11. Well may the world cherish his renown, for it has been purchased, not by deeds of violence and blood, but by the diligent dispensation of pleasure. Well may posterity be grateful to his memory, for he has left it an inheritance, not of empty names and sounding actions, but whole treasures of wisdom, bright gems of thought, and golden veins of language.

QUESTIONS.-What kind of a day was it when the Abbey was visited? What are the cloisters?

What are effigies? Whose
When a stranger enters the

effigies are found in the cloisters? Abbey what is he struck with? What produces awe in the mind of the visitor? What sort of persons are buried in the Abbey? What is Poets' Corner? What sort of monuments do you find there? Name some great English poets.

de-lays', putting off

re-morse', regrets

force, power

DELAYS.

tide, the movement of the sea nought, nothing

de-murs', hesitations

1. Shun delays, they breed remorse;

Take thy time while time is lent thee;
Creeping snails have weakest force,

Fly their fault, lest thou repent thee;
Good is best when soonest wrought,

Ling'ring labours come to nought.

2. Hoist up sail while gale doth last,

Tide and wind stay no man's pleasure,
Seek not time when time is past,

Sober speed is wisdom's leisure;
After-wits are dearly bought,
Let thy fore-wit guide thy thought.
3. Time wears all his locks before,
Take thou hold upon his forehead ;
When he flees he turns no more,

And behind his scalp is naked.
Works adjourned have many stays,
Long demurs breed new delays.

stu-pen'-dous, immense in size base, the bottom part sub-lim'-i-ty, grand in nature

1. At twelve o'clock we went below, and had just got through dinner, when the cook put his head down the scuttle, and told us to come on deck and see the finest sight we had ever seen. "Where away, cook?" asked the first man who went up. "On the larboard bow." And there lay, floating in the ocean several miles off, an immense irregular mass, its top and points covered with snow, and its centre of a deep indigo colour. This was an iceberg-one of the largest size, as one of our men said who had been in the Northern Ocean,

2. As far as the eye could reach, the sea in every direction was of a deep blue colour, the waves running high and fresh, and sparkling in the light; and in the midst lay this immense mountain-island, its cavities and valleys thrown into deep shade, and its points and pinnacles glittering in the sun.

3. All hands were soon on deck looking at it, and admiring in various ways its beauty and grandeur; but no description can give any idea of the strangeness, splendour, and real sublimity of the sight,

4. Its great size-for it must have been from two to three miles in circumference, and several hundred feet in height; its slow motion as its base rose and sank in the water, and its high points nodded against the clouds; the dashing of the waves upon it, which, breaking high with foam, covered its base with a white crust; the thundering sound of the cracking of the mass, and the breaking and tumbling down of huge pieces, together with its nearness and approach, which added a slight element of fear-all combined to give it the character of true sublimity.

5. The main body of the mass was, as I have said, of an indigo colour; its base was crusted with frozen foam; and, as it grew thin and transparent towards the edges and top, its colour shaded off from a deep blue to the whiteness of snow. It seemed to be drifting slowly towards the north, so that we kept away and avoided it.

6. It was in sight all the afternoon; and as we got to leeward of it the wind died away, so that we lay-to quite near it for the greater part of the night. Unfortunately there was no moon; but it was a clear night, and we could plainly mark the long regular heaving of the stupendous mass, as its edges moved slowly against the stars.

7. Several times in our watch loud cracks were heard, which sounded as though they must have run through the whole length of the iceberg; and several pieces fell down with a thundering crash, plunging heavily into the sea. Towards morning

a strong breeze sprang up; and at daylight it was

QUESTIONS.—What is an iceberg? On which side of the ship was it first seen? Describe the appearance of it. What did all admire who saw it? What distance was it round the iceberg ? What colour was the great mass of it? To what side of the berg was the ship steered? What do you mean by leeward? What do

you mean by the expression lay-to? What sounds were heard during the night?

1.

It is May! it is May!

And all earth is gay,

For at last old winter is quite away ;
He linger'd awhile in his cloak of snow,
To see the delicate primrose blow;

He saw it, and made no longer stay--
And now it is May! it is May!

2.

It is May! it is May !

And we bless the day

When we first delightfully so can say.

April had beams amid her showers,

Yet bare were her gardens, and cold her bowers;

And her frown would blight, and her smile betray— But now it is May! it is May!