succeeded any better among the Grecians, than his generals had done.

Mr H. Darius died just as he was ready to march.

J. Why Henry, you look as if you were perfectly astonished.

H. I am, and I cannot think what to ask next. It seems as if the history was broken in two, and I do not know how to join it together again; do you, papa?

Mr H. O yes. Xerxes peaceably

took possession of his father's throne, and his place in the army. He continued to the Jews all those privileges which his father had granted them, and particularly the supplies for the temple. A rebellion broke out in Egypt, just before his father's death, which he successfully, subdued, and then turned his thoughts towards Greece.

Mrs Harrison here interrupted her husband, by saying she intended the children should learn that part of the history and recite it; she wished, therefore, that Henry and Frances would take their books the next morning, and be prepared to tell the story of the expedition of Xerxes into Greece, when she next should have leisure to hear them. This did not occur till the next week. In the mean time, as in all other families, many little occurrences took place, out of which, a Miss Mitford, if

she had been there, might have made an amusing story. But unluckily for our entertainment, Miss Mitford, as usual, was across the 'great waters; and we must be contented to do without them; and will therefore try to find something of more importance, if not as much amusement, in the history of Xerxes. It so happened, that no one but Henry found it convenient to study the lesson, and he therefore must be chief speaker.

CHAPTER XII.

PERSIANS AND GRECIANS.

'No, no, Helen; brother cannot let Helen have this great book; mama must take it, and hear us recite.' But miss Helen, notwithstanding she had all the wisdom, which a child of eight months could be expected to possess, did not at this time think fit to understand Henry's refusal, or his reasons for it; and, one more spring at it, and we should have the sorrowful tale to tell that she had been so very disobedient as to tear a book; but just at that moment, mama interfered, and when papa or mama took away a book or a plaything, young as Helen was she had learned that it did no good to cry for it; so she immediately turned her attention to something else, and his mother requested him to proceed in his lesson.

H. Before Xerxes set out on this expedition, he went through the ceremony of asking the advice of the lords of his court; but he first shut all their mouths by giving his own opinion in favor of going, and none of them dared to object, except his uncle Artabanes,

Mrs H. This was the same man who advised Darius not to go against the Scythi

ans.

J. Ishould think, then, that Xerxes would hear to him.

H. No, Jane, he was very angry with him, and told him he would go himself and leave him at home, with the ladies, where only he was fit to be. But the next day he asked pardon for his disgraceful conduct and told his uncle, he was of his opinion that he had better not go; yet he said he had had a dream, that night, in which, a man appeared to him, and encouraged him to undertake the enterprise. The next day, he said he had had the same dream again, and that the same person appeared to him, and threatened him severely, if he did not go; and he wished his uncle would sleep in his bed the next night, and see whether it would appear to him. Artabanes consented, and had the same dream, and saw the same person, who, so completely frightened him out of his former wise opinion, that he was as forward as any one to encourage Xerxes to set out for Greece.

F. But, mother, do you really suppose they saw anything more than usual.

Mrs H. The story itself is very doubtful; yet as he was so anxious to go, it would be singular if he did not dream about it.

And

for the man, I should not wonder if it was Mardonius himself; for he had been determined upon avenging himself upon the Greeks ever since his former defeat by the Thracians, and the hurricane.

J. But, did he really go, because he dreamed he must?

H. Why, he went: but I suppose he was determined to go, before he had his convenient dream. He made an engagement with the Carthagenians, that, while he kept the Grecians busy at home, they should prevent them from receiving any assistance from their colonies in Sicily, by attacking them.

Mrs H. We shall find the account of this affair, when we come to the history of Carthage. I will only mention here, that they not only raised all the men they could at home, but with the money which Xerxes furnished they hired troops from France, Spain, and Italy. So here you see all the world against Greece. But proceed, Henry.

H. The first story, I suppose, will convict Xerxes, in Fanny's opinion, of being a fool or a madman; and in mine, of being a funny fellow. To save the risk and trouble of taking his vessels around the promontory of mount Athos, where the former fleet was destroyed, he ordered his soldiers to cut a