'Twas granted;-and, with hearts of flame.
Back the fair intercessors came,

And, swift as wind, the secret flew
From street to street, the city through.
Soon wives and plighted maids depart
With th' treasures dearest to their heart,
All snug enclosed in faithful sacks,'
And firmly fastened to their backs.
And when they issued from the gate,
Staggering beneath th' unwieldy weight,
The wondering emperor saw, too late,
The trick his wily suppliants played ;-
For lo! each wife and plighted maid
Had borne from out the bloody fray,
Husbands and lovers safe away!

}

LESSON LXII.

Importance of Decision of Character.-FUSTER.

WITHOUT decision of character, a human being with powers, at best, but feeble, is indeed a pitiable atom, the sport of divers and casual impulses. It is a poor and disgraceful thing, not to be able to reply, with some degree of certainty, to the simple questions, What will you be? What will you do?

A little acquaintance with mankind, will supply numberless illustrations of the importance of this character.

In many instances, when a determination is adopted, it is frustrated by indecision. A man, for example, resolves to make a journey to-morrow, which he is not under an absolute necessity to make, but the inducements appear, this evening, so strong, that he does not think it possible he can hesitate, in the morning. In the morning, however, these inducements have unaccountably lost much of their force. Like the sun, that is rising at the same time, they appear dim through a mist; and the sky

pli'-têd.

'Twas granted. What was granted?

Hearts of flame, with strong emotions of hope and joy.
Intercessors. Who are meant? Define the word.
Secret. What is implied by secret here?

Plighted, promised in marriage, engaged, pledged.
With, &c. What is there incorrect in this line?
Dearest to their heart. Explain this phrase.
Faithful. Why called faithful? Define the word.
Sacks, bags, pouches, measures; pillages, plunders.
Issued, came forth, emanated, broke out, sent out, ended
Unwieldy, unmanageable, bulky, ponderous, heavy.
Trick. What trick had been played?

Wily, cunning, fraudulent, deceitful, sly, crafty, subtle.
Suppliants. Who are meant? Define the word.
Fray, battle, quarrel, riot, chafe; to wear, rub, fret.

Foster. What account can you give of him? (App:)
Powers, faculties, qualities, energies, rulers; false deities.
A pitiable atom, object of commiseration or contempt.
Divers, various, many, several, sundry, different.
Casual, accidental, happening without apparent cause.
Impulses, motives, ideas, communicated forces,impressions
Simple, plain, easy, short, unequivocal, uncompounded.
Mankind, the human race, the human species, man.
Illustrations, examples, facts to explain, explanations.
Frustrated, set aside, disappointed, rendered nugatory
Inducements, motives, impulses, persuasions, incitements.
Unaccountably, in a manner that cannot be explained.
Force, urgency, importance, violence; to compel, drive.
Like the sun. What is a comparison? For what pur-
pose introduced? By what words generally? Is a com-
parison a stronger figure than a metaphor? (Appendix.)
Is this comparison an appropriate one?

Plighted, unwieldy, weight, frustrated, unaccountably.

lowers, or he fancies that it lowers; the fatigue appears formidable; and he lingers uncertain, till an advanced hour determines the question for him, by the certainty, that it is now too late to go.

A man, without decision, can never be said to belong to himself; since, if he dared to assert that he did, the puny force of some cause, about as powerful, you would have supposed, as a spider, may capture the hapless boaster, the very next moment, and triumphantly show the futility of the determinations, by which he was to have proved the independence of his understanding and his will. He belongs to whatever can seize him; and innumerable things do actually verify their claim on him, and arrest him as he tries to go along, as twigs and chips, floating near the edge of a river, are intercepted by every weed, and whirled into every little eddy. Having concluded on a design, he may pledge himself to accomplish it, if the five hundred diversities of feeling, which may come within the week, will let him.

On the contrary, a man of decisive character, cannot bear to sit still among unexecuted decisions and unattempted projects. We wait to hear of his achievements, and are confident we shall not wait long. The possibility, or the means, may not be obvious to us; but we know, that everything will be attempted, and, that such a mind is like a river, which, in whatever manner it is obstructed, will make its way somewhere. It must have cost Cæsar many anxious hours of deliberation, before he decided to pass the Rubicon; but, it is probable he suffered but few hours to elapse after his decision, before he did pass it.

One signal advantage, possessed by a mind of this character, is, that its passions are not wasted. The whole measure of passion, of which any mind, with important transactions before it, is capable, is not more than enough to supply interest and energy to its practical exertions. As little as possible, therefore, should be expended in a way, that does not augment the force of action.

lou-ůrz. pu'-nè. ât-tshève'-mêntz. ad-vân'-tâdje.

Lowers, looks gloomy or sullen, is clouded, frowns.
Is this conduct of the undecided man, foolish?

Belong to himself, do what he pleases, be under his own control, act independently, be at his own disposal.

Puny, weak, insignificant, petty, small, feeble, inferior. Capture, seize by force, take in its net.

lusion? Is it a significant one?

What is the al

Hapless, unhappy, wretched, miserable, unfortunate.
Triumphantly, victoriously, with success, exultingly.
Futility, emptiness, vanity, talkativeness, want of weight.
Independence, fearlessness, boldness, freedom from doubt,
exemption from reliance or control, self-direction.
Will, power of choice, determining faculty; to decide.
-Verify, show the truth of, make good, confirm, fulfil.
-Intercepted, stopped on the way, obstructed, cut off.
Five hundred. Is this a definite for an indefinite number?
Are such expressions in common use?

Diversities, varieties, kinds, changes, dissimilitudes.
Let. Has this word been defined? How?

On the contrary, to take an opposite view of the subject,
on the other hand, in the opposite light, contrariwise.
Uncxecuted, undone, unaccomplished, unfinished.
Projects, designs, attempts, schemes; contrives, juts.
Achievements. Has this word been defined? How?
Confident, not diffident, bold, assured, convinced, positive.
Obvious, open, apparent, evident, plain, clear, in the way
Obstructed, impeded, stopped, hindered, blocked up
Make its way, force a passage, cut a channel.
Cæsar. Give some account of Cæsar. (Appendix.)
Anxious. Substitute a synonymous word.

Rubicon, a small river of Italy. Why memorable? (App)
Elapse, glide by, pass away. Whence the allusion?
Passions, energies, sufferings, strong mental excitements.
Is decision of character a desirable quality? What do

you understand by it? What are some of its advantages? Is decision of mind in a wicked man desirable? Is it possible to be truly great or good without possessing it?

Lowers, puny, achievements, advantage, obstructed.

LESSON LXIII.

Marshal Saxe and his Physician.-NEW MONTH. MAG

FEVER'S a most audacious varlet ;-
Now in a general's face he shakes
His all-defying fist, and makes
His visage like his jacket-scarlet;
Now o'er surrounding guards he throws
A somerset, and never squeaks
"An' please your majesty," but tweaks
The royal monarch by the nose.

With his inflammatory finger

(Much like the heater of an urn)
He makes the pulses boil and burn,
Puts fur upon the tongue, (not ermine,)
And leaves his prey to die or linger,
Just as the doctors may determine.

Though this disorder sometimes seems
Mild and benignant,

It interferes so with our schemes,
Imparting to our heads a dizziness,
Just when we want them clear for business,
That it may well be termed malignant.

Of these inopportune attacks,
One fiercely fell on Marshal Saxe,
Just as his troops had opened trenches
Before a fortress-(what a pity!)
Not only did it make his heart ache
To be condemned to pill, cathartic,
Bolus and blister, drugs and drenches,
But shocked his military notions,
To make him take unwished-for potions,
Instead of taking, as he wished,—the city.

Senac, however, his physician,

Soon gave our invalid permission

To be coached out, an easy distance,

First stipulating one condition,

That whensoe'er he took a ride,

Himself should have a place inside,