Sec. The Indians on board the returned vessels are said to be unlike any known race of men.

Don G. Very unreliable all that! I take the commonsense view of the thing. I am a matter-of-fact man; and do you remember what I say, it will all turn out a trick! The crews may have been deceived. Columbus may have steered a southerly course instead of a westerly. Anything is probable, rather than that a coast to the westward of us has been discovered.

Sec. I saw the courier, who told me he had conversed with all the sailors; and they laughed at the suspicion that there could be any mistake about the discovery, or that any other than a westerly course had been steered.

Don G. Still I say, a trick! An unknown coast reached by steering west? Impossible! The earth a globe, and men standing with their heads down in space? Folly! An ignorant sailor from Genoa in the right, and all our learned doctors and philosophers in the wrong? Nonsense! I'm a matter-of-fact man, sir. I will believe what I can see, and handle, and understand. But as for believing in the antipodes, or that the earth is round, or that Columbus has discovered land to the west Ring the bell, sir; call my carriage; I will go to the palace and undeceive the king.

Vinet.

XLV. - THE GLOVE AND THE LIONS.

K

I.

ING FRANCIS was a hearty king, and loved a royal
sport,

And one day, as his lions fought, sat looking on the court;
The nobles filled the benches, with the ladies in their pride,
And 'mongst them sat the Count de Lorge, with one for whom
he sighed :

And truly 't was a gallant thing to see that crowning show,
Valor and love, and a king above, and the royal beasts below.

II.

Ramped and roared the lions, with horrid laughing jaws;
They bit, they glared, gave blows like beams, a wind went with

their paws;

With wallowing might and stifled roar, they rolled on one an

other,

Till all the pit, with sand and mane, was in a thunderous smother;

The bloody foam above the bars came whisking through the

air:

Said Francis, then, "Faith, gentlemen, we 're better here than there."

III.

De Lorge's love o'erheard the king,-- a beauteous, lively dame, With smiling lips, and sharp, bright eyes, which always seemed

the same;

She thought, "The Count, my lover, is brave as brave can be, He surely would do wondrous things to show his love of me; King, ladies, lovers, all look on; the occasion is divine;

I'll drop my glove, to prove his love; great glory will be mine."

IV.

She dropped her glove, to prove his love; then looked at him,

and smiled;

He bowed, and in a moment leaped among the lions wild :

The leap was quick, return was quick, he soon regained the

place,

Then threw the glove, but not with love, right in the lady's face. "In faith,” cried Francis, "rightly done!" and he rose from where he sat ;

"No love," quoth he, "but vanity, sets love a task like that." Leigh Hunt.

EXERCISE.

1. King Francis was a hearty king, and loved a royal sport.
2. The nobles filled the benches, with the ladies by their side.
3. Truly 't was a gallant thing to see that crowning show.
4. The lions ramped and roared, with horrid laughing jaws.
5. They bit, they glared, gave blows like beams.

6. No love, quoth he, but vanity, sets love a task like that.

XLVI..

A

RICH Persian, feeling himself growing old, and conscious that the cares and anxieties of business were too much for him, resolved to divide his goods among his three sons, reserving a small portion to himself as a provision for his latter years. The sons were all well satisfied with the distribution, and each took his share with thanks, and promised that it should be well and frugally employed. 2. When this important business was settled, the father said to his sons, There is one thing which I have not included in the share of any one of you. It is this costly diamond which you see in my hand. I will give it to that one of you who shall earn it by the noblest deed. Go, therefore, and travel for three months; at the end of that time we will meet here again, and you shall tell me what you have done."

3. The sons departed accordingly, and travelled three months, each in a different direction. At the end of that time they returned; and all came together to their father to give an account of their journey.

4. The eldest son spoke first. He said: He said: "On my journey a stranger intrusted to me a great number of valuable jewels, without taking any account of them. Indeed, I was well aware that he did not know how many the parcel contained. One or two of them would never have been missed, and I might easily have enriched myself without fear of detection. But I did no such thing; I gave back the parcel exactly as I had received it. Was not this a noble deed?"

5. "My son," said the father, "simple honesty cannot be called noble. You did what was right, and nothing If you had acted otherwise, you would have been dishonest, and your deed would have shamed you. You have done well, but not nobly."

more.

6. The second son now spoke. He said: "As I was wending on my journey, I one day saw a poor child playing by the margin of a lake; and, just as I rode by, it fell into the water, and was in danger of being drowned. I immediately dismounted from my horse, and, wading into the water, brought it safe to land. All the people of the village where this occurred can bear witness of the deed. Was it not a noble action?"

7. "My son," replied the old man," you did only what was your duty, and you could hardly have left the innocent child to die without making an effort to save it. You, too, have acted well, but not nobly."

8. Then the third son came forward to tell his tale. He said: 'I had an enemy, who for years has done me much harm and sought to take my life. One evening, during my late journey, I was passing along a dangerous road which ran beside the summit of a steep cliff. As I rode cautiously along, my horse started at sight of something lying in the road. I dismounted to see what it was, and found my enemy lying fast asleep on the very edge of the cliff. The least movement in his sleep, and he must have rolled over, and would have been dashed to pieces on the rocks below. His life was in my hands. I drew him away from the edge, and then woke him, and told him to go on his way in peace."

9. Then the old Persian cried out, in a transport of joy, "Dear son, the diamond is thine; for it is a noble and a godlike thing to succor an enemy, and to reward evil with good."

EXERCISE.

1. A Persian resolved to divide his goods among his sons.

2. He reserved a small portion to himself.

3. The sons departed, and travelled three months.

4. I might have enriched myself without fear of detection.

5. I gave back the parcel exactly as I had received it.

6. I immediately dismounted from my horse.

7. The people of the village where this occurred can bear witness.

XLVII.

THE MILLER OF THE DEE.

I.

HERE dwelt a miller hale and bold

THE

Beside the river Dee;

He worked and sang from morn till night :

No lark more blithe than he.

And this the burden of his song

Forever used to be,

"I envy nobody, no, not I,

And nobody envies me!"

II.

"Thou 'rt wrong, my friend," said old King Hal,
"Thou 'rt wrong as wrong can be ;

For could my heart be light as thine,
I'd gladly change with thee.

And tell me now, what makes thee sing
With voice so loud and free,
While I am sad, though I am king,

Beside the river Dee?"

"Good friend," said Hal, and sighed the while,

"Farewell, and happy be;

But say no more, if thou 'dst be true,

That no man envies thee:

Thy mealy cap is worth my crown,

Thy mill my kingdom's fee;

Such men as thou are England's boast,
O miller of the Dee!"

C. Mackay.