The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-10-23
90 PER YEAR.
A Capital Maxim.

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu relates III,
following story:
One day as an ancient king of Tartar,
was riding with his officers at State. thet
met deryls crying aloud "To him thai
VIII give me hundred dinars Small piece.
OF money! / will give a piece Of good ad
vice The king, attracted hy tbis stran,,
declaration, stopped and said 10 the dervis
What advice is this that YOU offer for 3
hundred dinars% ''Sire," replied the der.
Wis, Il shall be most thankful 10 tell Won As
soon as you order the money to be paid me %
! The king expecting to hear something en-
traordinary, ordered the dinars 70 be given
TO the deryis at once, on receiving which be
said: "Sire, my advice is Begin nothing
without considering what the end NAV be- =
Inc otncers OF state, smiling at what thev
! thought ridiculous advice. looked AZ the
king, who they expected would be so en-.
ragged at this insult as 70 order the dervis I,
be severely punished. The king seeinr
their amusement and surprise, said Il SEQ
nothing to laugh at in the advice of thi.
dervls; but, on the contrary, / am persuad
ed that II It were more frequently praoticcd
men would escape many calamities In.
deed. so convinced am | of the wisdom oi
this maxim that l shall have il engraved on
my plate and written on the walls Of nay
palace, so that il may be ever before me
The king, having thanked the deryis. pro.
ceeded toward his palace and on his ar
rival he ordered the chief Bev 10 see tina,
the maxim was engraved on his plate ana
on the walls OF his palace
Some time after this occurrence one OF
The mobiles of the court, proud ambition.
man, resolved to destroy the king and place
himself on the throne. In order 10 accom-.
plish this bad purpose he secured the conf.
Ience OF one Of the kings surgeons. {,
whom ne gave a poisoned lancet saving
ii you Will bleed the king with this lame,
| VIII give you ten thousand pieces Of poid
and when | ascend the throne YOU shall h
my yizior.' This tase surgeon. dazzled by
such brilliant prospects, wickcdly asscntcd
to the proposal
An opportunity of efecting his evil dc. !
sign soon occurred. The king sent for thi. !
man 10 bleed him. He put the poisoned Ian /
Get into side pocket and FASTENED into th, |
kings presence. The arm was tied, and III, |
fatal lancet was about TO be plunged int, |
the vein, when suddenly the surgeons eve |
read this maxim at the bottom of the basin |
Begin nothing without considering whai
the end may be-" He immediately paused
as he thought within himself: If beeu
the king with this lancet he will die, and /
shall be seized and put to cruel death.
Then of what use will all the gold in the
Get to his pocket he drew forth another.
The king, observing this, and pcrceiving
that he was much embarrassed, asked why
he changed his lancet so suddenly He
stated that the point was broken but the
king, doubling his statement, commanded
him to show it, This SO agitated him that
the king felt assured all was not right. He
said: There is treachery in this Tell me
instantly what 1t means, or your head shall
be severed from your bodyw The surgeon.
trembling with fear, promised 10 relate ali
10 the king if he would only pardon his
guilt. The king consented, and the surgeon
related the whole matter, acknowledging
that had it not been for the words in the
basin he should have used the fatal lancet.
The king summoned his court, and or
iered the traitor 10 be executed. Then,
turning to his officers Of State, he said
You now see that the advice of the deryis.
1t which you laughed is most valuable; il
has saved my life. Search out this dervis.
hat | may amply reward him for his wise
maxim"