like those used at & funeral,

from

one

state

to

*

We see but dimly through the mists and vapours,
Amid these earthly damps,

Funereal, dismal, 15 What seem to us but sad, funereal * tapers May be heaven's distant lamps.

Tapers, wax candles. There is no death! What seems so is transition !* Transition, passage This life of mortal breath

another. Is but a suburb * of the life Elysian,*

Suburb, the district 20 Whose portal * we call Death.

which lies near a city. Blysian fields were,

amongst the Romans, In that great cloister's* stillness and seclusion, the heaven or place By guardian angels led,

set apart as the abode
Safe from temptation, safe from sin's pollution,* death.
She lives, whom we call dead.

Portal, gate.
Cloister, a place of
quiet apart from the

world, a convent. 25 Day after day we think what she is doing

Pollution, corruption, In those bright realms * of air ;

Realms, kingdoms. Year after year, her tender steps pursuing, * Pursuing, following

after. Behold her grown more fair.

of the brave

after

*

*

30

Thus do we walk with her, and keep unbroken

The bond * which Nature gives,
Thinking that our remembrance, though un-

spoken;
May reach her where she lives.

Bond, anything that binds together.

Not as a child shall we again behold her;

For when with raptures * wild, 35 In our embraces we again enfold her.

She will not be a child

Raptures, extreme delight.

But a fair maiden, in her Father's mansion, *

Clothed with celestial grace ;
And beautiful with all the soul's expansion, *

Shall we behold her face.

Mansion, a grand residence. Expansion, , spreading out, immensity,

*

40

ocean

And though at times impetuous* with emotion* Impetuous, hot, hasty
And anguish * long suppressed,

at conclusion,

Emotion, agitation of The swelling heart heaves moaning like the mind, movement of

the feelings.

Anguis sorrow, or That cannot be at rest,

griet. Assuage,

sweet, to soften, or 45 We will be patient, and assuage * the feeling

allay. We may not wholly stay ;

Sanctifying, making By silence sanctifying,* not concealing, *

holy.

Concealing, hiding, The grief that must have way.

C

*

SOME MURMUR.-Archbishop Trench. RICHARD CHENEVIX TRENCH (1807- ), now Archbishop of Dublin, is the author of The Study of Words ; English Past and Present, &c. In early life he published several volumes of poems, in a style resembling that of Wordsworth. Some murmur, they

SOME murmur when their sky is clear, are not pleased with

And wholly bright to view, their position in life.

If one small speck * of dark appear
Speck, a little spot.

In their great heaven of blue;
And some with thankful love are filled 5

If but one streak of light,
Gild, to brighten.

One ray of God's good mercy, gild

The darkness of their night.

*

BEN JONSON (1573-1637) was the son of a clergyman, and received a uni. versity education. He wrote very many plays and poems, some of them marked by great powers. He also perfected the compositions called Masques, which formed a favourite amusement of the Court. It is to his credit that his constant aim was to improve the morals of the day. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, and the flagstone over his grave was inscribed with the words, “O rare Ben Jonson !'

It is not growing like a tree

In bulk doth make Man better be ;

Or standing long an oak, three hundred year,
Sere, withered.

To fall a log at last, dry, bald, and sere:
A lily of a day

5
Is fairer far in May,
Although it fall and die that night,

It was the plant and flower of Light !
Just, true.
Measures, short In small proportions we just * beauties see;
periods of time. And in short measures * life may perfect be.

*

*

*

of

Adhem.

at

first

it

di

a

ABOU-BEN-ADHEM AND THE ANGEL.—Leigh Hunt. LEIGH HUNT (1784-1859) was an essayist and critic of the first half of this century. In early life he was editor of the Examiner, a London newspaper, Chief poems : Feasts of the Poets ; A Legend of Florence; and The Palfrey. ABOU-BEN-ADHEM * (may his tribe * increase) Abou-Ben-Adhem,

Abou, the son
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw within the moonlight in his room, Tribe,
Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,

meant a third part,

afterwards any 5 An angel writing in a book of gold :

vision of people; a Exceeding * peace had made Ben-Adhem bold, race or family from

the same ancestor And to the Presence in the room he said,

body of people “ What writest thou ?”—The vision raised its under one leader. head,

Exceeding, very

much, very great. And with a look made all of sweet accord, 10 Answered, “ The names of those who love the Lord.”

“And is mine one?” said Abou. “Nay, not so,"
Replied the Angel. Abou spoke more low,
But cheerily still ; and said, “I pray thee then

Write me as one that loves his fellow-men.”
15 The angel wrote and vanished. The next night

It came again with a great wakening light, Lol look, see, be-
And showed the names whom love of God had hold; it is a contrac.

tion of the word look. blest,

Led all the rest, stood And, lo ! * Ben-Adhem's name led all the rest.

first on the list.

THE DESTRUCTION OF SENNACHERIB'S * ARMY.

Byron.
The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the

fold,
And his cohorts* were gleaming with purple Cohort, among the

Romans, a body of 500 and gold,*

or 600 men, the tenth And the sheen of their spears was like stars part of a legion; here

it means a company on the sea,

of soldiers. When the blue waves roll nightly on deep Purple and gold, the Galilce.*

dresses of the officers

adorned with gold 5 Like the leaves of the forest when summer is Galilee

, the sea of green,

Galilee

Gennesareth in Pales. That host with their banners at sunset were seen ;

frequent storms. * Sennacherib, king of Assyria, invaded Judea in the reign of Hezekiah. He after. wards threatened to destroy the king, but a “blast” from the Lord killed 185,000 of his men in one night.

с

井

lace.

or

tine was noted for its

Strown, scattered.

Like the leaves of the forest when autumn hath

blown, That host on the morrow lay withered and

strown." For the angel of death spread his wings on the

blast, And breathed in the face of the foe* as he passed; 10 And the eyes of the sleepers waxed * deadly and

chill, And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever

were still.

*

waves.

*

And there lay the steed with his nostrils all wide,
But through them there rolled not the breath of

his pride; Surf, the foam of the And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf, 15

And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf.* Distorted, twisted out of the regular or natural shape, deformed. And there lay the rider, distorted * and pale, Mail, chain armour.

With the dew on his brow and the rust on his Asshur, Assyria, once

mail; a great and powerful And the tents were all silent, the banners alone, country;

The lances unlifted, the trumpets unblown. Baal, the sun-god, worshipped in Assyria And the widows of Asshur* are loud in their Bel or Belus.

wail; Gentile, all

other na. And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal ;* tions but the Jews were generally called And the might of the Gentile,* unsmote by the

sword,* Unsmoteby the sword, Hath melted like snow in the glance of the destroyed the aid of man.

LORD!

Nineveh.

20

under the name of

*

Gentiles.

YOUNG LOCHINVAR.* -Scott. SIR WALTER SCOTT (1771-1832), the greatest of English romantic poets and novelists, was born at Edinburgh. He was a lawyer by profession. His poems were published for the most part between 1805 and 1814. Scott was a man of the most generous and amiable nature. He was made a baronet by George IV. Chief works: Lay of the Last Minstrel, Marmion, Lady of the Lake, Rokeby, Lord of the Isles, Waverley Novels, Tales of u Grandfather, &c. Border, the’land a few Oh, young Lochinvar is come out of the west ; the boundary

between Through all the wide Border * his steed was the England and Scotland

without

of

*

rank.

А

title

of

*

(For the

And save his good broad-sword* he weapon had Broad-sword, a
none;

double-edgedweapon,

in the use of which He rode all unarmed,* and he rode all alone. the Scots were very 5 So faithful in love, and so dauntless in war, expert. There never was knight* like the young

Loch- Unarmed,

armour, i.e., helmet, invar,

breastplate, &c.

Knight, a man He stayed not for brake,* and he stopped not high birth or fortune for stone,

admitted to military He swam the Esk* river where ford * there was honour. none;

Brake, a thicket of

brambles. But, ere he alighted at Netherby gate,

Esk, a river in Dum10 The bride had consented—the gallant came late: friesshire. For a laggard * in love and a dastard * in war

Ford, a shallow part

of a river which may Was to wed the fair Ellen of brave Lochinvar. be easily crossed.

Laggard, a sluggish, So boldly he entered the Netherby Hall,*

backward person. Among bridesmen, and kinsmen, and brothers, Netherby Hall, a for

Dastard, a coward. and all :

tified place about ten 15 Then spoke the bride's father, his hand on

miles from Middleby

in Dumfriesshire, his sword,

poor craven * bridegroom said never a Craven, cowardly.
word),
Ho! come ye in peace here, or come ye in war,
Or to dance at our bridal,* young Lord Lochin- Bridal, wedding.

var?”
“I long wooed your daughter, my

suit
you
denied

;20 Love swells like the Solway,* but ebbs like its Solway, a river in the tide

south of Scotland.
And now I am come, with this lost love of mine
To lead but one measure, * drink one cup of wine, Measure, a dance.
There are maidens in Scotland, more lovely by far,
That would gladly be bride to the young Lochinvar.”
The bride kissed the goblet;* the knight took Goblet, drinking cup
He quaffed * off the wine, and he threw down Quaffed, drank.
She looked down to blush, and she looked up to sigh,
With a smile on her lips and a tear in her eye.
He took her soft hand, ere her mother could bar,
“Now tread we a measure !” said young Lochinvar.
So stately his form, and so lovely her face,
That never a hall such a galliard * did grace ;

Galliard, one whose

nature it is to be gay While her mother did fret, and her father did and active; it also

fume,
And the bridegroom stood dangling his bonnet and plume;

*

*

*

*

25

it up,

*

the cup;

30

*