In a sloped sward down to a brawling brook,
And up as high as where they stood to look

On the brook's further side was clear; but then
The underwood and trees began again.

2. This open glen was studded thick with thorns,
Then white with blossom; and you saw the horns,
Through the green fern, of the shy fallow-deer
Which come at noon down to the water here.
3. You saw the bright-eyed squirrels dart along
Under the thorns on the green sward; and strong
The blackbird whistled from the dingles near,
And the weird chipping of the woodpecker
Rang lonelily and sharp; the sky was fair,
And a fresh breath of spring stirred everywhere.

4. Merlin and Vivian stopped on the slope's brow To gaze on the green sea of leaf and bough Which glittering lay all round them, lone and mild, As if to itself the quiet forest smiled.

5. Upon the brow-top grew a thorn, and here

The grass was dry and mossed, and you saw clear
Across the hollow; white anemonës

Starred the cool turf, and clumps of primroses
Ran out from the dark underwood behind.
No fairer resting-place a man could find.
'Here let us halt,' said Merlin then; and she
Nodded, and tied her palfrey to a tree.

Matthew Arnold.

CAUTIONS AND DIRECTIONS FOR READING.

VERSE 1.-Line 2: Avoid the verse-accent upon 'twixt. Read 'twixt-the-stems as one word.

VERSE 2.—Line 3: Read Through-the-green-fern as one word. VERSE 3.--Line 4: Avoid the verse-accent upon the.

VERSE 4.-Line 2: Read on-the-green-sea as one word.

VERSE 5.-Line 1: Read Upon-the-brow-top as one word.— Line 2: No accent upon you.-Line 7: No accent upon let. Read let-us-halt as one word.

EXERCISES.-1. Paraphrase section 5.

2. Parse all the words in the last two lines.

1. HELLAS or Greece is a small country in the southeast of Europe, lying to the east of Italy. About two thousand years ago, it was the greatest country-though perhaps the smallest in the world. It was the greatest, because it contained the largest number of wise and able men, and because it had the most beautiful language, the finest poems, and the wisest writingspoems and writings which no nation has ever produced anything to equal. And the Greeks loved their country, and thought it the most beautiful country in the whole world.

2. In the year 480 B.C., the Persian king, Xerxes, who hated the liberty which Greece enjoyed, led a vast host-numbering more than a million-against this small country. The states of Greece combined to oppose him; and the vanguard of the defence was intrusted to Leonidas, king of Sparta-a small state in the south,

which did not produce great writers or skilful poets, but which contained both wise rulers and brave warriors. The Persian king marched slowly along the east coast of the peninsula, till he found his progress barred by a narrow pass called Thermopylæ. 3. So narrow was the pass that a vast army could be stopped by a small company of determined men. Leonidas held it with a small band of three hundred men, aided by a few auxiliaries. This little band had heard terrible stories about the numbers of the Persians. They were told that their darts would darken the light of the sun; upon which one of the Spartans replied: 'Oh, very well; then we shall be able to fight in the shade.' 4. When the Persian king drew near and saw that little body of troops stopping the march of his almost numberless host, he was struck with astonishment; and he waited there for some days, thinking they would lose heart and retire. But they stood to their post. He sent a herald calling upon them to lay down their arms; but Leonidas sent him back with the answer that he might come and take them.' Wearied with their obstinacy, Xerxes at length gave orders for the attack. 5. Troop after troop-battalion after battalion of the Persian army advanced; but they made no impression upon the Spartans, who withstood, in unbroken firmness, every onset. The Persians could not even bring away their killed and wounded, but left them in the narrow way. All their efforts were vain. 6. At last a traitor, whose name was Ephialtes, came to the Persian king and offered to shew him a road across the mountains which overhung the pass, by which he might take the Spartans in their rear. This offer was accepted by Xerxes, who sent with him a body of soldiers in the dead of night. When

morning broke over the hills, in the quiet and clear air, the Spartans heard the tramp of the enemy descending the hill. 7. Then they knew that all was over, and that nothing remained for them but to sell their lives as dearly as they could. For it was the law of Sparta that no soldier could leave his post under any circumstances whatever. They abandoned their position in the pass, and crossed the open ground to attack the Persians. 8. The vast mass of the Persians closed round them; but the brave Spartans, scorning surrender, and preferring death to what they thought dishonour, stood back to back, facing round on all sides, and fought till not a single man of them was left alive. The slaughter of the Persians was immense.

On the spot where Leonidas and his companions fell, the Greeks placed a statue of a lion and a marble slab with the inscription :

STRANGER, GO TELL THE SPARTANS THAT

WE LIE HERE IN OBEDIENCE TO THE LAWS OF
OUR COUNTRY.

EXERCISES.-1. Write a short SUMMARY of the above lesson. 2. Write a paper on 'Thermopyla' from your own summary. 3. Explain the following sentences and phrases, and give a synonym for the single word: (1) The states of Greece combined to oppose him. (2) The vanguard of the defence was intrusted to Leonidas. (3) He found his progress barred by a narrow pass. (4) Aided by a few auxiliaries. (5) They made no impression upon the Spartans. (6) They withstood, in unbroken firmness, every onset. (7) They abandoned their position in the pass. (8) Scorning surrender. (9) Immense.

4. Parse all the words in the following sentence: 'Stranger, go tell the Spartans that we lie here in obedience to the laws of our country.'

5. Analyse the following sentence:

Between the dark and the daylight,
When night is beginning to lower,
Comes a pause in the day's occupations,
That is known as the children's hour.

6. Write in columns all the words you know that are connected with the following English words: Lie1; great2; wise; love; hate; true3; brave; find; hold; bind 4; long; give; break.

7. Write in columns all the derivatives you know from the following Latin words: Teneo, I hold (root ten, stem tent); duco, I lead (root duc; stem duct, compound with in, sub, pro, re, etc.); liber, free; pono, I place (root pon; stem posit; combine with in, ob, re, sub, etc.)

8. Make sentences containing the following words: Rest and wrest; rhyme and rime.

9. Make sentences containing the following phrases: Taste for, taste of; weary in, weary of, weary with; wait at, wait for,

wait on.

1 Lair.

2 Groat, etc. 3 Trust, etc. 4 Band, bond, bundle, etc.

LEONIDAS.

Thermopyla (literally hot gates), | Elements, fire (in the form of a pass in the north-east of

Greece, at the base of Mount Eta, abounding in hot-water springs.

lightning), water (as rain), etc.

Immortal hand, here put for the hand of a god.

1. Shout for the mighty men

Who died along this shore,

Who died within this mountain's glen!

For never nobler chieftain's head

Was laid on valour's crimson bed,

Nor ever prouder gore

Sprang forth, than theirs who won the day

Upon thy strand, Thermopyla !