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FORGIVENESS OF INJURIES.

LOUIS THE SEVENTEENTH.

A

Since the birth of Cain, the first male child,
To him that did but yesterday suspire

There was not such a gracious creature born.
SHAKSPEARE.

FTER the execution of Louis the Sixteenth, the unfortunate Dauphin, then become Louis the Seventeenth, was torn from the arms of his mother, and placed in the charge of the brutal Simon, formerly a low shoemaker.

The tender age, the innocence, the angelic countenance, the delicate health of the royal child, had no effect in softening the manners of this ferocious guardian. He made use of the most horrid language in his presence, disturbed him from his sleep, often threatened to knock him down, and once, as a last refinement in cruelty, obliged the descendant of sixty kings to wait upon him at table.

"Capet," said Simon one day to him, when the war of La Vendée seemed for a time to turn in favour of the Royalists, "If these Vendéans should deliver you, what would you do?" "I would forgive you," replied the young king.

FRIENDSHIP.

Judge before Friendship, then confide till death. YOUNG.

THE

HE pleasures of equal and disinterested Friendship are, as I formerly observed, but rarely to be enjoyed by Princes. Still, instances are not wanting, of illustrious persons who have had the happiness to find the bosom friend, the more than brother, where difference of rank has been lost sight of on both sides, by a sympathy of sentiments and pursuits.

Holy Writ furnishes us with the example of David and Jonathan: the ancient poets tell us of Theseus and Pirithous, Orestes and Pylades, Æneas and Achates in the Grecian history we have Pelopidas and Epaminondas, Alexander and Hephæstion; and are also told, that the tyrant Dionysius desired to be taken into the tie that bound Damon and Pythias. The Roman history presents us the example of Scipio and Lælius; and in our own country we have the noble one of Sir Philip Sydney, and Fulk Greville, Lord Brook.

Great indeed is the privilege that that man enjoys, who is the bosom friend of a brave and great

T

man; and how highly Lord Brook appreciated this distinction, may be judged by the Inscription, which he himself ordered to be placed upon his monument :

FULK GREVILLE,

SERVANT TO QUEEN ELIZABETH,

COUNSELLOR TO KING JAMES,

AND FRIEND TO SIR PHILIP SYDNEY.

R

HENRY, PRINCE OF WALES, SON OF
JAMES THE FIRST.

HENRY, Prince of Wales, son of James the First,

is one of the happy few, among persons of exalted rank, who have possessed a disinterested and affectionate friend.

Of the young noblemen, who frequented the Prince's court, Sir John Harrington deservedly enjoyed the principal share of his Highness's favour and even friendship, being indeed in all respects one of the most virtuous and accomplished youths of his time, and an example to those of his rank in all ages. He was created Knight of the Bath, with the Duke of York and others, in January 1603, and was, as soon as he came to years of discretion, remarkable for his strict observance of the duties of piety both in public

and private, and his application to the study of polite learning. At the close of every week he examined himself, what progress he had made in virtue and goodness, and what fault he had committed during the course of it; and kept an exact diary of his life. His liberality to the distressed was no less remarkable than his humanity and affability to all. The friendship between the Prince and Sir John Harrington, was cultivated by a correspondence of letters during their absence from each other, especially while the latter was on his travels abroad: they are in Latin, and are still extant.

Soon after Sir John left England, he wrote to the Prince, regretting his absence from him in strong terms; adding, that his grief was mitigated in some measure by these considerations; first, that by his travels in other countries, and the experience which he might gain by it, he should some time or other be more qualified to execute his Highness's commands, which were and always should be sacred to him. Next that he had opportunities of doing justice to the virtues of his Highness at the courts of other Princes: he promised to be careful to keep an exact journal of his travels for the amusement of his Highness; concluding, that he carried about him day and night in his bosom, and should for ever do so, and often kissed, that ring, which the Prince had presented to him, and which he esteemed

as a mark of his Highness's singular favour, in which he placed the height of all his fortunes.

In another letter, he takes notice, that having now in the space of seven weeks, travelled through great part of the Low Countries, and seen three courts of princes, and as many universities, together with several large cities, fortified towns, and strong castles and forts, he had set down in Latin, as well as he was able, such observations as he could make, relating to politics, men eminent for authority, prudence, or learning, war, the present state of affairs, and the manners of the people; in order at a proper time to give an account, how he had employed every day, to his Highness, to whom he devoted both himself and all his studies. For though he was thoroughly conscious of the slenderness of his own abilities, yet he was unwilling to be one of those, who travel only to indulge themselves in a shameful pursuit of pleasures, or with a view of merely gratifying their eyes with novelties. On the contrary, he assured the prince of his own resolution to exert his utmost endeavours to improve himself by experience, that he might be able to serve his Highness with more dignity and ability. This alone was the sum of his hopes, and a sufficient incitement to him to go through all labours and fatigues.

This promising young nobleman survived the Prince, his patron and friend, but by three months.