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I have but a small fortune, and that scarcely enough tosupport my family. What, said Apollonius, I suppose youhave a numerous family to maintain, and that it contributesbut little towards its support: for as to yourself you do notappear of the number of the unwise. The man sheddingsome tears at this, said, I have four daughters, and it willbe necessary to give each of them a portion : I have my-self only twenty thousand drachmas, which when dividedamongst them, will be but little to each; and I shall beruined, as nothing will be left for me. Apollonius hearingthis, had compassion on him, and said, The earth and Iwill take care of you, for I am assured you offer sacrificesto her. After this, without saying more, he walked intothe suburbs of the city, like pne who seemed as if he in-tended to buy fruit. Whilst there, he happened to see apiece of ground planted with olive-trees, whose heightand beauty pleased him: and in it he discovered a littlegarden abounding with bees and flowers. He entered thisgarden like one who wished to examine it better, and afteroffering up his prayers to Pandora, returned back to the city.He then went in quest of the owner of the ground, whosefortune had been acquired by the most Unjustifiable means,(in fact jit was acquired by information given against the Phe-niciaDs, or Jews , by which their properties were confis-cated) and when found, he asked him for what he hadbought the farm, and what he had laid out in improving it ?The owner told him he purchased it the year before forfifteen thousand drachmas, on which he had not as yetmade any improvement. On hearing this, Apolloniuspersuaded him to sell it for twenty thousand drachmas, bywhich he would be a gainer of five thousand. The poorman who looked for the treasure, knew not the value of thepresent made him, he thought he had only got the worthof his money, nay, rather less, inasmuch as the twentythousand drachmas, whilst they remained in his hands, wereentirely in his own power; but the farm he got in place of