
37
bearing it along with three fingers, and present it in
such a manner as it may best be received by the person
who is to drink. "Grandfather," said Cyrus, "bid
the Sacian give me the cup, that, pouring you your
wine to drink, I may gain your favour if I can. " As-
tyages bids the Sacian give him the cup; and Cyrus,
taking it, is said to have washed the cup as he had ob-
served the Sacian to do; and settling his countenance
in a serious and decent manner, brought and presented
the cup to his grandfather in such a manner as afforded
much laughter to his grandfather and his mother.
Then Cyrus, laughing out, leaped up to Astyages, and
kissing him, cried out, " Oh, Sacian, you are undone;
I will turn you out of your office, for I can do the busi-
ness better than you. " Now these cup-bearers, when
they have given the cup, dip with a dish and take a
little out, which pouring into their left hand, they swal-
low; and this they do that in case they mix poison in
the cup, it may be of no advantage to themselves.
Therefore Astyages, in a jesting way, said, "And why,
Cyrus, since you have imitated the Sacian in every
thing else, did you not swallow some of the wine? "
"Because, truly," said he, "I was afraid there had been
poison mixed in the cup; for when you feasted your
friends upon your birthday, I plainly found that he
had poured you all poison. " "And how, child," said
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? 38 EARLY DISCIPLINE.
he, "did you know this? " "Truly," said he," because
I saw you all disordered in body and mind; for, first,
what you do not allow us boys to do, that you did
yourselves, for you all bawled together, and could
learn nothing of each other: Then you fell to singing
very ridiculously; and without attending to the singer,
you swore he sung admirably; then every one telling
stories of his own strength, you rose up, and fell to
dancing; but without all rule or measure, for you could
not so much as keep yourselves upright. Then you all
entirely forgot yourselves; you, that you were king,
and they, that you were their governor. And then I
discovered for the first time that you were celebrating
a festival, where all were allowed to talk with equal
liberty; for you never ceased talking. " Astyages then
said, "Does your father, child, never drink till he gets
drunk? " "No, truly," said he. "What does he,
then? " "Why he quenches his thirst, and gets no
farther harm; for, as I take it, grandfather," says he,
"it is no Sacian that officiates as cup-bearer about
him. "
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? DOCILITY.
"He made a blushing cital of himself,
And chid his truant youth with such a grace,
As if he master'd there a double spirit,
Of teaching, and of learning, instantly. "
Shakspeare.
OCILITY, or a willingness to be led by those
who are older and wiser than themselves, is a
quality in the young, very favourable to their
advancement in virtue; nor is there a greater proof of
superior sense, than a ready yielding of the inclinations
to the voice of Reason. A prompt obedience implies
a degree of Self-command, and is therefore peculiarly
graceful in young princes. Nor is any one fit to
command, who has not first learned to obey.
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? 40
DOCILITY.
LOUIS PHILIPPE, KING OF THE FRENCH.
E read in the Memoirs of Mad. de Genlis:
"When first I entered upon the education of
the princes, I found them very ignorant, and
the eldest of them, the Duke de Valois, then eight years
old, extremely wanting in application. I began by read-
ing history with them: M. the Duke de Valois stretched,
gaped, and I was greatly surprised to see him throw him-
self back upon a sofa, and put his feet up upon a table that
was before him. That we might at once understand each
other, I put him immediately into penance: he did not
resent it at all. He had by nature a degree of good sense,
that struck me from the first days of our acquaintance:
he loved rational conversation, as other children love
frivolous tales: as soon as good reasons were clearly
presented to him, he listened with interest: he became
warmly attached to me, because he always found me
consistent and reasonable. I had to cure him of many
ugly expressions and foolish habits. He was afraid
of dogs, and his former governor had had the absurd
attention, when they walked in the Bois de Boulogne,
to send on two footmen, to drive away all the dogs that
might be in their route. I found one single conversa-
tion sufficient to convince the young prince of the folly
and weakness of this prejudice: he listened to me
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? DOCILITY.
41
attentively, kissed me, and begged me to give him a
dog, which I did: he conquered his dislike at once,
and from that day has never shown any aversion to
dogs. "
THE DAUPHIN, SON OF LOUIS THE
SIXTEENTH.
PON the first breaking out of the French Revolu-
tion, Marie Antoinette impressed upon the little
Dauphin, the necessity of treating with affability
the officers of the National Guard, and all the Parisians
who might approach him.
The child took great pains
to please all such persons, and when he had had occa-
sion to reply obligingly to the Mayor, or to the mem-
bers of a Commune, he would go and whisper to the
Queen, "Was that well? "
YOUTH OF ALCIBIADES.
ANY persons of rank made their court to Alci-
biades, the Athenian, charmed and attracted by
his birth, riches, and beauty of person. Socrates
was the only one whose regards were fixed upon the
mind, and who bore witness to the youth's vritue
and ingenuousness: and fearing lest the pride of
riches and high rank, and the crowd of flatterers,
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? 42
DOCILITY.
should corrupt him, he used his best endeavours to
prevent it, and took care that so hopeful a plant
should not lose its fruit, and perish in the very flower.
From his childhood, Alcibiades was surrounded with
pleasures, and with a multitude of admirers, who were
determined to say nothing but what they thought
would please him, and who wished to keep him from
all admonition and reproof: yet by his native pene-
tration he distinguished the value of Socrates, and
attached himself to him: he perceived that he studied
to correct the errors of his heart, and to cure him
of his empty and foolish arrogance, and he learned
to despise himself, and to admire his friend, adoring
his wisdom, and revering his virtue. It surprised all
the world to see him constantly sup with Socrates,
take with him his exercises, and lodge in the same
tent with him; and though Socrates had many rivals,
yet he kept possession of the heart of Alcibiades,
by the excellence of his genius, and the pathetic turn
of his conversation, which often drew tears from his
young companion. And though sometimes he gave
Socrates the slip, and was drawn away by flatterers,
yet the philosopher took care to hunt out his fugitive,
and brought him away from the haunts of idleness
and dissipation.
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? SELF-CONTROL.
"The world's great master, and his own. "--Pope.
ELF-COMMAND is one of the most important
habits to be formed in every human being: it is
essential to all genuine virtue and real happiness;
but more especially should those learn to restrain
themselves, who hereafter shall be subject to little
restraint from others.
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? 44
SELF-CONTROL.
CHARLES THE TWELFTH OF SWEDEN.
HARLES the Twelfth of Sweden, when scarcely
seven years old, being at dinner with the queen,
his mother, and handing a bit of bread to his
favourite dog, the animal, snapping at it too eagerly,
bit his hand in a serious manner. The blood flowed
copiously; but the young hero, without crying, or
appearing to take any notice of what had happened,
merely wrapped his hand in his napkin. The queen
inquired why he did not eat, and he answered that he
was not hungry: at length, however, he grew pale
from the loss of blood, and an officer, who attended at
table, discovered the cause; but the prince would
sooner have died than have betrayed his dog.
PRINCE HENRY, SON OF HENRY THE
FOURTH.
URING the reign of Henry the Fourth, a riotous
companion of the Prince of Wales had been in-
dicted before the chief justice Gascoigne,for some
disorders, and the prince was not ashamed to appear at
the bar with the criminal, in order to give him counte-
nance and protection. Finding that his presence had not
overawed the chief justice, he proceeded to insult that
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? SELF-CONTROL.
45
magistrate on his tribunal; but Gascoigne, mindful of
the character which he then bore, and the majesty of
the sovereign, and the laws which he sustained, ordered
the prince to be carried to prison for his rude behaviour.
The spectators were astonished and pleased when they
saw the heir to the crown submit peaceably to this
sentence, making reparation for his error by acknow-
ledging it, and checking his impetuous nature in the
midst of its extravagant career.
When this transaction was reported to the king,
who was an excellent judge of mankind, he exclaimed,
in words to the effect of those which Shakspeare
gives us:
"Happy am I, that have a man so bold,
That dares do justice on my proper son;
And no less happy, having such a son,
That would deliver up his greatness so
Into the hands of justice. "
SIR PHILIP SYDNEY.
S||||IR Philip Sydney, at the battle near Zutphen, dis-
Bplayed the most undaunted courage. He had two
horses killed under him; and whilst mounting a
third, was wounded by a musket-shot out of the trenches,
which broke the bone of his thigh. He returned about
a mile and a half, on horseback, to the camp; and, being
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? 46
SELF-CONTROL.
faint with the loss of blood, and parched with thirst,
through the heat of the weather, he called for drink. Some water was presently brought him; but as he was
putting the vessel to his mouth, a poor wounded soldier,
who happened to be carried by him at that instant,
looked up to it with wishful eyes. The gallant and
generous Sydney took the bottle from his mouth, just
when he was going to drink, and delivered it to the
soldier, saying, "Thy necessity is yet greater than
mine. "
ALEXANDER THE GREAT.
URING Alexander's long and laborious pursuit
after Darius, the army often suffered more for
want of water than by fatigue, and many of the
cavalry were unable to hold out. While they were
upon the march, some Macedonians had filled their
bottles at a river, and were bringing the water upon
mules. These people, seeing Alexander greatly dis-
tressed with thirst, for it was the heat of the day,
immediately filled a helmet with water, and presented
it to him. He asked them to whom they were
carrying it: they said, "To our sons: but if our prince
does but live, we shall get other children, if we lose
them. " Upon this, he took the helmet in his hands;
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? SELF-CONTROL.
47
but looking round, and seeing all the horsemen bend-
ing their heads, and fixing their eyes upon the water,
he returned it without drinking. However, he thanked
the people that offered it, and said, "If I drink alone,
these good men will be dispirited. " The cavalry,
who were witnesses to this act of temperance and mag-
nanimity, cried out, "Let us march! We are neither
weary nor thirsty, nor shall we even think ourselves
mortal while under the conduct of such a king. " At
the same time they put spurs to their horses.
HEROIC ENDURANCE.
N one occasion, when Alexander the Great was
sacrificing to the gods, one of the noble youths
who waited upon him was so severely burned
by a piece of hot coal which fell upon his arm from
the censer he carried, that the smell of the scorched
flesh was sensible to all who stood by. Yet the boy
shrunk not, exhibited no symptom of pain, but kept
his arm immoveable, lest by shaking the censer he
should interrupt the sacrifice, or by his groaning, give
Alexander any disturbance.
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? 48
SELF-CONTROL.
THE TWIN SONS OF SABINUS.
||j|||ABINUS, a noble Gaul, headed a revolt of his
countrymen, in the time of Otho and Vitellius.
jffigUl Vespasian, as soon as he was made Emperor,
marched against him, and Sabinus, finding it impossible
to resist the great army that was approaching, set fire
to his house, and causing it to be reported that he had
perished in the flames, fled with his wife and his faith-
ful freedman, taking refuge, at length, in those vast
quarries of white marble, that still exist, at some little
distance from Rome.
Here the unfortunate but courageous Eponina gave
birth to twin sons: the one was named Fortis, from
his superior strength, the other Blandus, on account
of his gentleness of disposition. The faithful Martial
was the only purveyor to these illustrious fugitives: he
waited upon them, and watched over their safety with
indefatigable attention. Now and then he went by
night to Rome, to purchase provisions and other neces-
saries, returning by the least frequented roads.
But the greatest disquietudes that the unhappy pa-
rents experienced, were from the cries of the infants,
which resounded through these gloomy caverns: count-
less echoes repeated these sounds, and terrified the
anxious mother, lest they should guide occasional tra-
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? SELF-CONTROL.
49
vellers to their retreat. Before these innocent recluses,
however, were two years old, they learned to under-
stand the danger of their parents: they mastered their
little feelings, and in all the painful diseases to which
childhood is liable, they restrained themselves, and
suffered not a complaint to escape them. Little Blan-
dus having once been attacked with severe internal
pains, his sufferings were so intense, that he bent him-
self double upon his mother's knees! his body, now
burning with fever, was soon covered with a cold sweat:
yet still had the child the force to constrain himself:
he pressed his little hands upon his mouth, and thus
suppressed the complaints that his sufferings were
forcing from him. "Dear child," said his father, "do
not try to restrain yourself: it will relieve you to cry
out. " "Papa," said the child, "if I do, you and
mamma will be taken: I would rather die than make
a noise. "
For seven years this unfortunate family inhabited
their dismal dwelling, but at length they were disco-
vered, and, to the eternal disgrace of Vespasian, the
parents were executed: the twins, after languishing a
short time in prison, died, and were found stretched
side by side, in each other's arms.
E
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? DECISION OF CHARACTER,
"All thy virtue dictates, dare to do. "--Mason.
DECISION of character, or the power of adhering
firmly to the judgment formed upon calm and
conscientious deliberation, is a quality very im-
portant to the prince, and is quite opposed to obstinacy,
which implies a headstrong adherence to the will, with-
out reference to reason or principle. Fickleness and
irresolution, which seem to be little more than pardon-
able weaknesses in private persons, may, by their con-
sequences, prove in princes fatal errors.
History furnishes us with instances of very young
princes, who have shown this power of adhering to
what they believed right, and fitting the position in
which they found themselves.
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? DECISION OF CHARACTER. 51
CHARLES THE TWELFTH OF SWEDEN.
HARLES the Twelfth of Sweden succeeded his
father, Charles the Eleventh, at the early age of
fifteen. Three powerful kings, presuming upon
his youth, threatened his dominions: Sweden was in
consternation at their preparations, and the privy coun-
cil of the king was alarmed: their great generals were
no more, and every thing was to be dreaded under a
young king, who, as yet, had given but bad impressions
of his abilities. When present at the council, he was
in the habit of sitting with his legs crossed, and his
feet upon the table before him: abstracted and indif-
ferent, he appeared to take interest in nothing that
passed.
The council was deliberating in his presence upon
the danger of the kingdom; some of the counsellors
proposed to divert the threatened tempest by negotia-
tions; on a sudden the young king rose, with the
gravity and confidence of a superior mind. "Gentlemen," said he, "I have determined never to carry on
an unjust war, but never to end a just one, except by
the destruction of my enemies. My resolution is taken;
I will march to attack the first power that declares
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? 52 DECISION OF CHARACTER.
against me, and when I have conquered that, I hope
the others will respect me. "
These words astonished all these old counsellors:
they looked at each other without daring to reply.
At length, astonished to find what a king they had,
and ashamed to hope less than he did, they received
with admiration and alacrity his orders to prepare for
war.
HEN Charles the Twelfth of Sweden was quite
a child, he was one day amusing himself in his
father's apartment, in looking over some maps.
One was a plan of a town in Hungary, which had been
taken by the Turks from the Emperor, and under it
were written these words from the book of Job: "The
Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be
the name of the Lord. " Another was a plan of Riga,
the capital of Livonia, conquered by the Swedes about
a century before. The young prince, having read the
words under the Hungarian town, took a pencil, and
wrote under the plan of Riga, "God gave it me, and
the devil shall not take it from me. " Thus in his very
childhood, his unconquerable spirit showed itself.
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? DECISION OP CHARACTER. 53
GUSTAVUS THE THIRD OF SWEDEN.
USTAVUS, the young king of Sweden, was fixed
upon by Catherine the Second, Empress of Rus-
sia, as a proper consort for her grand-daughter,
the grand-duchess Alexandrina. She was just fifteen,
but with a mind and person which had outgrown her
years; she was tall and well-formed, with noble and
regular features, a profusion of beautiful hair, and eyes
that beamed with intelligence and sensibility. Her
governess, Mademoiselle Willanof, had educated her
in retirement, and with the most devoted care and
affection; and in person, manners, and mind, Alex-
andrina was at this time one of the most lovely and
accomplished princesses in Europe.
The young king of Sweden was about eighteen; he
was well-looking and well-bred, with a fine martial
presence, and frank, captivating manners; the young
pair had been allowed to suppose that they were in-
tended for each other, and they soon became mutually
and strongly attached; proposals of marriage were for-
mally made; the treaty drawn up; the day of betroth-
ment fixed, and a splendid fete prepared for the occasion.
The morning arrived, and Catherine had assembled
all her family and court in her presence-chamber;
Alexandrina, adorned in bridal pomp, stood at her side:
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? 54 DECISION OF CHARACTER.
all was in readiness; but the royal bridegroom appeared
not;--they waited--there was a chill and ominous
silence--the courtiers looked upon each other.
The articles of marriage had been carried to the
young king, for his signature. Perhaps Catherine
supposed that, in the hurry of the moment, he would
not pay particular attention to their tenor. She was
mistaken: the chancellor read them over quickly, as
if a mere matter of form; but the king, who listened,
became aware that certain articles were introduced,
which had not been previously agreed upon. By a
fundamental law of Sweden, the queen of that country
must profess the faith of the nation, and Alexandrina,
therefore, ought to have exchanged the Greek for the
Lutheran church. The Empress, not from principle,
but from pride and arbitrary power, was resolved that
her imperial grand-daughter should be made an
exception to this law; and had introduced into the
marriage treaty a clause to that purport. The king
expressed his disapprobation, and refused to sign the
contract. The ministers of Catherine, thunderstruck
by this resistance to the will of their despotic sove-
reign, under such circumstances, and on the part of a
mere boy, knew not what course to take; they nattered,
they implored him only to sign the paper, and leave
the matter to be arranged afterwards, promising that
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