39. After many years bad elapsed, and young Prancisco was grown up to manhood, beloved and respected by every ope, it so happeged bat some business made it pecessary for him and his father to visit a peighboring city on the coast; and as they supposed a passage by sea would be more expeditious than by land, they embarked in a Venetian vessel which was bound to that port, and ready to sail. 40. A favorable gale soon wafted them out of sight, and promised them a speedy passage; but unfortunately fur them, before they had proceeded half their voyage, they were met by some Turkish vessels, who, after an obstinate resistance 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 chaios, in order to be sold as slaves. 41. At last, a Turk came to the market, who seemed to be a man of superior rank, and after looking over the prisoners, with an expression of compassion, he tixed his eyes upon young Francisco, and asked the captain what was the price of that young captive. 42. The captain replied, that he would not part with him for less than five hundred pieces of gold. The Turk corsidered that as a very extraordinary price since he had seen him sell others, that exceeded him in strength and vigor, for less than a fifth part of that money. 43. That is true, replied the captain; but he shall either fetch me a price that will repay me the damage he has ocPasioned me, or he shall labour all the rest of his life at the The Turk asked bim, what damage he could have done him more than the rest of the crew. 44. It was he, replied the captain, who animated the Christians to make a desperate resistance, and thereby proved the destruction of many of my bravest seamen. We three times boarded them with a fury that seemed invincible, and each time did that youth attack us with a cool and determined opposition: 80 that we were obliged to give up the contest, till other ships came to our assistance. I will iherefore have that price for him, or I will punish him for life. 45. The var. 45. The Turk now surveyed young Francisco more atteniively than before; and the young man, who had hitherto fixed his eyes in sullen silence on the ground, at length raised them up; but he had no sooner beheld the person who was talking to the captain, than in a loud voice,he uttered the name of Hamet. The Turk, struck with astonishment, surveyed him for a moment, and then caught him in his arms. 46. After a moment's pause, the generous Hamet lifted up his hands to heaven, ard thanked his God, who had put it into his power to show his gratitude; but words cannot express his feelings, when he found that both the father and son were slaves. Suffice it to say, that he instantly bought their freedom, and conducted them to his magnificent house in the city. 47. They had here full leisure to discourse on the strange vicissitudes of fortune, when Hamet told his Venetian friends, that after their generosity had procured him liberty, he became an officer in the Turkish army, and happening to be fortunate in all his enterprizes, he had been gradually promoted, till he arrived at the dignity of Bastaw of Tunis. 48. That in this situation, he found the greatest consolation in alleviating the misfortunes of the Christian prisoners, and always attended the sales of those unhappy slaves, to procure liberty to a certain number of them, And gracious Allah, added he, has this day put it in my power in some measure to return the duties of gratitude. 49. They continued some days with Hamet, who did every thing in his power to amuse and divert them; but as he found their desire was to return to their own country, he told them that he would not detaiò them against their wishes; and they should embark the next day in a ship bound for Venice, which would be furnished with a passport to carry them safe there. 50. The next day he dismissed them with every mark of tenderness and affection, and ordered a party of his own guards to attend them to the vessel. They had no sooner got on board, than they found, to their inexpressible surprise and joy.that they were in the very ship in which they had been taken, and that, by the generosity of Hamet, not 17* only ܕ only the ship, but even the whole crew, were redeemed and restored to freedom. 81. Francisco and his son, after a quick passage, arri. ved in their own country, where they lived beloved and respected, aod endeavored to convince every one they knew, how great were the vicissitudes of fortune, and that God never suffers humanity and generosity to go upre. warded, here or hereafter. THE QUARREL OF BRUTUS AND CASSIUS. Cassius. THAT you have wronged me doth appear in this, Brutus. You wronged yourself to write in guch a case, Cas. In such a time as this, it is not meet Bru. Yet let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself Cas. I an itching palm! Bru. The name of Cassius bonors this corruption, Cas. Chastisement! emember; I am. I had rather be a dog and bay the moon, Cas. Brutus, bay not me, Bru. Go to; you are not, Cassius. Cas. Urge me no more, I shall forget myselfamo Bru. Away, slight man! Bru. Hear me, for I will speak. Cas. Must I emaure all this? breaks. Cas. Is it come to this? Bru. You say you are a better soldier: Cas. You wrong me every way! you wrong me, Brutas; say better? Bru. If you did, I care not. Cas. When Cæsar liv'd be durst pot thas have mor'd me. Bru. Peace, peace, you durst not thus bave tempted him. Bru. No. your life you durst not. Bru. You have done wbat you should be sorry for. I did send to you I had rather coin my heart, Cas. I deny'd you not. Cas. I did not; he was but a fool Bru. I do not. Still you practice them on me. Bru. A flatterer's would not, though they do Cas. Come, Anthony, and young Octavius, come! ! TO |