9. Accordingly the king and his attendant walked a great way down the stream, taking care to keep their feet in the water, which could not retain any scent where they had stepped. Then they came ashore on the further side from the enemy, and went deep into the wood before they stopped to rest themselves.

10. In the meanwhile, the hound led Lorn straight to the place where the king went into the water, but there the dog began to be puzzled, not knowing where to go next; for you are well aware that the running water could not retain the scent of a man's foot, like that which remains on turf. So John of Lorn seeing the dog was at fault, as it is called, that is, had lost the track of that which he pursued, gave up the chase, and returned to join the Earl of Pembroke.

1. The Earl of Pembroke was Regent for the new king, Edward II., in Scotland.

2. South-west of Scotland, now called Galloway.

3. Comyn had been a powerful rival of Bruce, and tried to betray

Bruce to Edward I. Meeting him in the Greyfriars Church, at Dumfries, Bruce stabbed him, and his companion ran in and killed the wounded knight. This deed of violence for a time injured the cause of Bruce.

EARLY RISING AND PRAYER.

1. When first thine eyes unveil, give thy soul leave
To do the like; our bodies but forerun

The spirit's duty; true hearts spread and heave
Unto their God, as flowers do to the sun :

Give Him thy first thoughts then, so shalt thou keep
Him company all day, and in Him sleep.

2. Yet never sleep the sun up; prayer should

Dawn with the day; these are set awful hours
"Twixt heaven and us; the manna was not good
After sunrising;1 far day sullies flowers;
Rise to prevent the sun; sleep doth sins glut,
And heaven's gate opens when the world's is shut.

3. Walk with thy fellow-creatures; note the hush
And whisperings amongst them. Not a spring
Or leaf but hath his morning hymn; each bush
And oak doth know I AM.

O leave thy cares and follies!

Canst thou not sing?

Go this way, 5
And thou art sure to prosper all the day.

4. Serve God before the world; let Him not go
Until thou hast a blessing; then resign
The whole unto Him, and remember who

Prevailed by wrestling ere the sun did shine;
Pour oil upon the stones, weep for thy sin,
Then journey on, and have an eye to heaven.

5. Mornings are mysteries; the first world's youth,
Man's resurrection, and the future's bud,

Shroud in their births; the crown of life, light, truth,
Is styled their star, the store and hidden food;
Three blessings wait upon them, one of which
Should move they make us holy, happy, rich.

6. When the world's up, and every swarm abroad, Keep well thy temper, mix not with each clay; Despatch necessities; life hath a load

Which must be carried on, and safely may;
Yet keep these cares without thee; let the heart
Be God's alone, and choose the better part."

Henry Vaughan (1621-1695).

1. The manna was not good after sunrising.-Exodus xvi., 20, "But some of them left of it (the manna) until the morning, and it bred worms and stank."

2. Prevent, that is, go before, from Latin, præ, before, and venio, I come. This was once the usual meaning of the word.

3. Fellow-creatures refer to the trees, birds, flowers, &c., created by God, as well as human beings.

4. I Am. -See Exodus iii., 14. The first revealed name of God.

LESSON L.

THE WANDERINGS OF ROBERT BRUCE.

Part II.

1. But King Robert's adventures were not yet ended. His foster-brother and he had rested themselves in the wood, but they had got no food, and were become extremely hungry. They walked on, however, in hopes of coming to some habitation. At length, in the midst of the forest, they met with three men who looked like thieves or ruffians. They were well armed, and one of them bore a sheep on his back, which it seemed as if they had just stolen.

2. They saluted the king civilly; and he, replying to their salutation, asked them where they were going. The men answered they were seeking for Robert Bruce, for they intended to join him. The king answered that, if they would go with him, he would conduct them where they would find the Scottish king.

3. Then the man who had spoken changed countenance, and Bruce, who looked sharply at him, began to suspect that the ruffian guessed who he

was, and that he and his companions had some design against his person, in order to gain the reward which had been offered for his life. So he said to them, "My good friends, as we are not well acquainted with each other, you must go before us, and we will follow near to you."

4 "You have no occasion to suspect any harm from us," answered the man.

"Neither do I suspect any," said Bruce; "but this is the way in which I choose to travel."

5. The men did as he commanded, and thus they travelled till they came together to a waste and ruinous cottage, where the men proposed to dress some part of the sheep which their companion was carrying. The king was glad to hear of food; but he insisted that there should be two fires kindled, one for himself and his foster-brother at one end of the house, another at the other end for their three companions. The men did as he desired. They broiled a quarter of mutton for themselves, and gave another to the king and his attendant. They were obliged to eat it without bread or salt; but as they were very hungry, they were glad to get food in any shape, and partook of it very heartily.

6. Then so heavy a drowsiness fell on King Robert that, for all the danger he was in, he could not resist an inclination to sleep. But first he desired his foster-brother to watch while he slept, for he had great suspicion of their new acquaintances. His foster-brother promised to keep awake, and did his best to keep his word. But the king