ON FIDELITY.

He that can endure

To follow with allegiance a fallen lord

Does conquer him that did his master conquer,
And earns a place i' the story.

O Heaven! were man

But constant, he were perfect: that one error
Fills him with faults.

There are various ways of showing fidelity. There may be fidelity in action called honesty, and fidelity in affection. The practice of this virtue is a duty incumbent upon all men in the various relations of life, and it is inculcated by the teachings of reason and conscience as well as the Word of God. The first sort of fidelity immediately applies to all our dealings with others. Suppose a person to be employed by another in some matter of business, he should show fidelity to the interests of the person who employs him. An important trust has been committed to him, and therefore he should faithfully perform it. Property is often committed to the care of a servant, because it is a servant's duty to take care of it. He is admitted into his employer's house and family that he may be trusted with this power. Breach of trust, or want of fidelity, is, therefore, a heinous offence. It is not only a duty that such a one should be faithful himself, but he should not in any way connive at a want of fidelity in others.

Should he discover any confederacy among his fellow-servants to abuse the confidence of his employer, he ought immediately to divulge it, so that the injury may be prevented.

The other kind of fidelity we have named, that of affection, will never fail to endear us to those in whose behalf we entertain it. We mean that faithfulness to their highest interests which is zealous for their reputation or good name, and warm in its defence, and which endeavours at all times to vindicate them against the open aspersions, and base and secret insinuations of others.

In whatever way we exercise fidelity, we should remember that it is a principle which goes on moulding the character hourly and daily, growing with a force that operates every moment. The man of fidelity feels that without its dominating influence character has no protection, but is constantly liable to fall away away before temptation, and every such temptation succumbed to, every act of meanness, however slight, as an inevitable result produces self-degradation and misery.

In any case in which a breach of faith occurs, or a want of fidelity exists, treachery accompanies it, and he that is guilty may escape detection and punishment, but he will nevertheless stand self-condemned, be ashamed to trust himself with his own thoughts, and wear in his countenance both the consciousness of

guilt and the dread of discovery; whereas the man of fidelity looks always upward and feels his innocence, meeting fearlessly the inquisitive and suspicious eye, and stands undaunted before God and man.

THE FIDELITY OF A KING.

John, King of France, was taken prisoner in battle by Edward the Black Prince, and brought to England. After remaining there in captivity four years he was allowed to return to his own country, that he might endeavour to prevail upon his subjects to agree to a peace proposed by the King of England. The proposals of the English king, among other things, stipulated for a payment of four millions of gold crowns as a ransom for the French monarch. To this King John saw no objection, as he thought it was a just proposal; but it was not favourably received by the people of France, and the peace was not carried into effect. When King John found that his people would not pay the money required for his liberty, he did not, as many would have done, resolve to stay in France and so evade the payment. He determined immediately to return to England, and surrender his person once more into the hands of King Edward. Some of his councillors advised him against this step, but he was not affected by their counsels. If fidelity and loyalty,' said

he,' were banished from the rest of the world, they ought still to remain enshrined in the hearts of kings.'

He accordingly returned to England, became again a prisoner, and soon after died in London.

ON OBSERVING PROMISES.

Thou oughtest to be very nice in keeping thy promises, and therefore thou should'st be equally cautious in making them. He who is most slow in making a promise is the most faithful in the performance of it.

A most prolific source of trouble and vexation in the world is the making of promises. A promise is not only a solemn engagement to do an act at a future time, but it is an engagement that all things shall be so that the person making the promise can keep it. Every promise is to be performed in that sense in which the promiser understood it, and in which he authorised him to whom it was made to understand it.

Men of honour ought to consider calmly how far the things which they promise may be in their power before they venture to make promises, because the non-performance of them will be apt to excite an uneasiness within themselves and tarnish their reputation in the eyes of others.

There are promises into which many persons enter from unpardonable weakness, or some desire to be agreeable or amiable to others, and are thus led into engagements which they often

find it inconvenient to comply with. In many such cases it is best not to promise, but to say No at once, rather than give a shuffling and evasive answer.

The evil of promising is, that when the day of performance arrives either the, inclination to perform is annihilated, or the ability to perform, if it ever existed, has been lost. The promiser must then exonerate himself as he can, or take the consequences. He runs the risk of losing his own self-respect, and of destroying his peace of mind.

It is immoral to promise anything which you know you cannot perform: it is far more so to make a promise which, at the very time of making it, you mean not to perform.

A breach of promise is not a direct lie, but it is a sin which no thoroughly truthful person will ever commit. Every engagement, however trifling in itself, should be carefully kept, if it is in our power, and he who does not think himself bound by a promise cannot be considered a truly honest and upright man.

Young persons are very ready to make promises. Kind feelings and the sincerity of inexperienced age prompt them to do so; but the making of such heedless promises, they should remember, is a wrong done to themselves and to others, and often leads to strife, lasting illwill, and the sacrifice of friends-evils which, by the exercise of a little considerateness, they may easily avoid.