He entered the Danish camp in the disguise of a shepherd, with a harp in his hand, and so delighted the commander of the forces with his musical skill, that he was detained

several days for his amusement. There Alfred had opportunities of observing the state of the Danish army; and finding how unguarded they were, and how little they seemed to dread the English, he was able to direct his attacks with more hope of success. A complete victory was gained soon after over these dreaded enemies; and Alfred permitted all who did not choose to embrace Christianity to depart for their native country. The Danish prince himself, and fifty of his nobles, staid and were baptized.

When Alfred had succeeded in defeating his enemies, and felt himself at liberty to sit down in his own palace in quiet, he turned his thoughts next to the best means of governing his subjects. The laws of his kingdom were bad and ill administered; to correct these abuses he composed a new code, reformed the judges, and established the mode of trial by jury. All the remaining days of this good prince were devoted to such objects as are most valuable in themselves and most useful to others. Though the service of the church was conducted in Latin, he complained that hardly a man was to be found who could translate a Latin book into English; and he not only encouraged learned men to settle among his subjects, but studied the language himself, for the sake of translating useful books for his people.

He founded the University of Oxford; and on all occasions endeavoured, as far as possible, to promote the interests of religion among his subjects. He died a. D. 900, at the age of fifty-one.

Story of the Seasons.

BY H. G. ADAMS.

(Continued from page 199.)

Part I.-Summer.

HE Jay and the Magpie were chattering in the wood, the frequent caw, caw of the Rooks was heard on every tide, and far away sounded the faint cry of the Cuckoo. And the child recollected what SPRING had told him of this mysterious bird, and how she had also said that, before the reign of SUMMER was ended, it became silent, and that, finally, like the nightingale, and the Swallow, and other birds of passage, it took its departure for a warmer climate, at the coming of AUTUMN; and he asked his kind companion to conduct him to some spot where he would be most likely to obtain a sight of that shy bird.

So SUMMER, again taking his hand, which she had dropped to allow of his pausing to admire the many beautiful objects before and around him, led him some distance down the green slope, where, amid the tall grass, grew the Meadow-sweet, with its fragrant blossoms, like patches of foam strewn from the tops of the ocean waves. There, too, grew the little Milk-vetch, for it was a chalky soil, and the rich deep yellow of the Birds'-foot trefoil coloured the ground for yards and yards, close by where the burrowing Mole had dug out its gloomy habitation, and made a miniature mountain with the earth thrown out in the process. And down and down the gentle slope still they walked, brushing with their feet the large Ox-eye Daisies, the golden flowers and downy globes of the Dandelion, whose winged seeds were scattered by the breeze in every direction, starting, at one time, the dusky little Cricket; at another, the large green Grasshopper, that went vaulting nimbly away, to chirp and chirrup in a more secure place; now disturbing the droning Humble-bee from his feast on a stray Clover blossom, and now the Lizard, whose bright scales glittered for a moment in the sun, and then disappeared.

Having reached a hedge which ran across the foot of the hill, they turned and followed its course for awhile, to admire the creamy-looking Elder-blossoms, which, at places, entirely covered it; now the waxen clusters and dark glossy leaves of the Privet, and now the trailing Bryony, amid whose green wreaths, adorned with flowers of the same colour, hung the purple Nightshade, and twined and twisted the Honeysuckle and Convolvulus, or Bird weed, the latter white as the driven snow, and shaped like the mouth of a

trumpet, and the former with its mass of straggling tubes and threads, all pink, and gold, and crimson,

That is spreading seen,

Like a robe of glory,
Over hedgerows green,
Hard by forests hoary.

There, too, was the Wayfaring-tree, its young shoots covered with a cottonny down, which in time would turn to berries, red as coral; and there the delicate-tinted Bramble blossoms, and the Wild Briar, or Eglantine, which put out its rose-tinged cups to the sun, and sweetened the air around. And all the way along, beneath the hedge, the bank was covered with flowers of every hue, from the deep purple of the Wild Thyme to the bright blue of the little Speedwell, often, though erroneously, called the Forgetme-not; from the dusky red of the freckled Foxglove, to the bright pink of the Herb Robert, and faint lilac of the Scabious; and from these again, to the pure white of the bladder Campion; and there, too, was the Cistus, or Rock Rose, and many other plants with yellow blossoms, which I must not stop to mention, as the child could not, to examine them all, for his guide now led him through a gap in a hedge, and across a large field, where the grass, but recently cut, yet lay in ridges, or swathes, as it is called, except where the busy Hay-makers were at work, turning and tossing it in the sun to dry.

And through the fields they went, and passed out at a gate which opened upon the dusty road, on the opposite

side of which flowed the river, or stream, as it might more properly be called, that the child had seen from the hilltop, as it wound its glittering length through the peaceful vale. There grew the tall Bullrush with its brown velvety head, that makes such excellent arrows; and there, on its broad glossy leaves floated the pride of SUMMER, the stately Water Lily, like a pure ivory cup of the most graceful form and delicate workmanship, and the Yellow Iris, or FlagSedge, waved its bright yellow petals, and the ScorpionGrass, the true Forget-me-not, with many another aquatic, or water plant, flourished and blossomed there, and afforded shelter to the lovely Dragon flies; and the sleek Water Rats, and the speckled Trout, and various other living creatures, that flew, and swam, and crept, and glided, above and beneath and amid these.

Truly it was a fair scene; and as the child stood looking upon it, lost in admiration, out of his nest, on the opposite bank, came a Kingfisher, and spreading forth to the sun his burnished wings, darted and skimmed along the water; and then the little Sedge Warbler began to flit here and there amid the reeds, and to sing his sweet song of welcome to the glad season; and the Pied Longtail, that had come down to bathe in the clear stream, and to see if he could pick up an insect or two for his dinner, threw up the sparkling water, and was as full of tricks and antics as a bird well could be; so the child lingered, and lingered, and forgot all about the Cuckoo in the wood. And presently there was heard, lower down the stream, such a barking of dogs, and bleating of sheep, and a shouting and laughing of men and boys, that he must needs go and see what was the