II. Lěv'-eled (or levelled), in-erěd'-i-ble, dil'-i-gençe, neigh'-bor (nā ́-), těr'-ri-ble, per-çēived', siēģe, sēize, prey (difference from pray), eon'-quer-or (konk'er-ur), pēaçe'-a-ble (why e retained before able? compare changeable), ap-proach', blue.

III. What does im mean in impatience ?—dis in disengage?

IV. Fatal broom, invade, demolish, antagonist, cobweb (cob, a word meaning spider), precarious, subsisted, fortification, vigor, repulsed, daunted.

V. What style is best adapted to the science of natural history? (Description or narration; not a dramatic style, for that would distract attention from the details which ought to be observed.)

LVI. THE OLD CLOCK ON THE STAIRS.

1. Somewhat back from the village street
Stands the old-fashioned country-seat;
Across its antique portico

Tall poplar-trees their shadows throw;
And from its station in the hall
An ancient time-piece says to all:
"For ever-never!

Never for ever!"

2. Half-way up the stairs it stands,

And points and beckons with its hands,

From its case of massive oak,

Like a monk, who, under his cloak,

Crosses himself, and sighs, alas!

With sorrowful voice to all who pass:
"For ever-never!

Never-for ever!"

3. By day its voice is low and light;
But in the silent dead of night,
Distinct as a passing footstep's fall,
It echoes along the vacant hall,

Along the ceiling, along the floor,
And seems to say, at each chamber-door:
"For ever-never!

Never-for ever!"

4. Through days of sorrow and of mirth,
Through days of death and days of birth,
Through every swift vicissitude

Of changeful time, unchanged it has stood;
And as if, like God, it all things saw,
It calmly repeats those words of awe:

"For ever-never!

Never-for ever!"

5. In that mansion used to be

Free-hearted hospitality:

His great fires up the chimney roared;
The stranger feasted at his board;

But, like the skeleton at the feast,
That warning time-piece never ceased:
"For ever-never!

Never-for ever!"

6. There, groups of merry children played; There, youths and maidens, dreaming, strayed. O precious hours! O golden prime,

And affluence of love and time!

Even as a miser counts his gold,

Those hours the ancient time-piece told :

"For ever-never!

Never-for ever!"

7. From that chamber, clothed in white,

The bride came forth on her wedding-night;

There, in that silent room below,
The dead lay in his shroud of snow;
And in the hush that followed the prayer
Was heard that old clock on the stair:

"For ever-never!

Never-for ever!"

3. All are scattered now, and fled;
Some are married, some are dead;
And when I ask, with throbs of pain,
"Ah! when shall they all meet again,
As in the days long since gone by?"
The ancient time-piece makes reply:
"For ever-never!

Never-for ever!"

9. Never here-for ever there,

Where all parting, pain, and care,
And death, and time, shall disappear-
For ever there, but never here!
The horologe of eternity

Sayeth this incessantly:

"For ever-never!

Never-for ever!"

H. W. Longfellow.

FOR PREPARATION.-I. See Lesson XLV. (Does this perhaps refer to Longfellow's residence?)

II. Stairs, sighs (siz), çēil'-ing, door, ěv'-er-y, vi-çis'-si-tūde, change'-a-ble (why ge before able?), eälm'-ly (käm'-), awe, çēased, gone (gon), skěl'-e-ton, chim'-ney.

III. Why is a hyphen used in "poplar-trees"? Make a list of ten name-words in this piece that end in s to denote more than one (e. g., trees, shadows, etc.). What do the marks"" before and after for ever indicate? What kind of a letter must be used at the beginning of the word God? Name other words to which the same rule will apply. What

does the s mean in sighs, beckons, stands, and es in crosses? Find other words to illustrate the same thing (present action). From it's case: correct this phrase..

IV. Find synonyms for affluence (wealth, abundance), horologe, mansion, antique, ancient, vacant.

V. "Skeleton at the feast" (in Egypt, a skeleton was placed at the table to remind all of death-death being the chief thought of the ancient Egyp、 tian). Notice the kind of clock implied: one with a long case; long pendulum, and consequent slow ticking; room for the heavy weights to descend for a week before "running down"; "ancient time-piece." Find the accented syllables in the first stanza, and divide it into feet, marking it thus: Some what back' from the | village | street'

Stands' the old-fashioned | coun'try- | seat'," etc.

LVII.-GULLIVER AMONG THE GIANTS.

1. It was about twelve at noon, and a servant brought in dinner. It was only one substantial dish of meat (fit for the plain condition of a husbandman), in a dish of about four-and-twenty feet diameter. The company consisted of the farmer and his wife, three children, and an old grandmother. When they were seated, the farmer placed me at some distance from him on the table, which was thirty feet high from the floor.

2. I was in a terrible fright, and kept as far as I could from the edge, for fear of falling. The wife minced a bit of meat, then crumbled some bread on a trencher, and placed it before me. I made her a low bow, took out my knife and fork, and fell to eating, which gave them exceeding delight. The mistress sent her maid for a small dram-cup, which held about two gallons, and filled it with drink.

3. I took up the vessel with much difficulty in both hands, and in a most respectful manner drank to her

ladyship's health, expressing the words as loudly as I could in English; which made the company laugh so heartily, that I was almost deafened with the noise. This liquor tasted like a small cider, and was not unpleasant.

4. Then the master made me a sign to come to his trencher-side; but, as I walked on the table, being in great surprise all the time, as the indulgent reader will easily conceive and excuse, I happened to stumble against a crust, and fell flat on my face, but received no hurt.

5. I got up immediately, and, observing the good people to be in much concern, I took my hat (which I held under my arm, out of good manners), and, waving it over my head, gave three huzzas, to show I had received no mischief by my fall.

6. On advancing toward my master (as I shall henceforth call him), his youngest son, who sat next to him, an arch boy of about ten years old, took me up by the legs, and held me so high in the air that I trembled in every limb; but his father snatched me from him, and at the same time gave him such a box on the left ear as would have felled a European troop of horse to the earth, and ordered him to be taken from the table.

7. Being afraid the boy might owe me a spite, and well remembering how mischievous all children among us naturally are to sparrows, rabbits, young kittens, and puppy-dogs, I fell on my knees, and, pointing to the boy, made my master to understand as well as I could that I desired his son might be pardoned. The father complied, and the lad took his seat again; whereupon I went to him and kissed his hand, which my master took, and made him stroke me gently with it.