To make a slave of anybody
is to use him ill, is it not? _T._--I think so. _Mr B._--Then no one
ought to make a slave of you? _T._--No, indeed, sir. _Mr B._--But if no
one should use another ill, and making a slave is using him ill, neither
ought you to make a slave of any one else. _T._--Indeed, sir, I think
not; and for the future I never will use our black William ill; nor
pinch him, nor kick him, as I used to do. _Mr B._--Then you will be a
very good boy. But let us now continue our story.

"This unfortunate man had not lain long quiet in the cavern before he
heard a dreadful noise, which seemed to be the roar of some wild beast,
and terrified him very much. He started up with a design to escape, and
had already reached the mouth of the cave, when he saw coming towards
him a lion of prodigious size, who prevented any possibility of retreat.
The unfortunate man now believed his destruction to be inevitable; but,
to his great astonishment, the beast advanced towards him with a gentle
pace, without any mark of enmity or rage, and uttered a kind of mournful
voice, as if he demanded the assistance of the man.

"Androcles, who was naturally of a resolute disposition, acquired
courage, from this circumstance, to examine his monstrous guest, who
gave him sufficient leisure for that purpose. He saw, as the lion
approached him, that he seemed to limp upon one of his legs, and that
the foot was extremely swelled, as if it had been wounded. Acquiring
still more fortitude from the gentle demeanour of the beast, he advanced
up to him, and took hold of the wounded paw, as a surgeon would examine
a patient. He then perceived that a thorn of uncommon size had
penetrated the ball of the foot, and was the occasion of the swelling
and lameness which he had observed. Androcles found that the beast, far
from resenting this familiarity, received it with the greatest
gentleness, and seemed to invite him by his blandishments to proceed. He
therefore extracted the thorn, and, pressing the swelling, discharged a
considerable quantity of matter, which had been the cause of so much
pain and uneasiness.

"As soon as the beast felt himself thus relieved, he began to testify
his joy and gratitude by every expression within his power. He jumped
about like a wanton spaniel, wagged his enormous tail, and licked the
feet and hands of his physician. Nor was he contented with these
demonstrations of kindness: from this moment Androcles became his gues