1. What is meant by the Declaration of Rights?

2. Make a list of dates given in this lesson, with the events.

3. Describe in a few words the character of Anne, the Duke of Cumberland, Churchill, William III.

4. What is meant by the Augustan age of English literature?

5. What benefits to England and Scotland followed the Union of 1707 ? 6. Name some of the weak points in the character of the Stuart family.

THE THREE ADVICES.

THOMAS CROFTON CROKER.*

PART I. GOOD WORDS FOR GOLDEN GUINEAS.

a-gree-ment [L. gratus, pleasing], a bargain made between two or more consenting parties. ad-vi-ces [L. ad to; video, to see], counsel, offered as worthy to be followed, opinions. charges [F. charger, to loads to burden], expenses, outlay. ac-cept [L. ad, to; capio, to take], to receive, to take. con-ver-sa-tion [L. con, together; verto, to turn], talk, familiar discourse.

THERE once came, what of late happened so often in Ireland, a hard year. When the crops failed, there was beggary and misfortune from one end of the island to the other. At that time, a great many poor people had to quit the country from want of employment, and through the high price of provisions. Among others, John Carson was under the necessity of going over to England to try if he could get work, and of leaving his wife and family behind him, begging for a bite and a sup up and down, and trusting to the charity of good Christians.

John was a smart young fellow, handy at any work, from the hay-field to the stable, and willing to earn the bread he eat, and he was soon engaged by a gentleman. The English are mighty strict upon Irish servants: he was to have twelve guineas a year wages, but the money was not to be paid until the end of the year, and he was to forfeit the entire twelve guineas in the lump if he misconducted himself in any way within the twelve

* THOMAS CROFTON CROKER was born in Cork, in 1798, and died in 1854. He is chiefly famous as an industrious collector of Irish legendary lore and antiquities; and it may be said, indeed, that in the narration of the popular traditions and legends of his country he is unequalled. His best work is his "Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland."

months. John Carson, to be sure, was upon his best behaviour, and conducted himself in every particular so well for the time, there was no faulting him late or early, and the wages were fairly his.

The term of his agreement being expired, he deter mined on returning home, notwithstanding his master, who had a great regard for him, pressed him to remain, and asked him if he had any reason to be dissatisfied with his treatment.

"No reason in life, sir," said John; "you've been a good master, and a kind master to me; the Lord spare you over your family: but I left a wife with two small children of my own at home, after me in Ireland, and your honour would never wish to keep me from them entirely-the wife and the children!"

"Well, John," said the gentleman, "you have earned your twelve guineas, and you have been, in every respect, so good a servant, that, if you are agreeable, I intend giving you what is worth the twelve guineas ten times over in place of your wages, but you shall have your choice; will you take what I offer, on my word ?”

John saw no reason to think that his master was jesting with him or was insincere in making the offer; and therefore, after slight consideration, told him that he agreed to take, as his wages, whatever he would advise, whether it was the twelve guineas or not.

“Then listen attentively to my words," said the gentleman.

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First, I would teach you this: 'Never to take a byeroad when you have the highway.'

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Secondly-Take heed not to lodge in the house where an old man is married to a young woman.'

“And thirdly—' Remember that honesty is the best policy.'

"These are the three advices I would pay you with, and they are, in value, far beyond any gold; however, here is a guinea for your travelling charges, and two cakes, one of which you must give to your wife, and the other you must not eat yourself, until you have done so, and I charge you to be careful of them."

It was not without some reluctance on the part of John Carson that he was brought to accept mere words for wages, or could be persuaded that they were more precious than golden guineas. His faith in his master was, however, so strong that he at length became satisfied.

John set out for Ireland the next morning early, but he had not proceeded far before he overtook two pedlars who were travelling the same way. He entered into conversation with them, and found them a pair of merry fellows, who proved excellent company on the road. Now, it happened towards the end of their day's journey, when they were all tired with walking, that they came to a wood, through which there was a path that shortened the distance to the town they were going towards by two miles. The pedlars advised John to go with them through the wood, but he refused to leave the highway, telling them at the same time he would meet them again at a certain house in the town, where travellers put up. John was willing to try the worth of the advice which his master had given him, and he arrived in safety, and took up his quarters at the appointed place. While he was eating his supper, an old man came hobbling into the kitchen, and gave orders about different matters there, and then went out again. John would have taken no particular notice of this, but, immediately after, a young woman, young enough to be the old man's daughter, came in and gave orders exactly the contrary of what the old man had given, calling him at the same time a great many hard names, such as old fool, and old dotard, and so on.

When she was gone, John inquired who the old man was. "He is the landlord," said the servant, "and Heaven help him! a dog's life he has had since he married his last wife."

"What," says John, with surprise, "is that young woman the landlord's wife? I see, I must not remain in this house to-night." And tired as he was he got up to leave it, but went no farther than the door before he met the two pedlars, all cut and bleeding, coming in, for

they had been robbed and almost murdered in the wood. John was very sorry to see them in that condition, and advised them not to lodge in the house, telling them, with a significant nod, that all was not right there; but the poor pedlars were so weary and so bruised that they would stop where they were, and disregarded the advice.

Rather than remain in the house, John retired to the stable and laid himself down upon a bundle of straw, where he slept soundly for some time. About the middle of the night he heard two persons come into the stable, and on listening to their conversation, discovered that it was the landlady and a man, laying a plan how to murder her husband. In the morning, John renewed his jour ney; but at the next town he came to was told that the landlord in the town he had left had been murdered, and that two pedlars, whose clothes were found all covered with blood, had been taken up for the crime, and were going to be hanged. John, without mentioning what he had overheard to any person, determined to save the pedlars, if possible, and so returned to attend their trial.

On going into the court, he saw the two men at the bar, and the young woman and the man swearing their innocent lives away. But the judge allowed him to give his evidence, and he told every particular of what had occurred. The man and the young woman instantly confessed their guilt; the poor pedlars were at once acquitted; and the judge ordered a large reward to be paid to John Carson, as through his means the real murderers were brought to justice.

EXERCISE.-24. PARSING, ETC.

1. Parse the second paragraph.

2. Give the present infinitive of the verbs:-was, failed, had, going. could, leaving, ate, engaged, paid, asked, spare, told, became, overtook, brought.

3. What are the auxiliary verbs in the last three paragraphs? 4. Name the finite verbs in the last sentence, and analyse it.

5. Write out the adverbs in the first page, underlining any prepost. tions used as adverbs.

6. Give a brief sketch of the first part of the story of John Carson and his adventures on the way home, in your own words.

THE THREE ADVICES.

PART II.-HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY.

el-o

mis-er-ies [L. miser, wretched], calamities, misfortunes. quence [L. e, out, loquor, to speak], fluent language. fer-vid [L. ferveo, to boil], fraught with emotion, fiery.

JOHN now proceeded towards home, fully convinced of the value of two of the advices which his master had given him. On arriving at his cabin, he found his wife and children rejoicing over a purse full of gold which the eldest boy had picked up on the road that morning. Whilst he was away they had endured all the miseries which the wretched families of those who go over to seek work in England are exposed to. With precarious food, without a bed to lie down on, or a roof to shelter them, they had wandered through the country seeking food from door to door of a starving population, and when a single potatoe was bestowed, showering down blessings and thanks on the giver, not in the set phrases of the mendicant, but in a burst of eloquence too fervid not to gush direct from the heart. Those only who have seen a family of such beggars as I describe, can fancy the joy with which the poor woman welcomed her husband back, and told him of the purse full of gold.

"And where did Mick, ma bohil, find it ?" inquired John Carson.

"It was the young squire, for certain, who dropped it," said his wife; " for he rode down the road this morning, and was leaping his horse in the very gap where Micky picked it up; but sure, John, he has money enough besides, and never the ha'penny have I to buy my poor childer a bit to eat this blessed night." "Never mind that,” said John; “do as I bid you, and take up the purse at once to the big house, and ask for the young squire. I have two cakes which I brought every step of the way with me from England, and they will do for the children's supper. I ought surely to remember, as good right I have, what my master told me for my twelve months' wages, seeing I never as yet found what he said to be wrong."