Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1852-12-23

and they are useless, lose my time and
my money. What is the price ?''
GA thousand forms, my lord
ga thousand forms for that of the which
l know not what it ISL replied the King.
"My lord" rejoined the merchant. g if
the maxims do not stand you in good stead,
I will return the money"
Be it so then; let US hear your max
ims''
"The first my lord, is on this wise,
Never begin anything until you have cal
culated what the end will be"
81 like your maxim much" said the
king; "let it be recorded in the chronicles
of the kingdom, inscribed on the walls and
over the doors Of my palaces and halls of
justice, and interviewer on the borders of
the linen of my table and chamber
'sThe second, my lord, is, Never leave
highway for by-way."
81 see dot the value of this maxim; but
to the third
"Never sleep in the house where the mas
ter is an old man, and the wife young wo-
man. These three maxims, if attended to,
my lord, will stand you in good stead"
"We shall see," said the king; year
and a day for the trial of each; at the end
of this time we will settle accounts"
"Good MASTER" said the kings Jester,
"wilt sell thy chance Of the forms for my
FOOLS cap %
Wait, and see what the end will be-"
rejoined the merchant; "a year and a day
hence | will return to see how my first
maxim has Jared. Farewell, my lord"
The yeaa and day were nearly elapsed,
and yet the first maxim had not been clear
ly proved. Domitian remained severely
just and the ill-intentioned of his mobiles
plotted his destruction in the hopes indulg-
ing their vices more freely under the rule
Of his successor. Many were the plots
they concocted to put him to death, but all
were foiled by his foresight and prudence.
every failure" said the conspirators
at midnight meeting, "brings danger
nearer to ourselves
"Even so, brothers, but this time we will
not fall" said one of the number, "do ye
not mind that l am the kings barber; every
day he bares his throat to my razor; it is
but one slash, and we are free; promise me
the crown; in return for this l will give
you freedom by the kings death, and free
license during my reign
cit is we'll spoken" cried all the conspi-
rators; "the barber shall be our king"
On the next morning the barber entered
the chamber of Domitian, and prepared to
shave the king. The razor was stropped,
the lather spread upon the royal chin, and
tho towel fastened round the royal breast.
On the edge Of the napkin were these words
in letters Of gold, "Never begin anything
until you have calculated what the end will
be-"
The BARRIERS eye fell on these words, they
arrested his attention, he paused in his Ia
bors.
"What am about to do?" thought he to
himself, "to kill the king, to gain his crown?
shall I not rather be slain miserably, and
die amid unheard Of tortures and intamy
whilst those that plot with me will turn
against me. and make ME their scape- goat :"
"Be faithful, and fear not" replied the
king.
The merchant, my lord the king" said
a servant of the chamber, who entered at
that moment, followed by the old merchant
Thou art come at good time, sir mer-
chant; the first maxim has been proved !;
it has saved my life; it was worthy of its
price,"
"Even as l expected my lord-a year
and day hence expect me again"