-feebly, however, and with a stick, for he was weak from long confinement.1

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The sentence was inevitable. It was pronounced in the ordinary form; but the usual punishment for treason was commuted, as it had been with Fisher, to death upon the scaffold; and this last favour was communicated as a special instance of the royal clemency. More's wit was always ready. "God forbid," he answered, "that the King should show any more such mercy unto any of my friends; and God bless all my posterity from such pardons' The scaffold had been awkwardly erected, and shook as he placed his foot upon the ladder. "See me safe up, "8 he said to Kingston. "For my coming down I can shift for myself." He began to speak to the people, but the Sheriff begged him not to proceed, and he contented himself with asking for 10 their prayers, and desiring them to bear witness for him that he died in the faith of the holy Catholic Church, and a faithful servant of God and the King. He then repeated the Miserere Psalm on his 12 knees; and when he had ended and had risen,13 the executioner, with an emotion which promised ill for the manner in which his part in the tragedy would be accomplished, begged his forgiveness. More kissed

1 For he was, etc......confinement, affaibli qu'il était par sa longue captivité-2 was, était-3 was, fut- the usual, etc......to death, la peine infligée d'ordinaire pour crime de trahison fut commuée, comme elle l'avait été pour Fisher, en une condamnation à mort-5 God forbid......that......should shew any more......unto, à Dieu ne plaise...... que......montre jamais plus......à-6 bless, garde-7 awkwardly, maladroitement- see me safe up, aidez moi à monter-9 for, etc...... myself, quant à descendre, je m'en tirerai bien moi-même-10 with asking for, de solliciter and desiring, etc......that, et de leur demander de lui rendre témoignage que-12 on his, à-13 and had risen, et qu'il se fut relevé.

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him. "Thou art to do me the greatest benefit1 that I can receive," he said. "Pluck up thy spirit, man, and be not afraid to do thine office. My neck is very short. Take heed therefore that thou strike not awry for saving of thine honesty."4 The executioner offered to tie his eyes. "I will cover them myself," he said; and binding them in a cloth which he had brought with him, he knelt and laid his head upon the block. The fatal stroke was about to fall, when he signed for a moment's delay while he moved aside his beard. 66 Pity that should be cut," he murmured, "that 10 has not committed treason.' 11 With which strange words, the strangest perhaps ever uttered 12 at such the time, the lips most famous through 13 Europe for eloquence and wisdom closed for ever.

So," concludes his biographer,* "with alacrity and spiritual joy he received the fatal axe, which no sooner had severed the head from the body, but11 his soul was carried by angels into everlasting glory, where a crown of martyrdom was placed upon him which can never fade nor decay; and then he found those words true which he had often spoken,15 that 16 a man may lose his head and have no harm."

Thou art to do me the greatest benefit, tu vas me rendre le plus grand service-2 pluck up thy spirit, man, ranime ton courage, brave homme-3 my neck is, j'ai le cou- for saving of thine honesty, pour sauver ta réputation-5 to tie his, de lui bander les-6 binding them in a cloth, les bandant avec un linge-7 was about to, allait- he signed for a moment's delay, il fit signe d'arrêter un instant-9 he moved aside, il rangeait-10 pity, etc.....that, ce serait pitié, murmura-t-il, que de trancher ce qui-11 which, ces-12 ever uttered, qui aient jamais été prononcées-13 through, dans toute l'-'4 which no sooner had......but, laquelle n'eut pas plus tôt......que-15 spoken, prononcées—16 that, à savoir, que.

*More's grandson.

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This was the execution of Sir Thomas More, an act which was sounded out2 into the far corners3 of the earth, and was the world's wonder, as well for the1 circumstances under which it was perpetrated, as for the preternatural composure with which it was borne. Something of his calmness may have been due to his natural temperament, something to9 an unaffected weariness of a world which in 10 his eyes was plunging into the ruin of the latter days. But those fair hues of sunny cheerfulness caught their colour11 from the simplicity of his faith; and never was there 12 a Christian's victory over death more grandly evidenced 13 than in that last scene lighted with its lambent humour.14

History will rather dwell upon the incidents of the execution than attempt a sentence upon 15 those who willed that it should be.16 It was at once most piteous and most inevitable. The hour of retribution had come at length,17 when at the hands of the Roman Church was to be required 18 all the righteous blood which it had shed from the blood of Raymond of Toulouse to the blood of the last victim who had blackened into ashes 19 at Smithfield. The voices

1 This was, telle fut-2 an act which was sounded out, évènement qui retentit-3 into the far corners, jusqu'aux extrémités as well for the, tant à cause des-5 under, dans-6 it was perpetrated, cette exécution fut consommée-7 as for the......composure, qu'à cause du calme..... borne, subie-9 something, etc......due to his......, something to, ce calme provenait sans doute un peu de son......, un peu d'10 in, à-11 those, etc......their colour, ces douces teintes d'une radieuse sérénité reçurent leur coloris-12 was there to be left out-13 more grandly evidenced, ne fut plus noblement manifestée-14 with its lambent humour, de son humeur enjouée-15 will rather dwell upon the...... than attempt a sentence upon, s'arrêtera plutôt aux...... ..qu'elle n'essaiera de juger-16 who willed that it should be, qui voulurent qu'elle eût lieu

17 had come at length, était enfin arrivée-18 when at the hands of ......was to be required, où l'on allait demander à... 19 who had blackened into ashes, dont les cendres avaient noirci.

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crying underneath the altar had been heard upon the throne of the Most High, and woe to the generation of which the dark account had been demanded.

FROUDE, "History of England."

A FATHER'S FIRST LESSON TO HIS CHILD.

My father was seated on the lawn before the house, his straw hat over his eyes (it was summer),5 and his book on his lap.6 Suddenly a beautiful delf blueand-white flower-pot, which had been set on the window-sill of an upper story, fell to the ground with a crash, and the fragments spluttered up round my father's legs. Sublime in his studies as Archimedes in the siege, he continued to read: Impavidum ferient ruinæ !

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"Dear, dear!" 10 cried my mother, who was at work in 12 the porch; "my poor flower-pot, that I prized so much! who could have done this ?13 Primmins, Primmins!"

Mrs. Primmins popped her head out of 14 the fatal window, nodded to the summons,15 and came down in a trice,16 pale and breathless.

"Oh!" said my mother mournfully, "I would rather have lost 17 all the plants in 18 the green-house

1 Upon the, au-2 Most High, Très-Haut-3 of, à—1 dark, terrible. 5 Summer, en été 6 on his lap, sur les genoux-7 with a crash, avec fracas the fragments, etc......legs, les éclats sautèrent aux jambes de mon père-9 in the siege, au siège (de Syracuse)-10 dear, dear! miséricorde!-11 at work, à travailler- 12 in, sous-13 who, etc.

..this? qui a pu faire cela?- 14 popped her head out of, passa la tête à-15 nodded to the summons, fit signe qu'elle avait entendu-16 in a trice, quatre à quatre-17 I would rather have lost, j'aurais mieux aimé perdre 18 in, de.

in the great blight last May,'-I would rather the best tea-set were broken! The poor geranium I reared myself, and the dear, dear flower-pot which Mr. Caxton bought for me my last birthday! that naughty child must have done this!"3

Mrs. Primmins was dreadfully afraid of my father -why, I know not, except that very talkative social persons are usually afraid of very silent shy ones.+ She cast a hasty glance at her master, who was beginning to evince signs of attention, and cried promptly, "No, ma'am, it was not the dear boy. it was I !"6

....

"You? How could you be so careless? and you knew how I prized them both. Oh, Primmins!" Primmins began to sob.

"Don't tell fibs, nursey," said a small shrill voice; and Master Sisty (coming out of the house as bold as brass) continued rapidly, "don't scold Primmins, mamma; it was I who pushed out the flower-pot."

"Hush!" said nurse, more frightened than ever, and looking aghast towards my father, who had very deliberately taken off his hat, and was regarding the scene with serious eyes wide awake.10

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Hush! And if he did break it, ma'am, it was quite an accident; he was standing so, and he never

1 Last May, au mois de mai dernier-2 bought for me my last, m'avait acheté pour mon dernier-3 that, etc......this, c'est ce petit mauvais sujet qui a dû faire cela- of very silent shy ones, des gens silencieux et réservés-5 she cast a hasty glance at, elle jeta un coup d'œil rapide sur-6 it was not......it was I, ce n'est pas......c'est moi -7 began to, se mit à don't tell fibs, nursey, ne conte donc pas d'histoires, ma bonne-9 as bold as brass, hardi comme un page--10 with serious eyes wide-awake, d'un air sérieux, les yeux tout grandouverts.