Practical Lessons in the Use of English for Grammar Schools, with Supplement

Who was Copernicus?

What did he study? What did the people of his time believe about the sun and stars?

What two kinds of stars may be seen in the sky? What do we call the stars that shine with a steady light?

What did Copernicus believe about the sun and planets? What did he believe about the twinkling stars? What is a globe? What is meant by the axis of the earth? How often does the earth turn on its axis?

Why was Copernicus afraid to tell what he thought about the sun and stars? How did his thoughts become known? What is now believed about the sun and the earth?

WRITTEN EXERCISES.

Write in your own words about Copernicus.

1. Who Copernicus was.

Tell

2. What he studied, and what he could not believe.

3. What two kinds of stars may be seen in the sky.

4. What Copernicus believed about the sun and stars.

5. Why he was afraid to tell what he thought, and how his thoughts became known.

Make one paragraph for each heading given.

LESSON XXIV.

STUDY OF SELECTION.

THE SPACIOUS FIRMAMENT ON HIGH.

The spacious firmament on high,
With all the blue ethereal sky,

And spangled heavens, a shining frame,
Their great Original proclaim.

The unwearied sun, from day to day
Does his Creator's power display;

And publishes, to every land,

The work of an Almighty hand.

II.

Soon as the evening shades prevail, The moon takes up the wondrous tale; And nightly, to the listening earth,

Repeats the story of her birth:

Whilst all the stars that round her burn, And all the planets, in their turn,

Confirm the tidings as they roll,

And spread the truth from pole to pole.

III.

What though, in solemn silence, all
Move round the dark terrestrial ball;

What though no real voice nor sound
Amidst their radiant orbs be found:
In reason's ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious voice,
Forever singing as they shine,

"The hand that made us is divine."

JOSEPH ADDISON.

Read the first stanza. What is meant by the firmament on high? Why is it called spacious? What is mentioned in the second line? What in the third line? Why are the heavens said to be spangled? What is asserted of the firmament and heavens? What is meant by proclaiming their Original? Read the first statement about the sun. Why does the writer say unwearied sun? What is meant by displaying his Creator's power? Read the second statement about the sun.

What

is the meaning of publishes? What is meant by an Almighty hand? Read the second stanza. What is the first statement in this stanza? What does the first line tell? What is meant by evening shades? Read the second statement about the moon. repeat the story of her birth? How often? fifth and sixth lines? What are the stars and planets said to do? Give the meaning of this stanza in your own words.

To what does the moon What are spoken of in the

Read the third stanza. What is the meaning of terrestrial? What is meant by the dark terrestrial ball? To what does all refer, in the first line? In these two lines, does the poet describe the real motion or the apparent motion of the sun and the stars? Express in your own words the thought contained in the first six lines. What is meant by they in the fifth and seventh lines? What are the sun, moon, and stars forever singing?

Copy the poem, and commit it to memory.

PRONOUNCING EXERCISE.

Pronounce :

[Give ȧ an intermediate sound between ă and ä, as in åsk.]