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grim, ugly, terrible

THE LOCUST.

fam'-ine, starvation

shield'-ed (adj.), covered with a dwarf-ish, short

shield

my'-ri-ad (adj.), ten thousand; any great number des'-o-late, laid waste, deserted Eu-mon'-arch, a king or queen rav'-en-ous, greedy

un-wear'-y-ing, never tiring Goths, an ancient savage nation who dwelt in the north of

rope

Van'-dals, an ancient savage na-el'-e-ments, used to express earth,

tion who dwelt in Germany

Huns, an ancient savage nation of
Central Europe

air, fire, and water pros'-trate, thrown down

The locust is fierce, and strong, and grim,
And an armèd man is afraid of him:
He comes like a winged shape of dread,
With his shielded back and his armèd head,
And his double wings for hasty flight,
And a keen, unwearying appetite.

He comes with famine and fear along,
An army a million million strong;

The Goth and the Vandal, and dwarfish Hun,
With their swarming people, wild and dun,
Brought not the dread that the locust brings,
When is heard the rush of their myriad wings.

From the deserts of burning sand they speed,
Where the lions roam and the serpents breed,
Far over the sea, away, away!

And they darken the sun at noon of day.
Like Eden the land before they find,

But they leave it a desolate waste behind.

The peasant grows pale when he sees them come,
And standeth before them weak and dumb;
For they come like a raging fire in power,
And eat up a harvest in half an hour;

And the trees are bare, and the land is brown,
As if trampled and trod by an army down.

There is terror in every monarch's eye,
When he hears that this terrible foe is nigh;
For he knows that the might of an armèd host
Cannot drive the spoiler from out his coast,
That terror and famine his land await,
And from north to south 't will be desolate.

Thus, the ravening locust is strong and grim;
And what were an armèd man to him?
Fire turns him not, nor sea prevents,
He is stronger by far than the elements!
The broad green earth is his prostrate prey,
And he darkens the sun at the noon of day!

COMPOUND MULTIPLICATION.

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RASSELAS AND THE HERMIT.

courts, kings' palaces
lev'-i-ty, light behaviour
en-thu-si-asm, ardent zeal
rep-u-ta'-tion, character
ap-par-ent, seeming, evident

trav'-erse, to travel across
pre-fer'-ment, promotion
dis'-cord, disagreement

ar-tif-i-cers, skilled workmen

dis-tract', to take away the atten

tion

irk'-some, tedious, tiresome
per-plex'-i-ty, a difficulty
pre-vail', to have power
re-lax-a'-tion, relief from labour
di-ver'-sion, amusement
im-pel', to drive on
sol'-i-tude, loneliness
coun'-sel, advice
de-vout', pious
rap'-ture, very great joy

They came on the third day, by the direction of the peasants, to the hermit's cell; it was a cavern in the side of a mountain, overshadowed with palmtrees. The hermit sat on a bench at the door, to enjoy the coolness of the evening. On one side lay a book with pens and paper, on the other mechanical instruments of various kinds.

They saluted him with great respect, which he returned like a man not unaccustomed to the forms of courts. 'My children,' said he, if you have lost your way, you shall be willingly supplied with such conveniences for the night as this cavern will afford. I have all that nature requires, and you will not expect delicacies in a hermit's cell.' They thanked him; and, entering, were pleased with the neatness and regularity of the place. His discourse was cheerful without levity, and pious without enthusiasm.

At last Imlac began thus: I do not wonder that your reputation is so far extended; we have heard at Cairo of your wisdom, and came hither to implore your direction for this young man and maiden in the choice of life.'

To him that lives well,' answered the hermit, every form of life is good; nor can I give any other

rule for choice than to remove from all apparent evil.'

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He will most certainly remove from evil,' said the prince, who shall devote himself to that solitude which you have recommended by your example.'

I have indeed lived fifteen years in solitude,' said the hermit, but have no desire that my example should gain any imitators. In my youth I professed arms, and was raised by degrees to the highest military rank. I have traversed wide countries at the head of my troops, and seen many battles and sieges. At last, being disgusted by the preferments of a younger officer, and feeling that my vigour was beginning to decay, I resolved to close my life in peace, having found that the world was full of snares, discord, and misery. I had once escaped from the pursuit of an enemy by the shelter of this cavern, and therefore chose it for my final residence. I employed artificers to form it into chambers, and stored it with all that I was likely to want.

For some time after my retreat I rejoiced like a tempest-beaten sailor at his entrance into the harbour, being delighted with the sudden change from the noise and hurry of war to stillness and repose. When the pleasure of novelty wore away, I employed my hours in examining the plants which grow in the valley, and the minerals which I collected from the rocks. But that inquiry is now grown tasteless and irksome. I have been for some time unsettled and distracted; my mind is distracted with a thousand perplexities of doubt and vanities of imagination, which hourly prevail upon me, because I have no opportunities of relaxation or diversion. I am sometimes ashamed to think that I could not secure myself from vice but by retiring from the exercise of virtue, and begin to suspect that I was

rather impelled by resentment, than led by devo-, tion, into solitude. My fancy riots in scenes of folly, and I lament that I have lost so much, and have gained so little. In solitude, if I escape the example of bad men, I want likewise the counsel and conversation of the good. I have been long comparing the evils with the advantages of society, and resolve to return into the world to-morrow. The life of a solitary man will be certainly miserable, but not certainly devout.'

They heard his resolution with surprise, but, after a short pause, offered to conduct him to Cairo. He dug up a considerable treasure which he had hid among the rocks, and accompanied them to the city, on which, as he approached it, he gazed with rapture. Dr. Johnson.

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NOW AND THEN.

ro-mance' (n.), a tale of wild ad- | a'-zure, a faint blue

ventures

ad-verb, a word which modifies a
verb, adjective, or another ad-
verb
sub'-tle, finely formed
in-vest'-ed, clothed

vest'-ure, clothing
fan-tas'-tic, fanciful

ho-ri'-zon, where the earth and sky
appear to meet

em'-er-ald, a precious stone of a green colour

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