he makes a Vifit to his Parents; and on his Proteftation, that he had only diffembled in his Apoftacy, was joyfully received by them, like the returning Prodigal, in Hopes he would, in a short Time, be reconciled to his Mother Church: Accordingly, the next Night, a fplendid Entertainment was prepared for him, when this abandoned Mifcreant, regardlefs of the Voice of Nature, and all the Ties of Blood, whereby they were united to him, caufed both of them, together with his elder Brother, to be inhumanly butchered, in the midft of all their Rejoicings; and this done, he fpared no Manner of Outrages and Villanies, till he had compelled the Georgians to acknowledge him for their King,

But this abominable Parricide was immediately overtaken by the Juftice of Heaven, his whole Life afterwards being attended with continual Misfortunes. Firft, he was wounded in the Arm by the Turkish General in a Battle, which followed foon after,and which occafioned the total Overthrow of the Perfian Army; then he was affaulted unawares, the fame Night in his Tent, by his enraged Countrymen, who cut a young Catamite, his wretched Bedfellow, in Pieces, himself narrowly efcaping their Fury, by getting off at the firft Alarm. And notwithstanding he, in Revenge, brought the whole Perfian Army into Georgia, with a Refolution to make the whole Country feel the Weight of his Indignation, by exercifing all Manner of Cruelties upon them, yet could he not avoid falling a Sacrifice to their juft Revenge; for, when both Armies were in Sight of each other, a Parley being propofed by the Queen, Widow to his late Brother, in the intermediate Space between them, at a private Signal given by that Heroine, he was shot by a Party of Mufqueteers, placed there in Ambuth for that Purpose.

Thus

Thus did this unnatural Viper meet with just the fame Meafure as he had meted to others; as he had fallen unawares upon his aged Parents and elder Brother, fo was he difpatched fuddenly, without Time for Repentance, and without having long enjoyed the Fruits of his monftrous Wickednefs. Let thofe who would avoid his dreadful End, avoid his dreadful Crimes! We shall next go on to give a few Inftances of Children, who have not proceeded quite fo far in their Barbarity, and Difregard of Parents, but were nevertheless feverely punished for their Difobedience.

A certain undutiful Son, having an old Mother fallen to Decay, himself being in good Circumftances, grew at last so unnatural, that, inftead of fupporting her, as he was in Duty bound, he even grudged her Lodging, and turned her out of Doors thrice in one Day, telling her, the laft Time, in a great Fury, that he would rather fee his Houfe on Fire, and reduced to Ashes, than fuffer her to remain therein one Day longer. And according to his wicked Words, fo it fell out; for, that very fame Day, the Flames feized thereon, no one knowing which Way, and burnt it to the Ground,

Another of the fame Stamp, would not indeed, for his own Credit, turn his aged Father into the Street; but, though he kept him under his Roof, he treated him more like a Slave than a Parent, and grudged him almoft every Morfel he eat. One Day, above the reft, fome nice Dainty being brought to Table, he caufed it to be conveyed away, and fome more ordinary Food provided, that the old Man might not partake thereof; but he was foon defervedly punished for his Unkindnefs; for when, after the Father's Departure, he ordered it to be fetched again, on taking off the

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Cover,

Cover, he found it turned to Snakes and Serpents; one of which faftening on his Lip, could not be got off to his dying Day; fo that he was obliged to carry it about with him, as a continual Memorial of his Undutifulnefs, and could never feed himfelt without feeding the Serpent alfo.

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Another, near of Kin to thefe, was not only impious enough one Day to lift his Hand againft the Author of his Being, but to drag the poor old Man by the Hair of his Head to the Threshold of the Door; but he was punished in his kind for this unnatural Action a confiderable Time after, when himself had forgotten it. Many Years being elapfed, and he pretty well ftricken in Years, his Son, who was now come to Man's Eftate, being incenfed at him on fome Account, not only beat him feverely, and dragged him by the Hair of the Head to the Threshold, but drew him quite of Doors, into the Dirt, and there left him. Hereupon the poor old Wretch, reading his 'Sin in his Chaftifement, recalled to Mind his own Treatment of his Father; and taking Shame to himself, with aching Heart, and Tears in his Eyes, acknowledged he was but juftly ferved, fince he had dealt almoft in the fame Manner by his Parent, only that he had not dragged him into the Dirt.

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Another graceless young Man, not only treated his ancient Mother with the utmost Difregard and Disrespect, but used, whenever the expoftulated with him, or reproved him on that Account, tỏ make Faces, and to point with his Fingers at her,in Scorn and Derifion. But though this in reality did not at all hurt the old Woman, any otherwise than by provoking her, he did not escape the Vengeance of that God, who has faid, Whofe curfeth his Father, or his Mother, his Lamp shall be put out in obfeure Darkness.

Accord

Accordingly, one Time above the reft, having grievously exafperated his aged Parent by fuch Behaviour, the wifhed he might make just fuch a Mouth as he was then making at her upon the Gallows. Neither was it a vain Wifh, Heaven having faid Amen thereto; for, not many Days after, having committed a Robbery, he was apprehended, and condemned to be hanged for it; and when he was upon the Ladder, just about to be turned off, he was observed to fcrew up his Mouth in the fame manner, thro' Anguish, as he had frequently done at his Mother in Derifion. A dreadful Warning to all fuch ungracious Youths, to take Care how they mock their Parents!

Neither are the two next Inftances lefs remarkable, or lefs inftructive, though they are not quite fo tragical and fhocking. A certain young Man, on the strongest Proteftations and Vows of the most unalterable Affection, and the molt fcrupu lous Reverence and Regard, having prevailed on his ancient Father to part with the Staff out of his own Hand, with a View of making his Fortune, was for fome Time pretty obfervant of his Promifes, fo that the old Man did not repent his Confidence. But, on his marrying a fine young Wife, the Scene foon began to change; firft, his frequent Coughing was offenfive and difturbing to her, and. he must be removed farther from her Hearing;. then he was not cleanly enough in his Eating, and muft not be admitted at Table; in fhort, from one thing to another, he was hardly ufed in Lodg ing, Dier, and Apparel.

At laft, the ungrateful Wretch proceeded fo far, that when his Father asked for Linnen, he bought fix or eight Ells, and giving the old Man half, re-, ferved the other for himself; which being obferved by this young Son, a meer Child, who happened, to be by, he took the Cloth and hid it. Some L 3 Time

Time after, it being wanted, Enquiry was mad● after it, and at laft, when it could not be found by: any one, the Child was asked about it; he prefently owned he had hid it, and being examined why he had fo done, he answered (whether of his own Head, or by a Divine Impulfe, we leave our Readers to determine) he had laid it by for the Ufe of his Daddy when he came to be old; which tharp Reply, tho' out of the Mouth of a Babe, touched the ungrateful young Man fo to the Quick, that ever from that Time, he fhewed himself more refpectful and affectionate to his ancient Father.

Similar hereto, and equally productive of a good Effect, was the Home Repartee of another Boy, to an unnatural Wretch, who, becaufe his old Father was fomewhat unhandy in feeding himself, provided a Trough to put his Victuals in; telling the old Man, that, as he ate like a Swine, be fhould be ferved as a Swine. His young Son, feeing this Trough, asked innocently for what Ufe it was, and being anfwered, it was for his Grandfather to have his Victuals in; What, fays he, Daddy, muft I get fuck a one for you when you grow old? Upon which it was immediately thrown away, and the old Man was ever after treated with more Respect and Kindnefs. Now, as we know the Belief of a Divine Infpiration is pretty much ridiculed and laughed out of Doors, in the prefent refined Age, we fhall not infift, that the Anfwers of either of thefe Children were owing thereto; all we shall obferve thereon, is, that they had the fame good Effect, as if they had been fo.

To thefe we fhall fubjoin two other remarkable Stories, wherewith we fhall conclude what we have to fay farther upon this Article. A young Man, who had always led a diffolute Life, and who in particular had been fo undutiful and difrefpectful to his Parents, that he had drawn upon

himself