blacksmith's assistant. When Peter had finished, he went to the proprietor, praised his manufactory, and asked him how much he gave his workmen per pood. "Three copecks, or an altina," answered Muller. "Very well," replied the Czar; "I have then earned eighteen altinas." Muller fetched eighteen ducats, offered them to Peter, and told him, that he could not give a workman like his majesty less per pood. Peter refused. 66 Keep your ducats," said he, "I have not wrought better than any other man; give me what you would give to another; I want to buy a pair of shoes, of which I am in great need." the same time he showed him his shoes, which had been once mended, and were again full of holes. Peter accepted the eighteen altinas, and bought himself a pair of new shoes, which he used to show with much pleasure, saying, "These I earned with the sweat of my brow."

At

One of the bars of iron forged by Peter the Great, and authenticated by his mark, is still to be seen at Istia, in the forge of Muller. Another similar bar is preserved in the cabinet of curiosities at St. Petersburgh.

Our poet, Thomson, in speaking of Peter, makes the following beautiful comparison between him and those ancient heroes, who imagined that greatness was only to be acquired by deeds of war, or schemes of subtle policy.

"Ye shades of ancient heroes, ye who toil'd Thro' long successive ages to build up

A lab'ring plan of state, behold at once

The wonder done! behold the matchless prince!
Who left his native throne, where reign'd till then

A mighty shadow of unreal power;
Who greatly spurn'd the slothful pomp of courts,
And roaming every land, in every port
His sceptre laid aside, with glorious hand
Unwearied plying the mechanic tool,
Gathered the seeds of trade, of useful arts,
Of civil wisdom, and of martial skill.

Charg'd with the stores of Europe, home he goes.
Then cities rise amid th' illumin'd waste;
O'er joyless deserts smiles the rural reign ;
Far distant flood to flood is social join'd,
Th' astonish'd Euxine hears the Baltic roar,
Proud navies ride on seas that never foam'd
With daring keel before.

*

*

His country glows around,
Taught by the royal hand that rous'd the whole
One scene of arts, of arms, of rising trade,
For what his wisdom plann'd and power enforced,
More potent still his great example showed."

PERSEVERANCE ILLUSTRATED.

King Robert Bruce, the restorer of the Scottish monarchy, being out one day reconnoitring the enemy, lay at night in a barn belonging to a loyal cottager. In the morning, still reclining bis head on the pillow of straw, he beheld a spider climbing up a beam of the roof. The insect fell to the ground; but immediately made a second essay to ascend. This attracted the notice of the hero, who, with regret, saw the spider fall a second time from the same eminence. It made a third unsuccessful attempt. Nor without a

mixture of concern and curiosity, the monarch twelve times beheld the insect baffled in its aim; but the thirteenth essay was crowned with success: it gained the summit of the barn; when the king, starting from his couch, exclaimed," This despicable insect has taught me perseverance! I will follow its example; have I not been twelve times defeated by the enemy's superior force? on one fight more hangs the independence of my country." In a few days his anticipations were fully realized, by the glorious result to Scotland of the Battle of Bannockburn.

PUNCTUALITY.

The most industrious dispositions often prove of little avail, for the want of a habit of very easy acquirement---punctuality, the jewel on which the whole machinery of successful industry may be said

to turn.

When Lord Nelson was leaving London, on his last, but glorious, expedition against the enemy, a quantity of cabin furniture was ordered to be sent on board his ship. He had a farewell dinner-party at his house; and the upholsterer having waited upon his lordship, with an account of the completion of the goods, was brought into the eating-room, in a corner of which his lordship spoke with him, The upholsterer stated to his noble employer, that every thing was finished, and packed, and would go in the waggon, from a certain inn, at six o'clock. "And you go to the inn, Mr. A., and see them off?" "I shall, my lord; I shall be there punctually at six." "A quarter before six, Mr. A.; (returned Lord Nelson) be there

a quarter before six. To that quarter of an hour I owe every thing in life."

His late majesty, George the Third, once ordered Mr. S., a tradesman of some eminence in London, to wait upon him at Windsor Castle, at eight o'clock in the morning of a day appointed. Mr. S. was half an hour behind the time; and upon being announced, his majesty said, "Desire him to come at eight o'clock to morrow morning." Mr. S. appeared the next day after the time, and received the same command. On the third morning he contrived to be punctual. Upon his entrance the king said, "Oh! the great Mr. S.! What sleep do you take, Mr. S. ?” "Why, please your majesty, I am a man of regular habits; I usually take eight hours." 'Eight hours!" said the king," that's too much, too much-six hours' sleep is enough for a man, seven for a woman, and eight for a fool, Mr. S., eight for a fool."

Mr. Scott, of Exeter, travelled on business till about eighty years of age. He was one of the most celebrated characters in the kingdom for punctuality, and by his methodical conduct, joined to uniform diligence, he gradually amassed a large fortune. For a long series of years, the proprietor of every inn he frequented in Devon and Cornwall knew the day, and the very hour, he would arrive. A short time before he died, a gentleman on a journey in Cornwall stopped at a small inn at Port Isaac to dine. The waiter presented him with a bill of fare, which he did not approve of; but observing a fine duck roasting, "I'll

have that," said the traveller. You cannot, sir," said the landlord, "it is for Mr. Scott, of Exeter." "I know Mr. Scott very well," rejoined the gentleman; "he is not in your house." "True, sir," said the landlord," but six months ago, when he was here last, he ordered a duck to be ready for him this day, precisely at two o'clock;" and, to the astonishment of the traveller, he saw the old gentleman on his Rosinante jogging into the inn yard about five minutes before the appointed time.

MALE AND FEMALE EMPLOYMENTS.

It has ever been the praise of England, that as the weaker sex are excluded, more strictly perhaps than in most other European countries, from all the walks of profit or honour, an amends is made to them by their being excused from those more laborious offices, which are neither fitted to the weakness of their frame, nor the delicacy of their habits and manners. This state of society has been in some degree attempted to be disturbed; and among the premiums of the Bath Agricultural Society in 1805, there is one for women ploughing." What might be the motive of this singular attempt to give a new direction to the industry of one half the species, it is not easy to determine; for notwithstanding the consumption of human lives by our fleets and armies, and our devouring manufactures, there are still men sufficient left for the purpose of agriculturé.

It was esteemed one of the most unequivocal signs of the exhausted and miserable state to which France was reduced in the latter days of Louis XIV.