306 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



" daughter Cyanea drefled her little fiRers, and al- 



*^ ready fupplied the place of a mother to them. 



*' My wife, induflrious, and ftill yoimg, main- 



*' tained, all the year round, gaiety, peace, and 



'* abundance in my habitation. But the lofs of 



'^ my eldeft fon has been followed by that of al- 



'* moft my whole family. Like other young men, 



" he was defirous of (hewing his agility, by climb- 



" ing up the higheft trees. His mother, to whom 



** fuch exercifes caufed the greateft dread, had 



** frequently entreated him to abftain from amufe- 



" ments of this kind. I had often predided that 



" fome misfortune would be the confequence. 



*' Alas! the Gods have puniQied my unwarrant- 



** able prédirions, by accomplifhing them. One 



*' Summer's day, in which my fon was in the fo- 



** reft, keeping the flocks with his brothers, the 



" youngeft of them took a fancy to eat fome of 



*' the fruit of a wild cherry-tree. The eldeft im- 



*' mediately climbed it, in order to gather them ; 



*' and when he had reached the fummit, which 



** was very elevated, he perceived his mother at a 



** little diftance, who, feeing him in her turn, 



** uttered a loud fcream, and fainted. At this 



" fight, terror, or repentance, feized my unhappy 



*' fon ; he fell. His m.other, being brought to 



** herfelf by the cries of her children, ran toward 



*' him, but in vain attempted to re-animate him 



" in her arms : the unfortunate youth turned his 



*' eyes 



