21. "And the good south wind still blew behind, But no sweet bird did follow, Nor any day, for food or play, 22. "And I had done a hellish thing, For all averred I had killed the bird 'Ah, wretch,' said they, 'the bird to slay 23. "Down dropt the breeze; the sails dropt down: 'Twas sad as sad could be; And we did speak only to break 24. "All in a hot and copper sky Right up above the mast, did stand, 25. "Day after day, day after day, We stuck, nor breath nor motion,— 26. "Water, water everywhere! And all the boards did shrink; Nor any drop to drink. 27. "And every tongue, through utter drought, Was withered at the root: We could not speak, no more than if 28. "Ah, well-a-day! What evil looks 66 29. "O wedding-guest! this soul hath been So lonely 'twas that God himself 30. "Oh, sweeter than the marriage-feast― 31. "To walk together to the kirk, While each to his great Father bends,- 32. "Farewell! farewell! but this I tell 33. "He prayeth best who loveth best All things, both great and small; For the dear God who loveth us, 34. The mariner, whose eye is bright, Is gone; and now the wedding-guest 35. He went like one that hath been stunned, A sadder and a wiser man He rose the morrow morn. DEFINITIONS.-3. Loon, a rogue. Eft soons', soon afterward. 6. Kirk, church. 8. Bas soon', a wind-instrument. 14. Swound, a swoon. 15. Ăl'ba tross, a very large sea-bird, found chiefly in the Southern Ocean. 18. Věs'pers, evening services or songs. 22. A verred', declared positively. 79.-THE COMMON LOT. JAMES MONTGOMERY was born at Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, November 4, 1771. He was educated at Fulneck in expectation of entering the Moravian ministry. At school he spent much of his leisure time in composing music and poetry. In 1783 he began to contribute to The Sheffield Register, and in 1794 he edited The Sheffield Iris on his own account. He wrote many political articles, several volumes of poetry, and a book of hymns. His poems are melodious, full of beautiful descriptions and gentle feeling. He died at Sheffield, April 30, 1854. 1. ONCE, in the flight of ages past, There lived a man; and who was he? That man resembled thee. 2. Unknown the region of his birth; The land in which he died, unknown: 3. That joy and grief, and hope and fear, 4. The bounding pulse, the languid limb, 5. He suffered, but his pangs are o'er; Had friends: his friends are now no more; : 6. He loved, but whom he loved the grave 7. He saw whatever thou hast seen; 8. The rolling seasons, day and night, Sun, moon, and stars, the earth and main, Erewhile his portion, life and light, To him exist in vain. 9. The clouds and sunbeams o'er his eye That once their shades and glory threw Have left in yonder silent sky No vestige where they flew. 10. The annals of the human race, Than this: there lived a man. DEFINITIONS. 3. Ob liv'i on, forgetfulness. 9. Věs'tige, trace. 10. Ăn'nals, records. 80.-THE BATTLE OF BANNOCKBURN. SIR WALTER SCOTT was born at Edinburgh, August 15, 1771. He attended the high school of that city, and afterward went to the university. He earned considerable fame among his comrades at school for his ability in telling stories. His career as a poet began in 1805 with the publication of The Lay of the Last Minstrel; Marmion followed in 1808, and The Lady of the Lake in 1810. These are his best poems, and excel in their description of the natural scenery of the Scottish Highlands. In 1814 he published Waverley, the first of the long series of novels upon which his great fame so largely and so deservedly rests. He created the historical novel in such tales as Kenilworth, Ivanhoe, and Quentin Durward. Goethe says of these works, "All is great in the Waverley novels,―material, effect, character, and execution." His last work was written only a year previous to his death, which occurred September 21, 1832. The prose extract is from his Tales of a Grandfather. 1. It was upon the 23d of June (1314) the King of Scotland heard the news that the English army were approaching Stirling. He drew out his army, therefore, in the order which he had before resolved upon. After a short time, Bruce, who was looking out anxiously for the enemy, saw a body of English cavalry trying to get into Stirling from the eastward. This was the Lord Clifford, who, with a chosen body of eight hundred horse, had been detached to relieve the castle. 2. "See, Randolph!" said the king to his nephew: "there is a rose fallen from your chaplet." By this he meant that Randolph had lost some honor by suffering the enemy to pass where he had been commanded to hinder them. Randolph made no reply, but rushed against Clifford with |