New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-12-12
Two Tales from the Costa Roma
nOruRM.
OF CONFESSION.

1 wv knAcS kFCIu TIC OeSt1 Roma
/ nOrum.
I OF CONFESSION.
! A certain king, named Asmodeus, estab
| lished an ordinance by which every malefac
| tor, taken, and brought before the judge
should distinctly declare three truths agains
which no exception could be taken, or elst
be capitally condemned. If, however, he die
this, his life and property should be safe. Il
CHANGED that a certain soldier transgressel
the law, and fed. He hid himself in a forest
and there committed many atrocities, despoil
ing and staying whonlsoever he could lay his
hands upon. When the judge of the district
ascertained his haunt, he ordered the forest
to be surrounded, and the soldier to be seized
and brought, bound, to the seat of Judgment
You know the law said the judge. 81
do" returned the other: "If 1 declare three
unquestionable truths, I shall be free; but il
not, Unjust die. ''-"True," replied the judge;
take. then, advantage of the laws clemen-
cy, or undergo the punishment it awards
said the soldier, undauntedly. His wish be.
ing complied with, he proceeded IN the fol-
lowing manner: "The first truth is this. !
protest before We all, that from my youth up,
| have been bad man, The judge, hear
ing this, said to the by-stsnders, "He says
true" They answered, Else, he had not
now been in this situation. '--"Go on, then, -
said the judge. "What is the second truth ?''
-" like not" exclaimed he, "the danger
Gus situation in which stand" p" Certain
~" said the judge, we may credit thee.
Now, then, for the third truth; and thou
hast saved thy life. D" Why" he replied,
IF l once get out of this confounded place.
1 will never willingly re-enter t."-"Amen,' y
said the judge. ''Thy wit hath preserved
thee; so in peace" And thus he was saved.
APPLICATION.
My beloved, the Emperor is Christ. The
soldier is any sinner; the judge is wise con-
tessor. If the sinner confess the truth in such
a manner as not even demons can object, he
shall be saved, that is, if he confess and
repent.
OF FORESIGHT AND CARE.
king had an only son whom he tenderly
loved. He caused a golden apple to be made
at an immense expense, and shortly after its
fabrication, sickened. Finding his end ap-
proach, he called to him his son, and spoke
after the following manner: "My dear son,
if it please God that should not recover
from the sickness under which suffer, on my
blessing l charge you travel through town
and country, and take with you the golden
apple which l caused to be made; find out
the greatest fool, and deliver to him that APP
pie from me-" The son faithfully promised
to execute his parents wish; and the king
turning himself toward the wall, resigned his
spirit. a splendid funeral was prepared );
and, after the interment, the son set out
upon his travels, with the apple in his pos
session.
lie traversed many countries and kingdoms,
and found abundance Of fools, but none whom
he thought quite worthy of the apple. At
last, he entered certain province, and ap-
preached its principal city. Observing the
king, very magniticently attended, riding
through the streets, he asked various ques-
tons respecting the person he saw, and es-
pecially of the institutions of the country.
He was answered, that, according to their
custom, the throne was annually vacated !;
and that the late possessOr, deprived of every
honor, was driven into Punishment, where he
died in obscurity and poverty. The traveller,
hearing the account, exclaimed, ''This is the
man! I have found him whom I sought ="
and immediately fastening to the palace, he
bent his knee, and cried, .'Hail, o king my
deceased father bequeathed to you this golden
apple in his last will" The king received
the gift, and said, ''My friend, how can this
be Your royal father knew nothing of me-.
nor have I ever performed any service to
him. Why, then, hath he left me so val
liable present ?''-'The king, my lord"
replied he, "bcqueathed it not more to you
than to another; but on his blessing, he
charged me to bestow it upon the greatest
fool that could find. And have now tray
eled through various kingdoms and countries,
but nowhere have discovered 80 exquisite a
fool and mailman. Therefore, according to
my sire's command, resign the apple to
your most gracious Majesty. "-"But," said
the king, "On what account do you take me
for fool Pr will tell you, my lord" re-
turned tho other. "You are king for one
year; and then, doomed to poverty and ex-
lie, you perish most miserably. 1 declare to
you, / do not believe that there is, in the
whole " rid, such an instance of egregious
folly. For would any but fool choose so
short a time ofsplendor for an end so caami-
tons ?"-"Why," replied the king, "you are
doubtless right; and, therefore, while yet
reign, will prepare for my future existence.
will send the greater portion of my wealth
into remote land, upon which 1 may live in
comfort when | am driven into exile" He
did so; and for a number of years enjoyed
great prosperity, and ended his life IN peace.
APPLICATION.
My beloved, the king, who bequeathed
golden apple to fools, is God. That apple is
the world. The king who reigned for year
is any man who lives in this world (consid-
cred with respect to futurity) but as for a
single hour. Let us, then, make provision
for the future.
OF CONCORD.
Two physicians once resided in city, who
were admirably skilled in medicine; inso-
much, that all the sick who took their pre-
scriptions were healed and it thence became
a question with the inhabitants, which of
them was the best. After while dispute
arose between them upon this point. Said
one, ''My friend, why should there be discord
or envy or anger? let US make the trial and
whatsoever is inferior in skill shall serve the
other" -"But how" replied his friend, sis
this to be brought about?'' The first ply
stefan answered, "Hear me. Twill pluck out
your eyes, without doing you the smallest
injury, and lay them before you on the table;
and when you desire it, will replace them
as perfect and serviceabe as they were be-
fore. If, in like manner, you can perform
this, we will then be esteemed equal, and
walk as brethren through the world. But,
remember, he who fails in the attempt shall
become the servant of the other."-"I am
we'll pleased" returned his fellow, "to do as
you say" Whereupon, he who made the
proposition took out his instruments, and ex-
tracteI the eyes, besmearing the sockets and
the. outer part of the lids with a certain rich