ceived five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 4. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 5. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed: and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth. Lo, there thou hast that is thine. 6. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strewed: thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 7. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew, Chapter XXV. FOR PREPARATION.-I. How much, in our money, is the value of the talent as used in Judea in the time of Christ? ($1,645 to $1,916.) Our word "talent," as meaning mental endowment, is derived from the figurative application made in this parable. All words relating to the mind, or to what is spiritual, are derived by the same process from words used first for material things. II. Gnăsh'-ing (nåsh'-), straight'-way (strāt'-), joûr'-ney, brought (brawt), a-fraid', ǎn'-swered (-serd). III. Likewise (wise meaning manner, or guise, in this word, as also in otherwise and lengthwise). Sown" and "strewed"-what two ways of indicating past time or completed action, illustrated in these words? Note the use of "which" (5 and 6), referring to "him" and "he." What word do we use to refer to persons? (who.) Note also the use of "that" ("thou hast that is thine"). (The style of the Bible is that of good English of the time of the settlement of this country by the English-1600 to 1630.) Make a list of expressions that are no longer used-e. g., unto one," "straightway took," "he that" for "he who," "other two," "cometh" (eth = s, denoting present time and continued action), "thou deliveredst" (st to agree with thou), “behold,” “thee,” “ mine own,” 'an hard," etc. IV. Slothful, unprofitable. 99.66 V. What figure of speech is used in the parable? (The allegory is a continued metaphor, wherein imaginary events are told as though they were realities, but with the unexpressed intention that a figurative application shall be made of them. The parable is a continued simile, the figurative application being expressly stated: "The kingdom of heaven is as [like] a man traveling," etc.) Do faculties of the mind-memory, attention, power of thought—all increase by frequent use? Does one's character improve by repetition of good acts? Can we all increase the talents we have, by making good use of them? LXIV. SOLDIER, REST! 1. Soldier, rest! Thy warfare o’er, Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking; Dream of battled fields no more, Days of danger, nights of waking. 2. In our isle's enchanted hall, Hands unseen thy couch are strewing; Every sense in slumber dewing. 3. Soldier, rest! Thy warfare o'er, 4. No rude sound shall reach thine ear, Mustering clan, or squadron tramping. 5. Yet the lark's shrill fife may come, 6. Ruder sounds shall none be near; Sir Walter Scott. FOR PREPARATION.-I. This song is found in Scott's "Lady of the Lake," and is sung by the Lady of the Lake herself. What is a bittern ?-a lark? In what country are they found? What is a pibroeh, and where used? (The scene of this piece is a beautiful island in Loch Katrine, a lake of Scotland surrounded by woody hills; on the south are Ben Venue and Aberfoyle, on the east Loch Achray, on the north the Trossachs, Ben Voirlich, Uam-Var, etc. See Lessons XX. and XXII.: the lady sings for the huntsman there described, who is lost, and has wandered to this island. II. War'-fâre, break'-ing, bit'-tern, squad'-ron, nẹigh (nã), chăl lenge. (Note the use of III. When would you use thy, and when thou? "thy" and "thou," and words of this style, in modern poetry as well as in old English prose.) What is omitted in o'er? Why not say "sleep who knows not," etc., instead of "that knows not"? Explain 's in isle's, armor's, lark's, here's. IV. “Battled fields," clang, fallow (uncultivated land), clan, sedgy, champing. V. Contrast the first and second stanzas: the allusion to battle scenes in the former, and the quiet, peaceful surroundings of the latter. Make the same contrast between the third and fourth stanzas, and the fifth (the lark's fife instead of the soldier's fife, and the bittern's drum instead of the soldier's drum). Note the difference between squadrons (of the regular Scotch army) and the "shouting clans" (of wild mountaineers, who strove to be independent). LXV. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. 1. One of the Americans who rendered the greatest services to the liberty of their country was Dr. Benjamin Franklin. He was born in Boston in 1706, and was the son of a poor tallow chandler. When a boy, he learned the printer's trade; at seventeen he left home, and established himself in Philadelphia. 2. He and a young partner began business with no capital, and felt very grateful to a friend whom they met in the street and who gave them a five-shilling job. Afterward they set up a newspaper, and published an almanac called "Poor Richard's Almanac," which had a great circulation. They also dealt in all sorts of small wares rags, ink, soap, feathers, and coffee. 3. Franklin was a great reader, and a great student of science, and especially of electricity. He formed the theory that lightning and the electrical fluid are the same thing. This he said in a pamphlet, and some readers thought it a very absurd view. Then he resolved to prove it. He and his young son made a great kite of a silk handkerchief, fastened a piece of sharpened wire to the stick, and went out to fly the kite in a thunder storm. 4. As the low thundercloud passed, the electric fluid came down the string of the kite. When Franklin touched a key that he had fastened to the string, his knuckles drew sparks from it, and proved that there was electricity there. This led him to invent the lightning rod, which is now in almost universal use. This discovery at once made him very famous in Europe, as well as in America. 5. He was afterward sent to England on a public mission, and remained there till the outbreak of the Revolution. Returning to America, he was one of the framers and signers of the Declaration of Independence. He was sent to France as ambassador, and aided in making the treaty with France which secured the independence of the American colonies. 6. He was a man of the greatest activity, public spirit, and wit. He exercised great influence in all public affairs, and founded more good institutions and benevolent enterprises than any other American of his time. His last public act was to sign a memorial to Congress in behalf of the Philadelphia Antislavery Society, of which he was president, asking the abolition of slavery. 7. He lived to the age of eighty-four, dying in 1790. The whole nation mourned when he died. Mirabeau, |