6. Offa. Yes, the sea is yours; it was made to bear your ships upon its bosom, and to pour the treasures of the world at your royal feet. It is boisterous to your enemies, but it knows you to be its sovereign.* 7. Canute. Is not the tide coming up? 8. Oswald. Yes, my liege; you may perceive the swell already. 9. Canute. Bring me a chair, then; set it here upon the sands. 10. Offa. Where the tide is coming up, my gracious lord? 11. Canute. Yes, set it just here. 12. Oswald [aside]. I wonder what he is going to do! 13. Offa [aside]. Surely he is not such a fool as to believe us! 5 14. Canute. O, mighty Ocean! thou art my subject; my courtiers tell me so; and it is thy bounden duty to obey me. Thus, then, I stretch my sceptre over thee, and command thee to retire. Roll back thy swelling waves, nor let them presume to wet the feet of me, thy royal master. 15. Oswald (aside]. I believe the sea will pay very little regard to his royal commands. 16. Offa. See how fast the tide rises! 17. Oswald. The next wave will come up to the chair. It is a folly to stay; we shall be covered with salt water. 18. Canute. Well, does the sea obey my commands? If it be my subject, it is a very rebellious subject. See how it swells, and dashes the angry foam and salt spray over my sacred person. Vile sycophants!' did you think I was the dupe of your base lies — that I believed your abject flatteries?" Know, there is only one Being whom the sea will obey. He is Sovereign of heaven and earth, King of kings, and Lord of lords. It is only He who can say to the ocean, "Thus far shalt thou go, but no farther, and here shall thy proud waves be stayed." 19. A king is but a man, and a man is but a worm. Shall a worm assume the power of the great God, and think the elements will obey him? Take away this crown; I will never wear it more. to be humble from my example, and courtiers learn truth from your disgrace! 1 MŎN'ARCH. A ruler of a nation, who has sole authority, a king. 2 LIEGE. One to whom allegiance is due, a sovereign. 3 BÖIS'TER-OUS. Furious, roaring. 4 SOV'ER-EIGN. A supreme ruler. May kings learn 5 COURT'IER (-yur) A man who fre. quents the courts of princes. 6 RE-BĚL'LIOUS (-yus). Resisting lawful authority. 7 SYC'O-PHĂNT. A mean flatterer. 8 FLATTER-Y. False praise. GIVE me the hand that is warm, kind, and ready; Soft is the palm of the delicate woman, 1 AYE (ā). Always, ever. 3 YEŌ'MAN (yō'man). A working man; especially, a farmer. 1. UNDER a spreading chestnut-tree The village smithy' stands; The smith, a mighty man is he, 4 With large and sinewy hands, 2. His hair is crisp and black and long; His brow is wet with honest sweat; And looks the whole world in the face, 3. Week in, week out, from morn till night, You can hear his bellows blow; You can hear him swing his heavy sledge 4. And children coming home from school, To see the burning sparks that fly Like chaff from the threshing-floor. 5. He goes on Sunday to the church, He hears the parson pray and preach; Singing in the village choir," And it makes his heart rejoice. 6. It sounds to him like her mother's voice Singing in paradise! He needs must think of her once more, And with his hard, rough hand he wipes 7. Toiling, rejoicing, sorrowing, 1 SMITH'Y. The shop of a smith. 3 MUS'CLES (mus'slz). Bundles of 4 BRAWN'Y. Muscular, sinewy. 5 SLEDGE. A large hammer. 6 SEX'TON. An officer of a church, whose duty it is to take care of the building, &c., and sometimes to dig graves. 7 FORGE. A furnace in which iron is heated so as to be hammered and shaped. 8 CHOIR (kwir). A band of singers in church service. 9 PĂR'A-DISE. A place of bliss heaven. 10 AT-TEMPTED. Tried, assayed. XXI. - BIRDS' NESTS. MRS. CHILD. 1. THE nests of birds are made with great nicety' and skill; and we cannot help admiring the results which are produced by a creature which has no tools to work with but a bill and two claws. It would be difficult for a man, with all his inventions' and resources, to do as well. 2. And there is this peculiarity3 about birds: they do not require to be taught how to build their nests; nor do they serve any apprenticeship in order to learn how to use their tools. It is an instinct, or natural faculty, bestowed upon them by our heavenly Father. |