It has been observed, that Milton* applies the verb to hurry, almost constantly to preternatural motion, or imaginary beings. Haggard.-Wild, staring. Haggard is the name of a species of wild hawk, that cannot easily be tamed; and the term haggard is taken from the appearance of its eyes. Hawking, or falconry, was a favourite sport among the great in former times ; and many of the words in our language are metaphors taken from that amusement. For lo! what monsters in thy train appear. The monsters which equally terrify the nymph and the poet, are those feelings which we have before Notes to Vathek. enumerated as the companions, or rather attendants of Fear. "Danger, whose limbs of giant mould "I see Danger, upon whose gigantic form no one can have the courage to look stedfastly; who howls amid storms in the depth of the night, or lays himself down to sleep on the steep ridge of some loose-hanging rock." Danger is described the first; for fears are only great in proportion to the danger to which we thin selves exposed. Danger i sented as gigantic, because fear always magnifies danger: take away fear, and danger shrinks to its real size. Sailors, and workmen of various descriptions, mount to heights, and work at ease, in situations where persons under the influence of fear could not remain a moment--thus fear creates danger, and always increases it. My little friends will observe of what great consequence it is to them to acquire useful habits, as by habit we can obtain a degree of strength, both of mind and body, far beyond what is to be met with in uncultivated nature. Who stalks his round.---Who walks a certain course. Howling amidst the midnight storm.-Storms at night are always attended with danger and with accidents; the poet ingeniously attributes to Danger the howling noises which are heard on stormy nights. These sounds are really made by the sudden rushing of the wind, and the opposition that it meets with from the objects it encounters: on a wide level plain the wind makes but little noise; high in the air, it would be scarcely perceptible. Danger is considered as sleeping upon a loose rock on the edge of a precipice, because danger, as a circumstance, exists in such a situa tion. "And with him thousand phantoms join'd, Who prompt to deeds accurs'd the mind." "And with him I see a number of great writers. The first excellence of writing is to be clear and easily understood; and accuracy of expression, and regularity of construction, are the elements of intelligible writing. In reading poetry, the young mind should be accustomed to observe defects, as well as beauties, and to examine why it is pleased, or displeased. Due feet.-Due means, what is owing, and means here, the attendance due to religious service. Feet here is put for the whole person; it seems scarcely necessary to enter into such minute explanation ; but a clear notion of poetical metonymy, will be useful to our pupils when they read the Latin and Greek classics. Cloisters pale.-Pale is used by |