"I mean, my lord, to assert my privilege as an Englishman, without giving a reason why." 9. The judge, who had been highly bribed, in order to conceal it by a show of candor, and having a confidence in the superiority of his party, said, "Well, sir, as you claim your privilege in one' instance, I will grant' it. Whom would you wish to have in the room of that man excepted?" After a short time, taken in consideration, "My lord'," says he, "I wish to have an honest man' chosen in ;" and looking round the court"my lord', there is that miller' in the court; we will have him', if you please." Accordingly, the miller was chosen in. 10. As soon as the clerk of the court had given them all their oaths, a little dextrous fellow came into the apartment, and slipped ten golden guineas into the hands of eleven jurymen, and gave the miller but five. He observed that they were all bribed as well as himself, and said to his next neighbor, in a soft whisper, "How much have you' got?" "Ten pieces'," said he. But he concealed what he had got himself. The cause was opened by the plaintiff's counsel'; and all the scraps of evidence they could pick up', were adduced in his favor'. 11. The younger brother was provided with a great number of witnesses and pleaders, all plentifully bribed, as well as the judge. The witnesses deposed, that they were in the self-same country when the brother died, and saw him buried. The counselors pleaded upon this accumulated evidence; and everything went with a full tide in favor of the younger brother. judge summed up the evidence with great gravity and deliberation; "and now, gentlemen of the jury', ," said he, "lay your heads together, and bring in your verdict' as you shall deem most just'." 66 66 The shall speak 12 They waited but a few minutes, before they determined in favor of the younger brother. The judge said, Gentlemen', are you agreed'? and who shall speak' for you?" "We are all agreed', my lord'," replied one, and our foreman' Hold', my lord'," replied the miller; all agreed." "Why?" said the judge, in a very surly manner, "what's the matter with you? What reasons have you' for disagreeing?" for us." 66 66 66 we are not 13. "I have several reasons, my lord," replied the miller: "the first is, they have given to all these gentlemen of the jury, ten' broad pieces of gold, and to me but five'; which, you know, is not fair. Besides, I have many objections to make to the false reasonings of the pleaders, and the contradictory evidence of the witnesses." Upon this, the miller began a discourse, which discovered such vast penetration of judgment, such extensive knowledge of law, and was expressed with such manly and energetic eloquence, that it astonished the judge and the whole court. 14. As he was going on with his powerful demonstrations, the judge, in great surprise, stopped him. "Where did you come from, and who are you ?" "I came from Westminster Hall," replied the miller; " my name is Matthew Hale; I am Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench. I have observed the iniquity of your proceedings this day; therefore, come down from a seat which you are nowise worthy to hold. You are one of the corrupt parties in this iniquitous business. I will come up this moment and try the cause all over again." 15. Accordingly', Sir Matthew went up, with his miller's dress and hat on, began the trial from its very commencement', and searched every circumstance of truth and falsehood'. He evinced the elder brother's title to the estate, from the contradictory evidence of the witnesses, and the false reasoning of the pleaders; unraveled all the sophistry to the very bottom, and gained a complete victory in favor of truth and justice. ANONYMOUS. QUESTIONS. What were the circumstances, under which the younger brother took possession of his father's estate? How did he treat his elder brother upon his return? What did the elder brother do? What plan did Chief Justice Hale pursue? What influenced him to take all this trouble? What are the rules for the inflections in the last sentence of the first paragraph? (Rules I and IV.) What, for those in the last sentence of the 2d paragraph? Give rules for the inflections which are marked in the 7th paragraph. (Rules I, II, III, IV, and V.) Give the rules for the inflections marked in the 12th paragraph. (Rules I, II, III, IV, and V.) Why do the words "ten" and "five," in the 13th paragraph, receive different inflections? (Rule VI Contrast.) There are thirteen nouns in the last sentence of the lesson: which are they? What is the singular number of each of them? The plural number? does the word noun mean? Why is it so called? What PRONUNCIATION:- Fel-low, not fel-ler: vent-ure (pro. vent-yur), not ven-ter, nor ven-tshur: stim-u-la-ted, not stim-my-la-ted: thou-sand, not thou-sund: back-ward, not back-ud: for-ward, not for-ud: ig-no-rant, not igner-unt: el-o-quence, not el-er-quunce; e-lev-en (pro. e-lev'n), not lev-un. TO TEACHERS. - Grammatical questions are introduced somewhat extensively into this volume, and will be found profitable and interesting to the pupil. The teacher may increase and vary them, with advantage, and without interfering, at all, with the more direct objects of a reading lesson. This union of grammatical study with the daily reading exercise, will give additional interest and value to both, and should not be neglected by the teacher. EXERCISES. LESSON III. Earth that entomb'st all my heart holds dear. His attempts were fruitless. Hold off your hands, gentlemen. The sounds of horses' hoofs were heard. What want'st thou here? It was wrenched by the hand of violence. Their singed tops, though bare, still stand. The strength of his nostrils is terrible. A gentle current rippled by. He barb'd the dart. How do you like herbs in your broth? Thou barb st the dart that wounds thee. Thou barb'd'st the dart. Words to be Spelled and Defined. 1. Ex-te'-ri-or. n. outward appearance. De-pict'-ed. p. painted. represented. 4. Rev'-e-nues. n. annual income from As-sid'-u-ous, a. very attentive. [state. 5. Def-i-cit, n. a deficiency. want. 6. De-fault'-er. n. one who fails to account for public money intrusted to his care 9 Ex-per-i-ment'-al, a. derived from experience. In-junc'-tion, n. a command. THE MANIAC. 1. A GENTLEMAN who had traveled in Europe, relates that he one day visited the hospital of Berlin, where he saw a man whose exterior was very striking. His figure; tall and commanding, was bending with age, but more with sorrow; the few scattered hairs which remained on his temples were white, almost as the driven snow, and the deepest melancholy was depicted in his countenance. 2. On inquiring who he was, and what brought him there, he started, as if from sleep, and after looking round him, began with slow and measured steps to stride the hall, repeating in a low but audible voice, "Once one is two; once one is two." 3. Now and then he would stop and remain with his arms folded on his breast, as if in contemplation, for some minutes; then again resuming' his walk, he continued to repeat' "Once one is two'; once one is two'." His story', as our traveler understood it, was as follows'. 4. Conrad Lange', collector of the revenues of the city of Berlin', had long been known as a man whom nothing could divert from the paths of honesty'. Scrupulously exact in all his dealings', and assiduous in the discharge of all his duties', he had acquired the good will and esteem of all who knew him, and the confidence of the minister of finance', whose duty it is to inspect the accounts of all officers' connected with the revenue'. 5. On casting up his accounts at the close of a particular year', he found a deficit' of ten thousand ducats'. Alarmed at this dis covery', he went to the minister', presented his accounts', and informed him that he did not know how it had arisen', and that he had been robbed' by some person bent on his ruin'. 6. The minister received his accounts, but thinking it a duty to secure a person who might probably be a defaulter, he caused him to be arrested, and put his accounts into the hands of one of his secretaries, for inspection, who returned them the day after, with the information that the deficiency arose from a miscalculation; that in multiplying, Mr. Lange had said, once one is two, instead of, once one is one. 7. The poor man was immediately released from confinement, his accounts returned, and the mistake pointed out. During his imprisonment, which lasted but two days, he had neither eaten, drank, nor taken any repose; and when he appeared, his countenance was as pale as death. On receiving his accounts, he was a long time silent; then suddenly awaking as if from a trance, he repeated, once one is two." 66 66 8. He appeared to be entirely insensible of his situation; would neither eat nor drink, unless solicited; and took notice of nothing that passed around him. While repeating his accustomed phrase, if any one corrected him by saying, once one is " his attention was arrested for a moment, and he said, "ah, right, once one is one;" and then resuming his walk, he continued to repeat, once one is two." He died shortly after the one; 66 traveler left Berlin. 9. This affecting story', whether true' or untrue', obviously abounds' with lessons of instruction'. Alas! how easily is the human mind thrown off its balance'; especially when it is stayed on this world only-and has no experimental knowledge of the meaning of the injunction of Scripture', to cast all our cares upon Him' who careth for us, and who heareth even the young ravens' when they cry. - ANONYMOUS. QUESTIONS. Will you state the circumstances here narrated? How do you account for the unhinging of this man's mind. Is it common that one idea keeps possession of a maniac's mind? What does this story teach us? Give the rules for the inflections marked in paragraphs 3, 4. and 5. (Rules I and IV.) In the 9th paragraph, why have the words "true and untrue," different inflections? (Rule VI.) Which are the adjectives in the first paragraph? Compare each of them. PRONUNCIATION. - Fig-ure (pro. fig-yur), not fig-ger: sor-row, not sor-rer: mel-an-chol-y, not mel-un-chul-y: fi-nance', not_fi-nance: def'-i-cit, not de-fi'-cit: mis-cal-cu-la-tion, not mis-cal-ky-la-tion. TEACHERS are advised by no means to omit examining their pupils in parsing, in each reading lesson. LESSON IV. EXERCISES.-They reefed the topsails. No dangers fright him. He quench'd a flame. She laughs at him. A frame of adamant. She begg'd pardon. Thou look'st from thy throne in the clouds, and laugh'st at the storm. The glowworm lights her lamp. The table groans beneath its burden. All clothed in rags an infant lay. The birds were all fledg'd in the nest. Words to be Spelled and Defined. Hom'-age, n. reverence and service paid by a subject to his king. Bar'-on, n. a lord, a nobleman. Duch'-y, n. the territory of a duke. 1. Bark, n. a vessel, a small ship. 2. Reck'-less, a. careless, thoughtless. 3. Fes'-tal, a. pertaining to a feast, gay. Tourn'-ey, n. (pro. turn'-y) a kind of sport in which persons tried their courage and skill in fighting with the lance and sword. [on an instrument. Min'-strel, n. one who sings, and plays HE NEVER SMILED AGAIN. HENRY I, king of England, who commenced his reign A. D. 1100, had a son called William, a brave and noble-minded youth, who had arrived at his eighteenth year. The king loved him most tenderly, and took care to have him recognized as his successor by the states of England, and carried him over to Normandy, in the north of France, to receive the homage of the barons of that duchy. On the prince's return, the vessel in which he embarked was wrecked. He was placed in a boat and might have escaped, had he not been called back by the cries of his sister. He prevailed on the sailors to row back and take her in; but no sooner had the boat approached the wreck, than numbers who had been left, jumped into it, and the whole were drowned. King Henry, when he heard of the death of his son, fainted away, and from that moment, he never smiled again. 1. The bark that held the prince went down', And what was England's glorious crown' He lived-for life may long be borne', Ere sorrow breaks its chain'; Still comes not death to those who mourn'; He never smiled again! |