3. No useless coffin enclosed his breast, Nor in sheet nor in shroud we wound him; 4. Few and short were the prayers we said, 5. We thought as we hollowed his narrow bed, That the foe and the stranger would tread o'er his head, 6. Lightly they'll talk of the spirit that's gone, 7. But half of our heavy task was done, When the clock struck the hour for retiring; And we heard the distant and random gun That the foe was sullenly firing. 8. Slowly and sadly we laid him down, From the field of his fame fresh and gory; SUMMARY.-No sound was heard as we hurried to the ramparts. No farewell shot was discharged over the grave of our hero. We buried him at the dead of night, by the struggling beams of the misty moonlight. No coffin was used, but he lay like a soldier at rest. Our prayers were short, and we uttered no words of sorrow. We thought sadly of the morrow, when the foe and the stranger would tread over our warrior, while we ourselves were far across the sea. We laid him sadly and slowly in the grave, as we had borne him from the field of battle. Sir John Moore-Sir John Moore was a distinguished military commander. In 1808 he was appointed to command an army in Spain, where, after a skilful and arduous retreat before a very superior force, he fell mortally wounded by a cannon ball, under the walls of Corunna, 16th January, 1809. Who was Sir John Where was he killed? Post-hu-mous, after his burial. Struggling, striving [here at- QUESTIONS. Moore? When? sounds were not heard? Why? What thoughts were on the minds of those who buried him? How did they leave him? Where was he buried? At what time? In what manner? What EXERCISES.-1. Parse and analyse-Slowly and sadly we laid him down. 2. Adjectives are formed from nouns by adding less, to mean "privation" or "without;" as care, careless; friend, friendless. Make other adjectives from the following-grace, colour, harm, brain. Make sentences to show the use of these words. [ALFRED TENNYSON (b. 1810, ), the greatest English poet of the present day, was born at Somerset, in Lincolnshire, of which place his father was rector. He graduated at Trinity College, Cambridge. His first volume appeared in 1830, and although it contained several exquisite pieces, it made little impression. Another volume appeared three years afterwards, but it also failed to awaken public interest. On the publication of his third series, his poetic genius began to receive general recognition. The path to fame and fortune was now open before him; and to the encouragement he then received we are largely indebted for the splendid poems which afterwards proceeded from his pen. On the death of Wordsworth he was made poetlaureate. He was created a Baron, and became a member of the House of Lords in 1884. His principal poems are:-"In Memoriam.” Idyls of the King," "Enoch Arden," "The Holy Grail," and "Gareth and Lynette."] 66 1. Half a league, half a league. Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Rode the Six Hundred. Rode the Six Hundred. They that had fought so well 7. When can their glory fade? Honour the charge they made! -Tennyson. SUMMARY.-This incident occurred in the Crimean War, at the siege of Sebastopol by the allied troops. An order was given by mistake, and a brigade of light cavalry advanced against the enemy. The fire of the Russian lines was opened fiercely against them, but they advanced boldly in obedience to orders. A more terrible spectacle was never witnessed, but the heroes never faltered. The heavy fire of the Russian guns greatly thinned their ranks, and the brigade returned very much reduced in number. Of all the force which had ridden forward so bravely, only a small remnant was left to tell the tale. Bat-ter-y, a number of cannon. League, three miles. QUESTIONS. Where did this incident happen? When? By what mistake was it caused? What order was given? How was it obeyed? What dan gers had to be faced? How did the men bear themselves in the charge? How did they return? How many of them? EXERCISES.-1. Parse and analyse-Half a league onward, all in the valley of Death, rode the six hundred. 2. Adjectives are formed from other adjectives to diminish their meaning by adding ish, and from nouns to mean "made of," by adding en; as black, blackish; wood, wooden. Make other adjectives from the following-white, brown, green, silk, flax, brass. Make sentences to show the use of these words. That guard our native seas! Whose flag has braved a thousand years The battle and the breeze! Your glorious standard launch again To match another foe! And sweep through the deep, While the stormy winds do blow; While the battle rages loud and long, 2. The spirits of your fathers Shall start from every wave,—— For the deck it was their field of fame, Where Blake and mighty Nelson fell 3. Britannia needs no bulwarks, No towers along the steep; Her march is o'er the mountain waves, Her home is on the deep. With thunders from her native oak She quells the floods below, As they roar on the shore, When the stormy winds do blow; And the stormy winds do blow. ter-rif-ic war-ri-ors |