"The Black Knight took the letter and read it to his confederates."

Wherefore," said the letter, "we require you to send a priest to prepare them for death."

3. When this reply was received, the Black Knight took the letter and read it to his confederates. He was the only one among them who was able to read. "I would," said he, 'there were some one among us who could obtain admission to the castle, and discover how the case stands with the besieged." All looked on each other, and were silent. At last Wamba the jester said, "I see that the fool must still be the fool, and put his neck in the venture which wise men shrink from."

4. Disguised in a hermit's frock, he obtained admittance to the castle, and was led by a domestic to the apartment where Cedric the Saxon was confined. His master did not know him in his disguise till he threw back his cowl. The faithful jester prevailed on Cedric to put on the hermit's frock, and thus make his escape, while he remained in his place.

It

5. Cedric reluctantly consented to this sacrifice on the part of Wamba, and, disguised as a priest, he left the apartment. He was met by Front-de-Bœuf, who led the way to a postern, and gave him a letter to carry to the castle of Philip de Malvoisin. was an urgent message for help. "Do mine errand," said Front-de-Bœuf, giving him a piece of gold, " and thou shalt be well rewarded; but remember that I will flay off both cowl and skin, if thou failest in thy purpose."

6. "And full leave will I give thee to do both," answered Cedric, leaving the postern, and striding forth over the free field with a joyful step, “if,

when we meet next, I deserve not better at thine hand." Turning then back towards the castle, he threw the piece of gold towards the donor, exclaiming at the same time, "False Norman, thy money perish with thee!"

7. Front-de-Bœuf heard the words imperfectly, but the action was suspicious. "Archers," he called to the warders on the outward battlements, "send me an arrow through yon monk's frock! Yet stay," he said, as his retainers were bending their bows, "it avails not; we must thus far trust him since we have no better shift."

8. Cedric reached the rendezvous in safety, and reported to Locksley and the Black Knight all he had seen. He told them that a Saxon woman living in the castle, named Ulrica, once a lady and the daughter of a noble, but now degraded and neglected, had spoken to him, and she had vowed to set fire to the building, in revenge for ill-treatment at the hands of Front-de-Boeuf. She had urged him to hasten on the attack; and told him that when he should see a red flag wave from the eastern turret of the donjon, he was to press the Normans hard, for they would then have enough to do within.

Summary: The rescuing party assembled under a venerable oak near the Castle of Torquilstone. A letter was first sent to the castle demanding the immediate surrender of the captives. To this the besieged replied that the chief captives would be executed before noon, and therefore a priest should be sent "to prepare them for death." Wamba, disguised as a priest, obtained admission to the castle; and in the same disguise Cedric was allowed to pass out, leaving Wamba in his place. Seeing the supposed priest, Front-de-Boeuf gave him a letter to carry to Philip of Malvoisin asking for help. Ulrica, a Saxon woman living in the castle, also sent a message by him, but to the besiegers, saying that she would help them by firing the castle.

Exercises-1. Give, in your own words, an outline of Ivanhoe to the end of chapter xii.

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2. Explain-"A venerable oak;" A defiant reply came back;" "I will flay

off both cowl and skin."

3. The Latin prefix ob (with its forms oc, of, and op) signifies in the way of, against-as, object', to throw against, to find fault; offend, to strike against, to displease; occur, to run in the way of. Make sentences containing object, offend,

occur.

MEN OF ENGLAND.

1. Men of England, who inherit

Rights that cost your sires their blood!
Men whose undegenerate spirit

Has been proved on land and flood,

2. By the foes ye've fought uncounted,
By the glorious deeds ye've done-
Trophies captured-breaches mounted-
Navies conquered-kingdoms won,-

3. Yet remember, England gathers

Hence but fruitless wreaths of fame,
If the virtues of your fathers

Glow not in your hearts the same.

4. What are monuments of bravery,
Where no public virtues bloom?
What avail in lands of slavery
Trophied temple, arch, and tomb?

5. Pageants!-let the world revere us For our people's rights and laws, And the breasts of civic heroes

Bared in Freedom's holy cause.

6. Yours are Hampden's, Russell's glory, Sidney's matchless shade is yours— Martyrs in heroic story,

Worth a thousand Agincourts!

7. We're the sons of sires that baffled
Crowned and mitred tyranny:
They defied the field and scaffold,
For their birth-rights-so will we !

Meanings.