semble,) sentimental, entertainment, thickening contest, (increasing in fierceness and extent,) death-tones, (dying groans,) lifeless silence, (i. e. the silence of death.) SECT. CCLVIII.-A BRAVE BOY. THE flames spread rapidly: they had nearly consumed the 1 dwelling, from which farmer Ashford had, however, removed every article of consequence. Fortunately no lives were lost; and I was conversing with this good man, and listening to 2 his grateful ejaculations on seeing his family safe, when the shouts of the surrounding laborers informed us, that a little cottage, near by, had taken fire. 3 I ran towards the spot.-4 I saw the flames bursting from the casements.-Poor Randal, who inhabited it, rushed forward he had borne his wife and his boys through the 5 flames, when a rafter having fallen upon his arm, disabled him his wife, the image of despair, clasped her children to her bosom. Her husband watched the progress of the 6 flames in stupid horror: then suddenly he started and exclaimed, "My mother!"-"My grandmother!" cried his 7 son, a boy of about twelve, and dashed amidst the spreading flames and falling rafters. 8 "My boy! my boy!" cried the father: the mother sank fainting to the ground. 9 But that Being who animated this pure and generous little fellow, protected him. Edward appeared: his aged grandmother, supported on 10 his arm, to which the occasion had given supernatural strength. 11 He cheered her: he sought to give her courage, unmindfur of every thing but the sacred charge he was preserving. Every tongue was silent: the surrounding multitude 12 scarcely dared to breathe: such were their agitation and awe. 13 They reached the door; they crossed the threshold; and at that very moment the whole house fell. 14 A murmur of applause, a shout of joy, followed. Edward 15 was praised and blessed as a little hero; while with a countenance illumined with happiness, he only exclaimed, “She is safe! dear father: my beloved grandmother is safe!" 238 A MYSTERY UNEXPLAINED. 66 I cannot describe the scene that followed'; Randal looked 16 around on his children, on their mother, the dear partner of his heart, on the venerable and respected author of his days, and he saw them all, all safe. Oh, no! merciless flames,' he cried'; I will not repine at your devastations'; Edward 17 and I will work to renew whatever ye have destroyed!—and this night, dreadful as it has been, is not without its blessings, since it has proved the worth of my darling boy!"— 18 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice: even mine. 19 20 21 22 23 Yea, it shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things. Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. Hearken unto thy father, and despise not thy mother when she is old. The father of the righteous shall rejoice; and he that hath a wise child, shall have joy of him. Honor thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. DEFINITIONS, &c.-Define flames, rapidly, consumed, farmer, however, removed, article, (thing?) consequence, (importance, value,) fortunately, (what is the difference between this and providentially,) ejaculations, cottage, casements, rafter, disabled, image, (picture,) despair, clasped, progress, stupid, horror, twelve, (how many? and what is understood after the word?) falling, fainting, crowd, (a great many people close together?) Being, (Who is here meant?) animated, pure, generous, protected, aged. supernatural, (more than natural,) unmindful, (not thinking,) charge (with the care of which he had charged himself,) surrounding multitude, (multitude round about,) threshold, (outside door-sill,) murmur, applause, as, countenance, illumined, scene, partner, venerable, author, (cause,) oj his days, (i. e. of the days of his life, i. e. of his existence,) merciless, repine, devastation, renew, (make anew,) destroy, blessings, proved, (shown by trial,) heart, (Does this word mean the heart in the proper sense of that word, or something else, and what?) SECT. CCLIX.-A MYSTERY UNEXPLAINED. 1 "Do you still persevere in your childish behavior?" cried the major the following day, as he entered his friend Jonathan's chamber, and found him lying on the bed, with swollen eyes, and as pale as death. .2 Frock had been expected at the Tulpen house to dinner, and had not come. A MYSTERY UNEXPLAINED. 239 8 4 "How late is it?" said Frock, and sprang up. 5 "Past three o'clock? 6 Then I have been in a dead sleep 7 for seven hours. So much the better. 8 I finished every thing 9 last night. I can travel to the estate to-morrow. 10 I shall pay my old landlady, and spend the evening with you, and 11 let the post-wagon stop for me there. It does not agree with me here'; my health requires change of scene: otherwise it will destroy me." 12 13 14 15 "Have you had company?" asked the major. "I have worked all night, and "Wished to raise your spirits by-" "My spirits require no excitement'.-16 But, no matter what depressed the spirits'; poor flesh and blood must be sustained." 17 other children of men? why did you refuse that (what d’ye stay with us, when you return from my expected estates? 25 We need you. 26 We assure you, it is worth more to us 27 than a kingdom. You are generally so soft-hearted'; why are you now so hard-hearted ?” DEFINITIONS, &C.-Define persevere, childish, behavior, cried, (said in a high tone? or wept ?) major, following, day, chamber, entered, found, lying, (stretched out lengthwise, or telling a lie?) swollen, pale as death, (exceedingly pale,) expected, house, dinner, late, sprang up, (what is the difference between this and sprang without up?) past three o'clock, (the hour-hand has passed the figure three (3) of the clock) dead sleep, (a sleep so sound as to be much like death?) travel, estate, to-morrow, landlady, spend, (pass away ?) post-wagon, stop, agree, health, requires, change, otherwise, destroy, company, worked, wished, spirits, (ardent spirits? or animal spirits: feelings?) excitement, flesh and blood, (the body?) comrade, wronging, children of men, (men?) prison, honorable, lowliness, 'colder, renounce, contrary, inclination, susceptible, friendship, willingly, risk, changeable, April, gayety, joyous, countenance, soft-hearted, hard-hearted What is understood after better in Sent. 7th ? 1 SECT. CCLX.-DAILY MIRACLES. WHAT prodigies can power divine perform 2 Familiar with the effect we slight the cause, And renovation of a faded world, 3 See naught to wonder at. Should God again, As once in Gibeon, interrupt the race Of the undeviating and punctual sun, 4 How would the world admire! But speaks it less His moment when to sink and when to rise, 6 Where now the vital energy, that moved, While summer was, the pure and subtle lymph 7 Of leaf and flower? It sleeps; and the icy touch A cold stagnation on the intestine tide. 8 But let the months go round, a few short months, And all shall be restored. These naked shoots, 9 Barren as lances, among which the wind Makes wintry music, sighing as it goes, Shall boast new charms, and more than they have lost. DEFINITIONS, &c.—Define prodigies, inattentive, familiar, slight, genial, again, undeviating, punctual, agency, arrest, miracle, vital, energy, SCYTHIAN AMBASSADORS, ETC. 241 subtle, lymph, imperceptible, meandering, unprolific, stagnation, intestine, lances, foliage, aspiring, ampler. SECT. CCLXI.-THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE PLAGUE FROM LONDON. 1 Ar that epoch, for a short time, there was a silence; and every person in the street, for a moment stood still: London 2 was as dumb as a churchyard. Again the sound of a bell was heard; for it was that sound, so long unheard, which 3 arrested the fugitive multitude, and caused their silence. At the third toll a universal shout arose, as when the herald proclaims the tidings of a great battle won; and then there was a second silence. 4 The people fell on their knees, and with anthems of thankfulness rejoiced in the dismal sound of that tolling deathbell; for it was a signal of the plague being so abated that men might again mourn for their friends, and hallow their remains with the solemnities of burial. DEFINITIONS, &c.-Epoch-the beginning of an era, generally: here a particular point of time. London-the capital of England. Define dumb, churchyard, (graveyard?) bell, fugitive, multitude, toll, herald, anthems, signal, plague, abated, hallow, solemnities, burial. SECT. CCLXII.-SCYTHIAN AMBASSADORS TALK RATHER PLAINLY TO ALEXANDER. WHEN every thing was ready for the passage of the river, 1 several Scythian ambassadors arrived, to the number of twenty, according to the custom of their country, who rode through the camp, desiring to speak with the king. Alex2 ander having sent for them into his tent, desired them to sit 8 down. They gazed attentively upon him a long time, without speaking a single word: probably being surprised (as they formed a judgment of men from their air and stature) to find that his did not answer the high idea they entertained of him from his fame. The oldest of the ambassadors ad4 dressed him in a speech, which, as Quintus Curtius relates it, is pretty long: however, as it is very curious, I shall present my readers with the greatest part of it. 5 "Had the gods given thee a body proportionable to thy ambition, the whole universe would have been too little for |