s on these occasions, that they were always submitted to
without murmuring or repining: as a badge of distinction for their new
king, they made a general subscription, and bought him a fine cap
ornamented with a white feather, and round it was engraved in letters of
gold, "Peter Pippin, King of the Good Boys." A few days after Peter was
chosen King, as George Graceless, Neddy Neverpray, and two or three
other boys, as naughty as themselves, were playing at marbles in the
church-yard, George Graceless's brother Jack, who was a very
good-natured little boy, happened to stop his brother George's marble by
accident, upon which he flew into a violent passion, took the Lord's
name in vain, called his brother a fool, and made use of a great many
other wicked expressions, which so shocked Little King Pippin, who was
sitting on a tomb-stone, just by, reading Mrs. Winlove's Lectures, that
he could not forbear speaking to little Graceless; pray, Master
Graceless, says he, do you know the consequence of these shocking
expressions? did you never read in your Bible, that "Whosoever calleth
his brother a fool, is in danger of hell fire?" and don't you know, that
one of the commandments says, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord
thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless, that taketh
his name in vain?" Where can you expect to go when you die? Pooh, says
little Graceless, don't tell me any of your nonsensical stuff about
dying, I have many a good year to live yet; do you mind your reading,
and let me alone to my play. Oh fy, oh fy, Master Graceless, says Little
King Pippin, God Almighty, if he pleased, could strike you dead, this
moment, and however secure you may think yourself, be assured,

_There's not a sin that you commit,
Nor wicked word you say,
But in God's dreadful book 'tis writ
Against the judgment day._

There's not a fib that e'er was told,
Or evil thought arose,
_But in that book is safe inroll'd,
As that day will disclose._

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

Shah, says he, I am not afraid of that, and away he went singing,

_Let us be merry and gay,
And drive away care and sorrow,
We'll laugh and sing to-day,
And talk about death to-morrow,_

as thoughtless and unconcerned as if he had done nothing amiss; and now
the clock striking two, which was the hour for returning to school,
Billy Meanwell, Sammy Sober, Bobby Bright, Tommy Telltruth, and all the
rest