The mother repaired to his house, and kneeling before him with her five lovely children, implored mercy with tears and exclamations.

He stood this scene unmoved, and even seemed to enjoy the prospect, wearing the looks of complacency, while his heart was steeled with rancour.

'Woman,' said he, 'these be hopeful babes, if they were duly nurtured.

Go thy ways in peace; I have taken my resolution.' Her friends maintained the family for some time; but it is not in human charity to persevere; some of them died, some of them grew unfortunate, some of them fell off, and now the poor man is reduced to the extremity of indigence, from whence he has no prospect of being retrieved.

The fourth part of what you would have bestowed upon the lady would make this poor man and his family sing with joy." He had scarce pronounced these words, when our hero desired the man might be called, and in a few minutes he entered the apartment with a low obeisance.