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CIVILITY.-POLITENESS.

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humility, and good sense. Good sense and integrity, if we are sure we possess them, will not make good man. ners unnecessary; the former being but seldom called out to action, but the latter continually.

"Without good-breeding truth is disapproved.
That only makes superior sense beloved."

CIVILITY.

RUDENESS ill becomes men possessed of ability, power, riches, or religion. It is a law not to be dispensed with-"To honor all men." Christians are especially called upon to show respect and kindness to mankind.

Piety of disposition, connected with urbanity of manners, characterise both the Christian and gentleman. We should always be careful not to hurt or injure others by careless, wanton, or unkind conduct.

As every action may produce effects over which human power has no influence, and which human sagacity cannot foresec, we should not lightly venture to the verge of evil, nor strike at others, though with a reed, lest, like the rod of Moses, it become a serpent in our hand.

"If a civil word or two will render a man happy," said a French king, "he must be a wretch indeed who will not give them to him."

POLITENESS.

POLITENESS is one of the advantages which we never estimate rightly, but by inconvenience of its loss. Its influence upon the manners is constant and uniform. Every man may hope, by the help of good-breeding, to enjoy the kindness of mankind, though he should have no claim to higher distinctions.

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A CROW, having stolen a piece of cheese from a cottage window, flew up into a high tree with it, in order to eat it; which the Fox observing, came and sat underneath, and began to compliment the Crow upon the subject of her beauty. "I protest," said he, "I never observed it before, but your feathers are of a more delicate white than any that ever I saw in my life! Ah! what a fine shape and graceful turn of body is there! And I dare say you have a beautiful voice. If it be but as fine as your complexion, I do not know a bird that can pretend to stand in competi tion with you.".

The Crow, tickled with this very civil language, wriggled about and hardly knew where she was; but thinking the Fox a little dubious as to the particular of

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her voice, and having a mind to set him right in that matter, she began to sing, and in the same instant let the cheese fall out of her mouth. This being what the Fox wanted, he snapped it up in a moment; and trotted away, laughing to himself at the easy credulity of the Crow.

MORAL.

It is a maxim in the schools,

That "Flattery 's the food of fools!"
And whoso likes such airy meat,

Will soon have nothing else to eat.

INGRATITUDE.

BLOW, blow, thou wintry wind,
Thou art not so unkind

As man's ingratitude;

Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art not seen,

Although thy breath be rude.

Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,
Thou dost not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot:
Though thou the waters warp,
Thy sting is not so sharp

As friends rememb'ring not.

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As Jupiter's all-seeing eye
Surveyed the worlds beneath the sky,
From this small speck of earth were sent
Murmurs and sounds of discontent;
For every thing alive complained
That he the hardest life sustained-
Jove calls his eagle; at the word
Before him stands the royal bird.
Th' obedient bird, from heaven.'s height,
Downward directs his happy flight;
Then cited every living thing,
To hear the mandates of his king.

"Ungrateful creatures! whence arise
These murmurs, which offend the skies?

ASSEMBLY OF ANIMALS.

Why this disorder? say the cause;
But just are Jove's eternal laws:
Let each his discontent reveal;
To you, Sir Dog, I first appeal."

"Hard is my lot," the hound replies;
"On what fleet nerves the greyhound flies;
While I with weary step and slow,

O'er plains and vales, and mountains go;
The morning sees my chase begun,
Nor ends it till the setting sun."

"When," says the greyhound, "I pursue,
My game is lost or caught in view;
Beyond my sight, the prey's secure ;
The hound is slow, but always sure-
And had I his sagacious scent,
Jove ne'er had heard my discontent."

The lion craved the fox's art;
The fox, the lion's force of heart.
The cock implored the pigeon's flight,
Whose wings were rapid, strong, and light;
The pigeon strength of wing despised,
And the cock's matchless valor prized;
The fishes wish'd to graze the plain;
The beasts, to skim beneath the main.
Thus, envious of another's state,
Each blamed the partial hand of fate.

The bird of heav'n then cried aloud,
"Jove bids disperse the murm'ring crowd;
The God rejects your idle prayers:
Would ye, rebellious mutineers!

Entirely change your name and nature.

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