tiful with lilies! I have known many laboring men that have got good estates in this Valley of Humiliation; ‘for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble'; for, indeed, it is a very fruitful soil, and doth bring forth by handfuls. Some also have wished that the next way to their Father's house were here, that they might be troubled no more with either hills or mountains to go over; but the way is the way, and there is an end."

6. Now, as they were going along and talking, they espied a boy feeding his father's sheep. The boy was in very mean clothes, but of a fresh and well-favored countenance, and as he sat by himself he sang. "Hark!" said Mr. Greatheart, "to what the shepherd's boy saith"; and so they hearkened, and he said:

"He that is down needs fear no fall;

He that is low, no pride;

He that is humble ever shall

Have God to be his guide.

I am content with what I have,
Little be it, or much;

And, Lord, contentment still I crave,
Because thou savest such.
Fullness to such a burden is,

That go on pilgrimage;
Here little, and hereafter bliss,

Is best from age to age."

7. Then said their guide: "Do you hear him? I will dare to say this boy lives a merrier life, and wears more of that herb called heart's-ease in his bosom, than he that is clad in silk and velvet! But we will proceed in our discourse."

John Bunyan.

FOR PREPARATION.-I. Have you read the "Pilgrim's Progress"? (This is from "The Fifth Stage" of the Second Part.)

II. A-pŏl'-ly-ŏn, lil'-ies, slip'-per-y, fiend (fēnd), eŏm'-bat, dis-păr'age-ment.

III. On in "thereon "; give a list of words formed in the same way— there-to, there-at, etc.

IV. Humiliation, "fruitful a place as the crow flies over," well-favored. V. In the poem (6), see if you can find the thoughts of the prose passages before it, which are wrapped up in a story. Why is the descent steep toward humility (humbleness)? Do most people get down the hill of Pride without a fall? Did you ever hear of any people who would laugh at one whose pride had caused him to slip and fall? (Think of Apollyon.) Is humility profitable to the soul? Name some of its good results. "Shepherd's boy"-was it David?

LXXI. THE VILLAGE PREACHER.

1. Near yonder copse, where once the garden smiled,
And still where many a garden flower grows wild,
There, where a few torn shrubs the place disclose,
The village preacher's modest mansion rose.
A man he was to all the country dear,
And passing rich with forty pounds a year.

2. Remote from towns he ran his godly race,

Nor e'er had changed, nor wished to change, his place;
Unpracticed he to fawn, or seek for power,
By doctrines fashioned to the varying hour;
Far other aims his heart had learned to prize,
More bent to raise the wretched than to rise.

3. His house was known to all the vagrant train ;
He chid their wand'rings, but relieved their pain;
The long-remembered beggar was his guest,
Whose beard descending swept his aged breast;
The ruined spendthrift, now no longer proud,
Claimed kindred there, and had his claim allowed;

The broken soldier, kindly bade to stay,
Sat by his fire, and talked the night away,
Wept o'er his wounds, or, tales of sorrow done,

Shouldered his crutch and showed how fields were

won.

4. Pleased with his guests, the good man learned to glow,
And quite forgot their vices in their woe;
Careless their merits or their faults to scan,
His pity gave ere charity began.

Thus to relieve the wretched was his pride,
And e'en his failings leaned to virtue's side.

5. But, in his duty prompt at every call,

He watched and wept, he prayed and felt for all;
And, as a bird each fond endearment tries,
To tempt its new-fledged offspring to the skies,
He tried each art, reproved each dull delay,
Allured to brighter worlds, and led the way.

6. Beside the bed where parting life was laid,
And sorrow, guilt, and pain by turns dismayed,
The reverend champion stood. At his control,
Despair and anguish fled the struggling soul;
Comfort came down the trembling wretch to raise,
And his last falt'ring accents whisper'd praise.

7. At church, with meek and unaffected grace,
His looks adorned the venerable place;
Truth from his lips prevailed with double sway,
And fools, who came to scoff, remained to pray.
The service past, around the pious man,
With steady zeal, each honest rustic ran;
Even children followed with endearing wile,

And plucked his gown, to share the good man's smile.

8. His ready smile a parent's warmth expressed;

Their welfare pleased him, and their cares distressed;
To them his heart, his love, his griefs were given,
But all his serious thoughts had rest in heaven.
As some tall cliff that lifts its awful form,

Swells from the vale, and midway leaves the storm,
Though round its breast the rolling clouds are spread,
Eternal sunshine settles on its head.

Oliver Goldsmith.

FOR PREPARATION.-I. Have you read "Dr. Primrose in Prison"? (XLVII.) Do you see any resemblance in character between Dr. Primrose and the "Village Preacher"? (Henry Goldsmith, brother of the poet, occupied the parsonage at Lissoy, and is doubtless the original of the "Vicar," and of the "Village Preacher.")

II. De-scend'-ing, beg'-gar, wõe, mid'-way.

III. E'er, wished, remembered. Difference between bade and bid?-weep and wept?-win and won?

IV. Copse, forty pounds, vagrant, scan, accents, ran his godly race" (note the quotation of this by the author in his "Elegy on a Mad Dog").

V. Explain, “His pity gave ere charity began." Which is a higher virtue-pity, or charity? How could "his failings lean to virtue's side"? Make a list of the positions in which the "village preacher" is portrayed ((a) at church, (b) at the bedside of the dying, (c) as kind host, etc.). Is the metaphor of the "tall cliff" accurately expressive of the character portrayed in the preacher ?

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LXXII.-HOW TO RENDER HUMOROUS IDEAS.

Under this head we include good-natured wit, raillery, pleasantry, jesting, punning, etc. They require the same compound slide" (or "circumflex," as it is often called) that belongs to sarcasm and scorn, but with smoother stress.

As the spirit of this class is agreeable, the compound stress used must be free from all offensive abruptness.

EXAMPLE OF WIT AND RAILLERY.

Benedick and Beatrice are mutual friends, admirers, and finally lovers, but wittily affect to scorn love, and marriage, and each other.

Beatrice I pray you, is seignior Montanto returned from the wars, or no'? How many hath he killed and eaten' in these wars? But how many hath

he killed^? For, indeed, I^ promised to eat all of hisˇ killing.

Messenger-He hath done good service, lady, in these

wars.

Beat.-You had musty victual, and he hath holp to eat^ it: he is a very valiantˇ TRENCHER^man; he hath‍an excellent stomach^.

Mess. And a good soldier', too, lady.

Beat.-And a good soldier to a lady; but what is he to a lord?

Mess.-A lord to a lord, a man to a man; stuffed with all honorable virtues'.

is so, indeed; he is no less than a stuffed Well, we are all mortal!

man: but for the STUFFING^

Who is his companion' now?
NEW^ swornˇ brother^.

Mess.-Is it possible?

He hath every month' a

Beat. Very easily possible: he wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat; it ever changes^ with the next block^.

Mess.-I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your'

books.

Beat.-No! an he were, I would burn my study.

* A name of ridicule for Benedick.