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XXXVIII.

FRANKNESS.

Marivaux, seeing a man asking alms who appeared to enjoy good health, said to him,— "Why do you not work? You look hale and strong." "Ah, sir," replied the beggar, "if you knew how idle I am!" "Here," said Marivaux, "there is a crown for frankness."

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XXXIX.

PRIZE FOR MEMORY.

A Breton, having come to Paris, went to see one of his countrymen, from whom he asked a crown that he had lent him about fifteen years ago. The debtor left him, and brought back to him a book, which he gave him with his crown, saying to him: "Take it, sir; it is a prize for memory that I gained in my youth; you surely deserve it more than I."

XL.

A LESSON IN GEOGRAPHY.

An upstart was bargaining lately with his son for a map of France in a bookseller's shop. The son, wishing to assure himself of the accuracy of this map, was looking for Moscow

in it, and was showing his father his astonishment at not being able to find it there.

"How," answered the latter to him, “canst thou look for that town on the map! Thou shouldst know very well that it has been burned."

XLI.

WHAT DID DAVID SAY.

A minister had ordered Dick, his servant, to go to David Black, the butcher's, and get a gigot of mutton on credit for the dinner. As Dick entered the church after executing his commission, he heard the parson exclaim several times: "What did David say? What are the words of David, my brethren ?" "Mr. Minister," exclaimed Dick, "David said, No money, no gigot!"

XLII.

IRISH INSCRIPTION.

There exists in the north of Ireland, on the bank of a river, a stone with the following inscription, which will appear curious, and which without doubt had been placed there with the intention of serving as a warning to the strangers who should pass by that road: "It is to be noticed, that when this stone is under the water, it is not prudent to ford the river."

XLIII.

LOUIS XIV. AND THE PROTESTANTS.

During the times when they pursued the Protestants in France like criminals, an English ambassador begged of Louis XIV. the liberty of the Protestants, who were condemned to the galleys for the sake of their religion.

"What would the King of Great Britain say," replied Louis XIV., "if I were to ask him the liberty of the prisoners in Newgate?" "Sire," replied the ambassador, "the king, my master, would grant it to your majesty if you claimed them as your brothers."

XLIV.

THE WOUNDED GRENADIER AND NAPOLEON.

During a furious charge which took place before Ulm, the Emperor Napoleon found himself near a grenadier grievously wounded. This brave grenadier cried out like the others, "Forward! forward!" The Emperor approached him, and threw upon him his military cloak, saying, "Try to bring it back to me, and I will give thee the cross of honour in exchange." "Sire, this shroud is well worth the cross," replied the grenadier; and he expired, enveloped in the imperial cloak.

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XLV.

THE PEASANT AND THE NOBLEMEN.

Two noblemen, walking together in the country, met a peasant, who thrashed his ass beyond measure. Touched with compassion for this poor beast, they said to the peasant, "My friend, you are very cruel to maltreat this poor animal so." This peasant, having taken off his hat, turns respectfully towards his ass, and said to him, "Pardon, sir, pardon; I did not think you had any relations at court."

XLVI.

POT-LUCK.

The Emperor Augustus went willingly to dine with all those who invited him. A citizen invited him one day to supper; he only gave him a middling repast, and without any preparation. The master of the world was obliged to content himself with pot-luck. He only said, as he went away, “I did not think that we were such great friends."

XLVII.

LA ROCHEJAQUELEIN.

In placing himself at the head of the Vendée peasants, and before giving them the signal for

battle, Henry de la Rochejaquelein harangued them thus: "My friends, if my father were here you would have confidence in him. As for me, I am but a child, but through my courage, I shall rise worthy of commanding you. If I advance, follow me; if I flinch, kill me; if I die, avenge me!"

XLVIII.

THE WOLF'S HEAD.

A locksmith commissioned to make the balusters of the stairs of a pulpit, took into his head to put the head of a wolf for the knob of the balusters. They asked him his reason for doing so: "It is," said he, "to prevent donkeys from entering the pulpit."

XLIX.

ABBREVIATION.

A peasant who had a law-suit in the Parliament of Bordeaux, went to the first president of the Parliament's house to present a petition to him.

He waited about three hours in his ante-room, At last the first president went past, and found him attentively looking at a portrait, in which there were four P's below, which signified:

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