CIVILITY.-POLITENESS. 27 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. 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. 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 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!" Will soon have nothing else to eat. INGRATITUDE. BLOW, blow, thou wintry wind, As man's ingratitude; Thy tooth is not so keen, Although thy breath be rude. Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky, As friends rememb'ring not. As Jupiter's all-seeing eye "Ungrateful creatures! whence arise ASSEMBLY OF ANIMALS. Why this disorder? say the cause; "Hard is my lot," the hound replies; O'er plains and vales, and mountains go; "When," says the greyhound, "I pursue, The lion craved the fox's art; The bird of heav'n then cried aloud, Entirely change your name and nature. 31 |