Page:History of the seven wise mistresses of Rome.pdf/12

12 all his young, but not knowing how to get off the island, they wandered up and down, and at last the man died, leaving the lady in great distress. One day in her wandering she met a lion, which much frighted her; but on his near approach she observed he halted, and held up his foot to her, upon which she looked at it, and finding in it a thorn, pulled it out. This done, the lion fawned upon her, led her to his den, fed her with the prey he took, and always walked abroad with her, to preserve her from the other wild beasts; and at last a ship took her to her father's in Barbary. Some time after her father being killed by a wild boar, the steward reported that the lion had killed his master, upon which the servants fell upon the lion and killed him.

My daughter, said the Empress, shall not die, for that example's sake.