Runs through the arched11 roof in words deceiving. Can nomōre divine, With hollow shriek the steep of Delphos 16 leaving. Inspires the pale-eyed priest from the prophetic cell." And the resounding 17 shore, A voice of weeping heard and loud lament; Edged with poplar pale, The parting genius 18 is with sighing sent;" With flower-inwoven tresses torn The nymphs in twilight shade of tangled thickets mourn. CAUTIONS: a. Care must be taken to sound the last syllable of the words marked like armëd. Ocean is always a trissyllable with Milton. b. This verse must be read with great slowness. c. This is the most difficult stanza of them all to read. The voice should be slow and full in the first two lines; the next five should be read, more rapidly, and then the last line should be read with a certain slow pomp. d. Take care not to let the accent touch the the before prophetic. MEANINGS: 1. Idle, that is, no longer of use. 2. Hostile blood, a Latin idiom for the blood of enemies. 3. Awful, in the old sense of filled with awe. 4. Whist, hushed. 5. Simply chatting, chatting in their usual simple-hearted way. To give it this meaning, the first syllable of simply must be dwelt on. 6. Pan, the god of shepherds. 7. Strook, an old participial form for struck. 8. Stringed noise, the sound from the stringed instruments. 9. As all their souls took, such as took all their souls. 10. Oozy, moist. 11. Helmed, helmeted. 12. Wings displayed, spread out. 13. Unexpressive, not to be described. 14. Arched, vaulted. 15. Shrine, inner place. 16. Delphos (in Phocis, a state in Greece) was the seat of the oracle of Phoebus Apollo, the god of the sun. 17. Resounding, echoing with the thunder of waves. 18. The genius was the guardian deity of each place, and was called the genius loci. AMERICA. O MOTHER of a mighty race, And taunts of scorn they join thy name. For on thy cheeks the glow is spread SELF-SACRIFICE. Thy step-the wild deer's rustling feet Is bright as thine own sunny sky. They know not, in their hate and pride, Spring, like thine oaks, by hill and glen; And where the ocean border foams. O fair young mother! on thy brow Drop strength and riches at thy feet. Thine eye, with every coming hour, Shall brighten, and thy form shall tower; And when thy sisters, elder born, Would brand thy name with words of scorn, Upon their lips the taunt shall die. 187 BRYANT. SELF-SACRIFICE. A WEALTH of gifts God grants the race of man, O weak, who stand in fancied strength alone! Strong but when brothers' hands are held in brothers'! The Fates at Fame's far-shining trophies laugh: What glories equal that plain epitaph, Not for himself was his first thought, but others? PALGRAVE. YE MARINERS OF ENGLAND. YE mariners of England, That guard our native seas; Whose flag has braved, a thousand years, Your glorious standard launch again, And sweep through the deep While the stormy winds do blow While the battle rages loud and long, And the stormy winds do blow. The spirits of your fathers For the deck it was their field of fame, Where Blake and mighty Nelson fell As ye sweep through the deep Britannia needs no bulwarks, Her march is o'er the mountain-wave, Her home is on the deep. With thunders from her native oak She quells the floods below, As they roar on the shore When the stormy winds do blow When the battle rages loud and long, And the stormy winds do blow. The meteor flag of England Till danger's troubled night depart, And the star of peace return. Then, then, ye ocean-warriors! To the fame of your name, When the storm has ceased to blow- THOMAS CAMPBELL. THE KING, THE ANGEL, AND THE JESTER. 189 THE KING, THE ANGEL, AND THE JESTER. King Robert of Sicily was one day sitting in the cathedral of Palermo at service. The chant for the day was from the first chapter of St. Luke, ver. 52: "He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree." But the monks sang it in Latin; and King Robert asked a priest who sat near him what that Latin which they were repeating so often meant. The priest told him, and the king, with bitter contempt and disdain, replied, "It is well these monkish fellows should say what they are saying in Latin; I should like to see the power who could push me from my seat." And, soon after, the heat of the day made him fall asleep. When he awoke, it was dark, and he was alone. As soon as he crept out of the church, he rushed to the banqueting-hall of his palace, and, in his own robes, on his own throne, he saw a king who looked the exact image of himself. It was an angel. King Robert denounced him as an impostor; but the only reply was to put him in a dungeon, along with an ape, and to make him the king's jester. Other events followed, all of which went to soften the proud heart of the king,-and among others, a visit to Rome, where he was disowned by one of his brothers, and laughed at by another. All this while his throne is occupied by the angel, under whose kindly and intelligent reign the whole island prospers. At last, one day, in church, the angel asks King Robert, "Art thou the king ?" to which he humbly replies, "Thou only knowest." At that moment there sounded from a neighbouring chapel the chant, "He hath put down the mighty from their seats"; the angel vanished, and Robert was restored to his throne-an wand better man. ROBERT Of Apparelled With retinue brother of Pope Urbane emperor of Allëmaine,1 magnificent attire, of many a knight and squire, a On St. John's eve, at vespers,3 proudly sat He caught the words, " Deposuit potentes And, slowly lifting up his kingly head, He to a learned clerk beside him said: 6 "What mean these words? The clerk made answer meet, "He hath put down the mighty from their seat, And hath exalted them of low degree." ""Tis well that such seditious words are sung There is no power can push me from my throne!" and deep. When he awoke it was already night; d The church was empty and there was nō light, He started from his seat and gazed around, And vanished like a spectre from his sight. Robert of Sicily, brother of Pope Urbane Bare-headed, breathless, and besprent 13 with mire, Rushed through the court-yard, thrusting, in his rage, There 15 on the daïs sat another king, Wearing his robes, his crown, his signet-ring,- |