C 112 || 48. Filial Piety. A Roman historian relates that a womam of distinction having been condemned to be strangled, was delivered to the executioner who sent her to prison in order to be put to death. The gaoler was struck with compunction, and could not resolve to kill her. He chose however to let her die of hunger; but in the mean while suffered her daughter to visit her in prison, only taking care that she brought her no food. Many days passed over in this manner; at length the gaoler surprised that the prisoner lived so long without food and suspecting the daughter, took means secretly to observe their interviews. He then disco vered that the affectionate daughter, had all the while prolonged her mother's life with her own milk. Amazed at so tender, and at the same time so ingenious an artifice, he related it to the authorities of the city. This produced the happiest effects; they pardoned the criminal and passed a decree, that the mother
