whose son is not here among the number of my scholars. With these in your power, you may require, for ransom, the immediate surrender of the city, and almost any further advantage you please. Such is the great service which, in hopes of a correspondent recompense, I am happy to render to you." Camillus, instead of accepting the offer, contemplated the man with all the indignation of a noble soul. Without condescending to answer him, he ordered his hands to be tied, and his cloak removed; then putting rods into the hands of the boys, he desired them to flog him back into the town, and make their fathers acquainted with all that had taken place. This act of magnanimity affected the citizens greatly, and led the way to a pacification which satisfied both parties, while it brought more honor to Camillus than could have been procured by the most successful operations of war.

LESSON CXXXIV.

In the act of composing, much advantage will be gained by not thinking it a task. Get rid of your repugnance to it by contending with it. Find, or frame, some occasion for telling a story that has pleased you. Endeavor to recollect your expressions while you were animated with your subject; write them down, and correct them yourself, or get another to correct them. Thus will be acquired a style, easy, yet not slovenly; such a style as is fitted for the ordinary business of life. You may not please yourself in your first attempts; and it is better that you should not. You ought to keep before your mind an exalted standard of excellence, through the influence of which your attempts may be always rising higher and higher, though the degree of excellence which your imagined standard of excellence holds forth be unattained, and perhaps unat tainable.

SUBJECTS FOR EXERCISE.

PERSONAL SUBJECTS.

1. My History of Yesterday. 2. My Name, Country, Parentage, Date of Birth, Present Age, and such other Circumstances as might be stated at

the beginning of an Autobiography. 3. The Earliest Things I can remember. 4. The Events of a Remarkable Day about weeks, months, or years ago. (Several Exercises may be framed with this title, if several remarkable days can be called to mind). 5. Narrative of my Journey to (several exercises). 6. Account of a Conversation I held with (several exercises). 7. Statement of the Studies I am pursuing, which I find difficult or easy, and which I take the most delight in.

NARRATIVE OR STATEMENT OF FACTS FROM ENGLISH HISTORY.

In developing these and the similar subjects which follow, books of reference must be entirely dispensed with during the time of writing. Preparation for writing, if not already made by the learner's previous studies, may be made before the time of writing; but there should be some interval between the preparation and the exercise; and no notes, except of dates, should be taken.

1. The Early People of England; the Facts of the Roman Invasion; the Story of the Romans and the State of the Britons when the Romans left them. 2. How England came into possession of the Saxons. 3. Chief Facts in the History of King Alfred. 4. Story of Canute rebuking the Sea. 5. The Battle of Hastings and its immediate Consequences. 6. The Three Sons of William the Conqueror-their Conduct to each other, and their Several Destinies. 7. The Quarrel between Henry II. and Thomas à Becket, with the Issue. 8. The Crusades-What they were, and how far the fortunes of Richard II. were connected with them. 9. Facts showing the bad Character of King John. 10. Chief Facts in the History of the Maid of Orleans. 11. Arrest and Last Days of Cardinal Wolsey.

FROM ROMAN HISTORY.

1. The Legend of Romulus and Remus. 2. The Founding of Rome, and the Death of Remus. 3. Legend of Horatii and Curiatii. 4. The Stratagem by which Servius Tullius, the Sixth King of Rome, succeeded his father-in-law, Tarquinius Priscus. 5. Story of the Conspiracy which ended in the condemnation of the sons of Brutus by their own father. 6. Story of Mutius Scævola. 7. Story of Coriolanus.

FROM GRECIAN HISTORY.

1. The Stratagem of the Wooden Horse, by which, after a Ten Years' Siege, the Greeks obtained possession of Troy. 2. Patriotism of Codrus, the last king of Athens. 3. Dionysius of Syracuse and Damocles; Story of the Pondent Sword. 4. Story of Damon and Pythias.

FROM AMERICAN HISTORY.

1. The arrival of the Mayflower at Plymouth. 2. The destruction of Tea at Boston. 8. The Battle of Bunker's Hill. 4. The Capture of Major André, and the treachery of Arnold. 5. Smith and Pocahontas.

LESSON CXXXV.

BIOGRAPHY.

The purpose of biography is to place before the reader the characteristics of some particular person, as displayed in the actions and events of his life. It is a successive account of the events which have affected or distinguished him.

The Topics to be treated are such as these: 1. Name; 2. Family or descent; 3. Education; 4. Circumstances and influences affecting character; 5. Doings; 6. Surroundings, such as marriage, friends, business, &c.; 7. Effects produced in himself and on society; 8. Character; 9. Sickness and death; 10. Results, permanent or otherwise.

A very brief illustration of these topics may be thus presented, in their order which might be written out, as an exercise, in full:

1. William Shakspeare. 2. John Shakspeare and Mary Arden, daughter and heiress of Arden of Wellingcote. 3. Stratford Grammar-School. 4. His father, a wool-dealer and general hosier; beautiful natural scenery, historic reminiscences prevalent, and great mental activity of the age. 5. Love and pleasure pursued, intellect awakened, and plays. 6. Anna Hathaway-three daughters and a son. 7. Theatrical connections, profits, retirement, &c., popularity, and everlasting honor. 8. Saving, genial in company, watchful over property, heedless of fame, conscious of greatness, &c. 9. Stratford, 23d April, aged 52. 10. Commentators, editions and quotations, biography, historic value of writings; notes of life, philosophy and morals, important estimates of his works, monuments, and ffection entertained for his memory.

The following rules apply to Biographical Composition: 1st. Confine the incidents selected for narrative to those elosely connected with the individual.

2d. Give just statements of facts, and fair, i. e., neither partial nor adversative, expositions of character.

3d. Let the style be easy, clear, elegant, but natural.

EXERCISES.

1. Sketch of Lady Jane Grey.

2. Sketch of Regulus.

8. Sketch of Pocahontas.

4. Sketch of Henry Kirke White.

5. Sketch of Washington in his boyhood.

6. Sketch of Benjamin Franklin.

For other biographical subjects, consult the general list of subjects at the end of the volume.

LESSON CXXXVI.

HISTORICAL COMPOSITION; TRAVELS; NOVELS.

I. HISTORY.

History contains a record of national events, for our information as regards the past, and our guidance in the future.

The following particulars demand attention in historical writing: 1. The geographical situation and physical characteristics of the country. 2. Events and their chronology, or time of occurrence; in the country described and in neighboring countries. 3. Means employed to increase happiness, and their effects. 4. Obstacles to public welfare, whence they arose, and how they were overcome. 5. Form of government; institutions, civil and religious, their changes and effects. 6. Education and freedom-their influence on public happiness. 7. The men and women on whom progress depended. 8. Home and foreign policy. 9. Condition of the people. 10. Wars, sciences, arts; their origin, progress, and results.

In the attempt to treat of any historic period, no exercise can be better than the thorough study of the period in the best

authors; nurturing thought on the period by reflections; then, taking some standard work on chronology, and noting the most important events given therein, work them up in the order given above.

Historical narration demands-1. Skill in the selection and arrangement of events. 2. Fidelity. 3. Diversity of style; simplicity, gravity, chasteness, and clearness being "chief over all."

For examples: Refer to Bancroft's History of the United States, Prescott's Histories, Irving's Columbus and Washington, Motley's Dutch Republic, Abbott's Histories, Hume, Robertson, Gibbon, Alison.

II. BOOKS OF TRAVEL.

These should be interesting, novel, simple, chronological; and free from egotism, satire, or caricature.

It would be gratifying to quote largely from the numerous and highly interesting Travels of distinguished writers of the present century, who have favored the world with their observations and criticisms; but this volume already transcends the limits originally proposed, and reference must be made to the class of works referred to, for the requisite illustrations.

III. NOVELS.

(1.) In general, the incidents, though usually connected as cause and effect, and leading to some determined result, should not be too obvious and direct, that the uncertainty may stimulate curiosity and sustain interest.

(2.) Besides this, probability, unity, and variety of char acter and incident must be observed. The characters should be distinct, well chosen, sustained, uniform, and consistent; the incidents clearly traced, well arranged, skilfully varied, and so intricate as to be interesting.

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