But Burns could no more control his appetite than his tongue.
"Thus thoughtless follies laid him low And stained his name." Xanthus, the philosopher, told his servant that on the morrow he was going to have some friends to dine, and asked him to get the best thing he could find in the market.

The philosopher and his guests sat down the next day at the table.

They had nothing but tongue--four or five courses of tongue--tongue cooked in this way, and tongue cooked in that way, and the philosopher lost his patience, and said to his servant, "Didn't I tell you to get the best thing in the market ?" He said, "I did get the best thing in the market.

Isn't the tongue the organ of sociality, the organ of eloquence, the organ of kindness, the organ of worship ?" Then Xanthus said, "To-morrow I want you to get the worst thing in the market." And on the morrow the philosopher sat at the table, and there was nothing there but tongue--four or five courses of tongue--tongue in this shape, and tongue in that shape--and the philosopher again lost his patience, and said, "Didn't I tell you to get the worst thing in the market ?" The servant replied, "I did; for isn't the tongue the organ of blasphemy, the organ of defamation, the organ of lying ?" "I can reform my people," said Peter the Great, "but I cannot reform myself." He forbade all Russians to wear beards, and to quell the insurrection which resulted, he had 8000 revolters beheaded.

With a hatchet he began the ghastly work.