THE CURFEW-SONG OF ENGLAND.

Canute! thy regal race is run;

Thy name had passed away,
But for the meed this tale hath won
Which never shall decay:
Its meek, unperishing renown,
Outlasts thy sceptre and thy crown.

The Persian," in his mighty pride,
Forged fetters for the main ;
And when its floods his power defied,
Inflicted stripes as vain ;-
But it was worthier far of thee
To know thyself, than rule the sea!

1. What part of speech is still, here? 2. What part of the verb is proclaim? 3. Supply the ellipsis.

Fane.
Aspirings.
Immortal.

Derivations.

VI. THE CURFEW-SONG OF ENGLAND.

To

"As William had gained his crown by force, he was obliged to keep it by severe laws. Aware that these severe laws would cause discontent among his subjects, he began to fear that they would meet together at night in secret, and concert measures against him. prevent this, he made a law, that all persons should put out their fires and candles at eight o'clock every evening; and, that no one might excuse himself for having a light after the hour prescribed, a bellman was sent through the streets, ringing his bell, and calling out 'couvre feu! couvre feu! that is, 'cover, or extinguish the fire. This order was announced in the Norman-French, because William desired that his new subjects should speak that language, so all public laws and notices were expressed in it. The term couvre feu was, by degrees, pronounced curfew: and you will find this word in your dictionary explained as the evening, or eight o'clock bell."— True Stories from History of England.

Sanctuaries.
Pilgrim.

Pulse.

BERNARD BARTON.

4. Natural order of these two lines. 5. Correlative of "his ?"

6. Historical fact referred to?

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HARK! from the dim church tower,
The deep slow curfew's chime !
A heavy sound unto hall and bower
In England's olden time!

Sternly and Sadly.
Sullen.
Wakeful.

Sadly 'twas heard by him who came
From the fields of his toil at night,
And who might not see his own hearth-flame
In his children's eyes make light.

Sternly and sadly heard,

As it quench'd the wood-fires glow,

Which had cheer'd the board with the mirthful word, And the red wine's foaming flow!

Until that sullen boding knell
Flung out from every fane,
On harp, and lip, and spirit, fell,
With a weight and with a chain.

Woe for the pilgrim then,
In the wild deer's forest far!

No cottage lamp, to the haunts of men
Might guide him, as a star.

And woe for him whose wakeful soul,
With lone aspirings fill'd,

Would have lived o'er some immortal scroll,
While the sounds of earth were still'd!

And yet a deeper woe

For the watcher by the bed,
Where the fondly loved in pain lay low,
In pain and sleepless dread!

For the mother, doom'd unseen to keep
By the dying babe, her place,
And to feel its flitting pulse, and weep,
Yet not behold its face!

Darkness in chieftain's hall!

Darkness in peasant's cot!

While freedom, under that shadowy pall,
Sat mourning o'er her lot.

Oh! the fireside's peace we well may prize!
For blood hath flowed like rain,

Pour'd forth to make sweet sanctuaries

Of England's homes again.

Heap the yule-fagots high
Till the red light fills the room!

It is home's own hour when the stormy sky
Grows thick with evening gloom.

INSCRIPTION FOR A COLUMN AT RUNNEMEDE.

Gather ye round the holy hearth,
And by its gladdening blaze,

Unto thankful bliss we will change our mirth,
With a thought of the olden days!

Verdant.

Traverse.
Thames.

Stranger.

VII. INSCRIPTION FOR A COLUMN AT RUNNEMEDE. "A CONFERENCE took place, June 15th, 1215, between the king and the barons at Runnemede, between Windsor and Staines; a spot ever since deservedly celebrated, and even hallowed by every zealous lover of liberty. There John, after a debate of some days, signed and sealed the famous Magna Charta, or Great Charter; which granted or rather secured very important privileges to every order of men in the kingdom-to the barons, to the clergy, and to the people."Russell's Modern Europe.

Derivations.

Syntax.

HEMANS.

Reward.
Chance.

Ancestors.

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Distinguish between these words, and put them into sentences:

Plain and Plane.

Owe and Oh!
Born and borne.

THOU, who the verdant plain dost traverse here,
While Thames among his willows from thy view
Retires, O stranger, stay thee, and the scene
Around contemplate well. This is the place
Where England's ancient Barons, clad in arms
And stern with conquest, from their tyrant king
(Then render'd tame) did challenge and secure
The charter of thy freedom. Pass not on
Till thou hast blest their memory, and paid
Those thanks which God appointed the reward
Of public virtue. And if chance thy home
Salute thee with a father's honour'd name,
Go, call thy sons; instruct them what a debt
They owe their ancestors; and make them swear
To pay it, by transmitting down entire

Those sacred rights to which themselves were born.*

AKENSIDE.

It will be found a very profitable exercise, to make those who are sufficiently advanced, paraphrase this poem, bringing in the facts, as detailed in the introductory note, into their paraphrase.

VIII. THE BATTLE OF BLENHEIM,

BLENHEIM is a small village of Bavaria, on the Danube, famous in modern history as being the scene of the great battle fought August 13th, 1704, between the English and Imperialists, under the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene, and the French and Bavarians, under Marshals Tallard and Marsin and the Elector of Bavaria. Each army consisted of nearly 80,000 men. The English and their allies gained a complete and decisive victory. Their enemies left above 10,000 men killed and wounded on the field; a vast number more were drowned in the Danube, and above 13,000 were made prisoners; among the latter were Marshal Tallard (whose son was killed) and many other officers of distinction. All the artillery, baggage, &c. of the French and Bavarians fell into the hands of the conquerors. The loss of the latter, though severe, was not greater than might have been expected, having amounted to about 5,000 killed and 8,000 wounded.-See Mc Culloch's Geographical Dictionary.

Derivations.

Rivulet. Field.
Expectant. Duke.
Victory. Prince.
Rout.
Famous.

Eugene.

Etymology. Distinguish between the following words, and
put them into sentences:
Summer's. Done, Dun, and Don.
Little.
Rout and Route.
Fly and Flee.

Victory.
Rotting.
Bodies.

It was a summer's evening,
Old Kaspar's work was done,
And he before his cottage door
Was sitting in the sun;
And by him sported on the green
His little grandchild Wilhelmine.'

Won, One, and Wan.
Head and Heed.
Died and Dyed.

She saw her brother Peterkin

Roll something large and round,
Which he beside the rivulet,

In playing there, had found:
He came to ask what he had found,
That was so large, and smooth, and round.

Old Kaspar took it from the boy,
Who stood expectant by ;

And then the old man shook his head,
And, with a natural sigh,

""Tis some poor fellow's skull," said he,
"Who fell in the great victory!

"Great praise the Duke of Marlborough won, And our good prince Eugene."

'Why, 'twas a very wicked thing!"

Said little Wilhelmine.

(6

Nay, nay, my little girl," quoth he, "It was a famous victory!

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