214 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book II. 



' the field. The old man, who v,ras ftill vigorous and well able to 

 ' bear the fatigues of war, fet out with them, and was accompanied 

 ' by his prifoner. They marched above 200 leagues acrofs the fo- 



* reit, and came at length to a plain, where the Britiih forces were 



* encamped. The old man lliowed his prifoner the tents at a di- 



* ftance ; at the fame time remarked his countenance with the moffc 

 ' diligent attention : * There,' fiid he, * are your countrymen ; 

 *' there is the enemy who wait to give us battle. Remember that I 

 *' have faved thy life, that I have taught thee to conftrud a canoe, 

 " and to arm thyfelf with a bow and arrows ; to furprife the beaver 

 " in the foreft, to wield the tomahawk, and to fcalp the enemy. 

 *' What waft thou when I firft took thee to my hut ? Thy hands 

 *' were thofe of an infant ; they were fit neither to procure thee fu- 

 " ftcnance nor fafety. Thy foul was in utter darknefs ; thou waft 

 " ignorant cf every thing ; and thou oweft all things to me. Wilt 

 *' thou then go over to thy nation, and take up the hatchet againft 

 *' us ?' The officer replied, ' That he would rather lofe his own 

 " life than take away that of his deliverer.' The Indian then bending 

 ' down his head, and covering his face with both his hands, ftood 



* fome time filent ; then looking earneftly at his prifoner, he faid, in 

 ' a voice that was at once foftened by tendernefs and grief, ' Haft 

 " thou a father ?' * My father,' faid the young man, ' was alive 

 ' when I left my country.' ' Alas,' faid the Indian, ' how wretched 

 " muft he be !' He paufed a moment, and then added, ' Doft thou 

 •' knov/ that I have been a father ? — I am a father no more — I faw 

 " my fon fall in battle — he fought at my fide — I faw him expire ; 

 " but he died like a man— He was covered with wounds when he 

 " fell dead at my feet — But I have revenged him.' He pronounced 



* thefe words with the utmoft vehemence ; his body fliook with an 



* univerfal tremor j and he was almoft ftifled with fighs that he 



* would not fufTer to efcape him. There was a keen reftleffnefs in 



* his 



