4. Albion! on every human soul By thee be knowledge shed, Wide as the shores are spread : Might shine where'er thy children roam, James Montgomery. Albion is the most ancient name on record of the island of Great Britain. The Highlands of Scotland still retain it to some extent. Albion, Albany, or Albainn, means a country of heights, the word alb or alp being a height. Albania in Turkey is also a mountainous country. The word Albion has nothing to do with "the white cliffs of old England," to which it is sometimes supposed to refer because albus in Latin means "white." 1. Mention all the names you are acquainted with, ancient and modern, for the several great divisions of the British isles. 2. Write out a list of all the subjects of instruction in your class in school. 3. Write out the following words as they are pronounced: gracious, wounded, soul, knowledge, ocean, one, two, eight, London. A COUNTRY PARSONAGE AND PARSON'S FAMILY ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEARS AGO. I. OUR little habitation was situated at the foot of a sloping hill, sheltered with a beautiful underwood behind, and a prattling river before: on one side a meadow, on the other a green. My farm consisted of about twenty acres of excellent land, I having given a hundred pounds for my predecessor's goodwill. 2. Nothing could exceed the neatness of my little enclosures; the elms and hedgerows appeared with inexpressible beauty. My house consisted of but one story, and was covered with thatch, which gave it an air of great snugness; the walls on the inside were nicely whitewashed, and my daughters undertook to adorn them with pictures of their own designing. 3. Though the same room served us for parlour and kitchen, that only made it the warmer. Besides, as it was kept with the utmost neatness, the dishes, plates, and coppers, being well scoured, and all disposed in bright rows on the shelves, the eye was agreeably relieved, and did not want rich furniture. There were three other apartments, one for my wife and me, another for our two daughters, within our own, and the third, with two beds, for the rest of the children. 4. The little republic to which I gave laws was regulated in the following manner: by sunrise we all assembled in our common apartment; the fire being previously kindled by the servant. After we had saluted each other with proper ceremony, for I always thought fit to keep up some mechanical forms of good breeding, without which freedom ever destroys friendship, we all bent in gratitude to that Being who gave us another day. 5. This duty being performed, my son and I went to pursue our usual industry abroad, while my wife and my daughters employed themselves in providing breakfast, which was always ready at a certain time. I allowed half an hour for this meal, and an hour for dinner; which time was taken up in innocent mirth between my wife and daughters, and in philosophical arguments between my son and me. 6. As we rose with the sun, so we never pursued our labours after it was gone down, but returned home to the expecting family; where smiling looks, a neat hearth, and pleasant fire, were prepared for our reception. Nor were we without guests: sometimes Farmer Flamborough, our talkative neighbour, and often the blind piper, would pay us a visit and taste our gooseberry wine; for the making of which we had lost neither the receipt nor the reputation. 7. These harmless people had several ways of being good company: for while one played, the other would sing some soothing ballad, Johnny Armstrong's last good-night, or the cruelty of Barbara Allen. 8. The night was concluded in the manner we began the morning, my youngest boys being appointed to read the lessons of the day, and he that read the loudest, distinctest, and best, was to have a half-penny on Sunday to put into the poor's-box. Goldsmith, "Vicar of Wakefield." A parsonage is the residence of the parson or incumbent of a benefice, who was called parson (Lat. persona), because he personifies or represents the Church in the place for certain purposes. Story, meaning a stage or layer of the building of a house, is derived from the French estage, or étage, which was corrupted successively into stage, stagery, stawry, story. Gooseberry-wine, like currant and cowslip-wine, used to be more frequently made and drunk in country places in England than it is now. When effervescent, it is so good as often to be fraudulently sold for champagne. 1. Name the flowers which you think ought to be grown in a cottage garden. 2. It has been said that no cottage ought to be without a porch, an oven, and a tank; what would be the good of each one of these things? 3. What are said to be signs of good reading in the last sentence of the lesson? And what else would be a sign of good reading? En-clo'-sures. Goose'-ber-ry. In-ex-press'-i-ble, not to be expressed. Me-chan'-i-cal. Par'-son-age. Phi-lo-so'ph-i-cal. Re-ce'ipt (pronounced receet). RURAL SIGHTS AND SOUNDS. How oft upon yon eminence our pace 5 And still unsated, dwelt upon the scene. Thence with what pleasure have we first discerned 10 Here Ouse, slow winding through a level plain Stand, never overlooked, our fav'rite elr, 20 Of hedge-row beauties numberless, square tower, Tall spire, from which the sound of cheerful bells Just undulates upon the listening ear, Groves, heaths, and smoking villages remote. 25 Please daily, and whose novelty survives Nor rural sights alone but rural sounds 30 The tone of languid Nature. Mighty winds |