So great became the unpopularity of the king in England that his advisers thought it prudent to recommend him to make a tour of the provinces. He accordingly visited Ireland and Scotland where he was most enthusiastically received; but only because he was the first sovereign they had seen since the revolution of 1688. The war of Greek independence was the next event of note. The Greeks rose against the Turks who had long oppressed them, and having shown by their prowess that they were worthy of assistance, they got it from England and other states, which destroyed the Turkish fleet in the battle of Navarino, 1827, an act which the Duke of Wellington characterised as 66 an untoward event." George IV. died at Windsor Castle, on the 6th June, 1830, at the age of sixty-eight. His character may be summed up in a few words. He was insincere, vain, inordinately fond of pleasure, and had no idea of the value of morality: a character especially bad in one to whom millions naturally looked for an example. The crown now devolved upon the third son of George III., who had borne the title of Duke of Clarence during his brother's life. He now became known as William IV. He had seen service in the navy, and, like all sailors, was remarkable for frankness, kindness of heart, and simple manners. These qualities soon gained the esteem of the masses, who looked upon him with much favour. His queen, too, Adelaide, a German princess, was very popular. William had not been long upon the throne before France was, for the second time, in a state of revolution. Belgium, too, threw off the yoke of Holland, and formed an independent kingdom. The most important event of the reign was the passing of the Reform Bill, in 1832. The king stoutly opposed it as long as he could, risking his popularity, but refusing to yield. Many politicians were in favour of the bill, and as many against it. Great was the excitement, and strongly expressed were the feelings on both sides. The mass of the people loudly declared their determination to have the "whole bill and nothing but the bill." Opposition had at last to give way, and it was passed amid great enthusiasm. Another important event was the emancipation, in 1834, of the slaves in our colonies, which cost Britain the enormous sum of twenty millions sterling. William Wilberforce, member of parliament for York, had spent a lifetime in working for this noble end. Forty-two years had the bill struggled through parliament, and its triumph at last was a happy reward to the perseverance of Wilberforce and other philanthropists. Since then there has been no slave on British soil. As soon as one sets foot on any part of the British dominions, or comes on board a British ship, he is free: a glorious privilege which has been thankfully taken advantage of. William IV. died at the age of seventy-two, June 20th, 1837, warmly beloved by all. He possessed good sound common sense, and the best that can be said of him is, that he was a striking contrast to his brother in every act of his short but useful and happy reign. He was succeeded by our present sovereign, Queen Victoria. EXERCISE.-59. COMPOSITION. 1. Make a list of (a) persons (b) places (c) dates, with events, mentioned in this lesson. 2. Give a short account of Caroline of Brunswick. 3. Describe in your own words the character of Geo. IV. 4. What is meant by the Reform Bill? 5. When and how was slavery abolished in the British colonies? THE ANGEL AND THE CHILD. FROM THE FRENCH. gaz-ing [A.-S. gesean, from seon, to see], looking intently. boundless [F. borne, limit], without limit, vast. earth-ly (A.-S. earth, the earth], belonging to the earth, vile, worldly. ONE summer eve, the skies were bright Round which the sweetest perfumes flowed: With love the mother's bosom glowed. Beside the sleeping babe there stood, On childhood's brow the heavenly light. And happy be in yon bright land. "The earth that seems so calm and fair, Or clouds bespread thy seraph brow? That roll through boundless fields of space, The angel said-his glistening wings EXERCISE.-60. PARSING, ETC. 1. Paraphrase the first three verses. 2. Explain the parsing and syntax of the phrases:-'one summer eve,' "one by one.' 3. If whispered' in the fourth verse is a transitive verb, where is its objective? 4. Write out the clauses composing the fourth verse: supply any ellipses that you may find in it. 5. Parse the fourth, fifth, and sixth verses. 6. Analyse the last verse. 7. What is the past indicative and the past participle of the verbs:→ stand, see, let, fly, spread, wring, but, fall, sing? 1 THE TOWN PUMP. NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.* PART I.-IN PRAISE OF WATER. con-stan-cy [L. con, together; sto, to stand], fixedness, unchange. ableness. sus-tains [L. sub, under; teneo, to hold], supports, bears, endures. fumes [L. fumo, to smoke], exhalations, puffs. NOON, by the north clock! Noon, by the east! High noon, too, by these hot sun-beams, which fall, scarcely aslope, upon my head, and almost make the water bubble and smoke in the trough under my nose. Truly we public characters have a tough time of it! And among all the town officers chosen at the March meeting, where is he that sustains for a single year, the burden of such manifold 'duties as are imposed, in perpetuity, upon the Town Pump? The title of "town treasurer is rightfully mine, as guardian of the best treasure that the town has. The overseers of the poor ought to make me their chairman, since I provide bountifully for the pauper, without expense to him that pays taxes. I am at the head of the fire department, and one of the physi cians to the board of health. As a keeper of the peace, all water-drinkers will confess me equal to the constable. I perform some of the duties of the town clerk, by promulgating public notices, when they are pasted on my front. To speak within bounds, I am the chief person of the municipality, and exhibit, moreover, an admirable pattern to my brother officers, by the cool, steady, upright, downright, and impartial discharge of my busi ness, and the constancy with which I stand to my post. Summer or winter, nobody seeks me in vain; for, all day *NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE, an eminent American novelist, who filled for some years the post of American consul at Liverpool, was born at Salem, Massachussets, about the year 1807. His novels, especially the "Scarlet Letter," and the " House with Seven Gables,"display great power and originality of treatment, while in quaintness of description and his evident liking for old localities, his writings bear some resemblance to those of our own popular essayist and humourist, Charles Lamb. Besides his romances and contributions to periodicals, Mr. Hawthorne has written several excellent works for children, among which the "Wonder Book," and "Tanglewood Tales," may be specially named. 3 long, I am seen at the busiest corner, just above the market, stretching out my arms to rich and poor alike; and at night I hold a lantern over my head, both to show where I am, and to keep people out of the gutters. At this sultry noontide I am cupbearer to the parched populace, for whose benefit an iron goblet is chained to my waist. Like a dram-seller on the mall, at musterday, I cry aloud to all and sundry in my plainest accents, and at the very tip-top of my voice-Here it is, gentlemen! Here is the good liquor! Walk up, walk up, gentlemen, walk up, walk up! Here is the superior stuff! Here is the unadulterated ale of father Adambetter than Cognac, Hollands, Jamaica, strong beer, or wine of any price; here it is by the hogshead or single glass, and not a cent to pay! Walk up, gentlemen, walk up, and help yourselves! It were a pity if all this outcry should draw no customers. Here they come. A hot day, gentlemen. Quaff, and away again, so as to keep yourselves in a nice cool sweat. You, my friend, will need another cupful, to wash the dust out of your throat, if it be as thick there as it is on your cow-hide shoes. I see that you have trudged half a score miles to-day; and, like a wise man, have passed by the taverns, and stopped at the running brooks and well-curbs. Otherwise, betwixt heat without and a fire within, you would have been burnt to a cinder, or melted down to nothing at all in the fashion of a jelly-fish. Drink, and make room for that other fellow, who seeks my aid to quench the fiery fever of last night's potations, which he drained from no cup of mine. Welcome, most rubicund sir! You and I have been great strangers hitherto; nor, to express the truth, will my nose be anxious for a closer intimacy, till the fumes of your breath be a little less potent. Mercy on you, man! the water absolutely hisses down your red-hot gullet, and is converted quite to steam, in the miniature Tophet which you mistake for a stomach. Fill again, and tell me, on the word of an honest toper, did you ever, in cellar, tavern, or any kind of dram-shop, spend the price of your children's food for a swig half so delicious? Now, |