Wisdom for shield, and wit for sword.
What to beauteous woman kind,

What arms, what armor, has she assigned?
Beauty is both; for with the fair
What arms, what armor, can compare?
What steel, what gold, or diamond,
More impassable is found?

And yet what fiame, what lightning e'er
So great an active force did bear?
They are all weapon, and they dart,
Like porcupine, from ev'ry part.

LESSON NINETY-NINTH.

The hospitable African.

The enterprising traveller, Mungo Park, was employed by a society in England, to explore the interior regions of Africa. In this hazardous undertaking, he encountered many dangers and difficulties. His wants were often supplied, and his distresses alleviated, by the kindness and compassion of the negroes. He gives the following lively and interesting account of the hospitable treatment he received from a poor negro woman.

Having passed a whole day without victuals in the shade of a tree, I had no prospect but that of passing a very uncomfortable night; for the wind rose, and there was a great appearance of a heavy rain; the wild beasts, too, were so numerous, that I should have been under the necessity of climbing up the tree, and resting among the branches.

About sunset, however, as I was preparing to pass the night in this manner, and had turned my horse loose, that he might graze at liberty, a negro woman, returning from the labors of the field, stopped to observe me; and, perceiving that I was weary and de

jected, inquired into my situation. I briefly explained it to her; after which, with looks of great compassion, she took up my saddle and bridle, and told me to follow her.

Having conducted me into her hut, she lighted a lamp, spread a mat on the floor, and told me I might remain there for the night. Finding I was very hungry, she went out to procure me something to eat; and returned, in a short time, with a very fine fish; which, having caused to be half broiled upon some embers, she gave me for supper.

The rites of hospitality being thus performed towards a stranger in distress, my worthy benefactress (pointing to the mat and telling me that I might sleep there without apprehension) called to the female part of her family, who stood gazing on me all the while in fixed astonishment, to renew their task of spinning cotton, with which they continued to employ themselves a great part of the night.

They lightened their labor by songs; one of which was composed extempore, for I was myself the subject of it. It was sung by one of the young women, and the rest joined in a sort of chorus. The air was sweet and plaintive, and the words, literally translated, were these:

The poor

"The winds roared, and the rains fell. white man, faint and weary, came and sat under our tree. He has no mother to bring him milk, no wife to grind him corn. Let us pity the white man; no mother has he to give him milk, no wife to grind him

Trifling as these events may appear to the reader, they were to me affecting in the highest degree. I was oppressed by such unexpected kindness, and sleep fled from my eyes. In the morning, I presented to my compassionate landlady, two of the four brass buttons which remained on my waistcoat, the only recompense it was in my power to make her

LESSON ONE HUNDREDTH

The Orphan's Retrospect.

My father and mother are dead,
No friend or relation I have:
And now the cold earth is their bed,
And daisies grow over the grave.

I cast my eyes into the tomb,

The sight made me bitterly cry;
I said, and is this the dark room
Where my father and mother must lie!

I cast my eyes round me again,
In hopes some protector to see:
Alas! but the search was in vain,
For none had compassion on me.

I cast my eyes up to the sky,

I groaned, though I said not a word;
Yet God was not deaf to my cry,
The friend of the fatherless heard.

O yes and he graciously smiled,
And bid me on him to depend;
He whispered-fear not, little child,
For I am thy father and friend.

LESSON ONE HUNDRED AND FIRST.

Two African Chiefs.

The king of Foota Torra, inflamed with a zeal for propagating his religion, had sent an embassy to Damel, king of the Jaloffs. The ambassador, on the

present occasion, was accompanied by two of the principal Bushreens, who carried each a large knife fixed on the top of a long pole. As soon as he had procured admission into the presence of Damel, and announced the pleasure of his sovereign, he ordered the Bushreens to present the emblems of his mission.

The two knives were accordingly laid before Damel, and the ambassador explained himself as follows: "With this knife," said he, "Abdulkader will condescend to shave the head of Damel, if Damel will embrace the Mahomedan faith; and with this other knife, Abdulkader will cut the throat of Damel, if Damel refuses to embrace it;- take your choice."

Damel cooly told the ambassador that he had no choice to make; he neither chose to have his head shaved, nor his throat cut; and, with this answer, the ambassador was civilly dismissed. Abdulkader took his measures accordingly, and, with a powerful army, invaded Damel's country. The inhabitants of the towns and villages filled up their wells, destroyed their provisions, carried off their effects, and abandoned their dwellings, as he approached.

By this means, he was led on from place to place, until he had advanced three days' journey into the country of the Jaloffs. He had indeed met with no opposition, but his army had suffered so much from the scarcity of water, that several of his men had died by the way. This induced him to direct his march towards a watering place in the woods, where his men, having quenched their thirst, and being overcome with fatigue, lay down carelessly to sleep among the

bushes.

In this situation, they were attacked by Damel, before daybreak, and completely routed. Many of them were trampled to death, as they lay asleep, by the Jaloff horses; others were killed in attempting to make their escape; and a still greater number were taken prisoners. Among the latter, was Abdulkader

himself. This ambitious, or rather frantic prince, who but a month before had sent the threatening message to Damel, was now himself led into his presence as a miserable captive.

The behavior of Damel on this occasion, is never mentioned but in terms of the highest approbation; and it was, indeed, so extraordinary in an African prince, that the reader may find it difficult to give credit to the recital. When his royal prisoner was brought before him in irons, and thrown upon the ground, the magnanimous Damel, instead of setting his foot upon his neck, and stabbing him with his spear, according to the custom in such cases, addressed him as follows: "Abdulkader, answer me this question; if the chance of war had placed me in your situation, and you in mine, how would you have treated me?"

"I would have thrust my spear into your heart,” returned Abdulkader, with great firmness, 66 and 1 know that a similar fate awaits me.' "Not so," said Damel; "my spear is indeed red with the blood of your subjects killed in battle, and I could now give it a deeper stain, by dipping it in your own; but this would not build up my towns, nor bring to life the thousands who fell in the woods. I will not, therefore, kill you in cold blood, but I will retain you as my slave, until I perceive that your presence in your own kingdom will be no longer dangerous to your neighbors, and then I will consider of the proper way of disposing of you."

Abdulkader was accordingly retained, and worked as a slave for three months; at the end of which period, Damel listened to the solicitations of the inhabitants of Foota Torra, and restored to them their king. Strange as this story may appear, I have no doubt of the truth of it. It was told me at Malacotta, by the Negroes; it was afterwards related to me by the Europeans on the Gambia; by some of the French at