10. “There was me and the cook and the captain bold, And the mate of the 'Nancy' brig,

And the bo'sun tight, and a midshipmite,
And the crew of the captain's gig.

11. "For a month we'd neither wittles nor drink,
Till a-hungry we did feel,

So we drawed a lot, and acordin' shot
The captain for our meal.

12. "The next lot fell to the 'Nancy's' mate,
And a delicate dish he made;

Then our appetite with the midshipmite
We seven survivors stayed.

13. "And then we murdered the bo'sun tight,
And he much resembled pig;

Then we wittled free, did the cook and me.
On the crew of the captain's gig.

14. "Then only the cook and me was left;

15.

66

6

And the delicate question, Which

Of us two goes to the kettle?' arose,
And we argued it out as sich.

For I loved that cook as a brother, I did,

And the cook he worshiped me;

But we'd both be blowed if we'd either be stowed
In the other chap's hold, you see.

16. “I'll be eat if you dines off me,' says Tom; 'Yes, that,' says I, you'll be

I'm boiled if I die, my friend,' quoth I;
. And Exactly so,' quoth he.

·

6

17. "Says he Dear James, to murder me
Were a foolish thing to do,

For don't you see that you can't cook me,
- cook you!'

While I

can

and will

18. So he boils the water, and takes the salt And the pepper in portions true

(Which he never forgot), and some chopped shalot, And some sage and parsley too.

19. "Come here,' says he, with a proper pride
Which his smiling features tell:

"Twill soothing be if I let you see
How extremely nice you'll smell.'

20. "And he stirred it round and round and round,
And he sniffed at the foaming froth;

When I ups with his heels, and smothers his squeals
In the scum of the boiling broth.

21. "And I eat that cook in a week or less, And as I eating be

The last of his chops, why, I almost drops,
For a wessel in sight I see!

22. "And I never larf, and I never smile, And I never lark nor play,

But sit and croak, and a single joke

I have which is to say:

:

6

23. "Oh, I am a cook and a captain bold, And the mate of the Nancy' brig, And a bo'sun tight, and a midshipmite, And the crew of the captain's gig!

58.- THE TEMPEST:

A TALE FROM SHAKESPEARE.

af-fect'ed, sought after.
con-cludes', thinks, infers.
con'verse, conversation.
ded'i-ca-ted, devoted, set apart.
ef-fect'ed, accomplished, did.

PART I.

of'fic-es, duties, work.

per'son, body, material form.
sprite, spirit.

vex-a'tious, teasing, annoying.
vir'tue, power, efficacy.

1. THERE was a certain island in the sea, the only inhabitants of which were an old man whose name was Prospero, and his daughter Miranda, a very beautiful young lady. She came to this island so young, that she had no memory of having seen any other human face than her father's.

2. They lived in a cave or cell made out of a rock. It was divided into several apartments, one of which Prospero called his study. There he kept his books, which chiefly treated of magic, a study at that time much affected by all learned men. The knowledge of this art he found very useful to him; for, being thrown by a strange chance upon this island, which had been enchanted by a witch called Sycorax, who died there a short time before his arrival, Prospero, by virtue of his art, released many good spirits that Sycorax had imprisoned in the bodies of large trees because they had refused to execute her wicked commands. These gentle spirits were ever after obedient to the will of Prospero. Of these Ariel was the chief.

3. The lively little sprite Ariel had nothing mischievous in his nature, except that he took rather too much pleasure in tormenting an ugly monster called Caliban; for he owed him a grudge because he was the son of his old enemy Sycorax. This Caliban Prospero found in the woods, a strange, misshapen thing, far less human in form than an ape. He took him home to his cell, and taught him to speak; and Prospero would have been very kind to him, but the bad nature which Caliban inherited from his mother Sycorax would not let him learn any thing good or useful. Therefore he was employed like a slave, to fetch wood, and do the most laborious offices; and Ariel had the charge of compelling him to these services.

4. When Caliban was lazy, and neglected his work, Ariel (who was invisible to all eyes but Prospero's) would come slyly and pinch him, and sometimes tumble him down in the mire; and then Ariel, in the likeness of an ape, would make mouths at him. Then, swiftly changing his shape, in the likeness of a hedgehog, he would lie tumbling in the way of Caliban, who feared the hedgehog's sharp quills would prick his bare feet. With a variety of such vexatious tricks Ariel would often torment him, whenever Caliban neglected the work which Prospero commanded him to do.

5. Having these powerful spirits obedient to his will, Prospero could by their means command the winds and the waves of the sea. By his orders they raised a violent storm, in the midst of which, and struggling with the wild sea-waves that every moment threatened to swallow it up, he showed his daughter a fine large ship, which he told her was full of living beings like themselves.