LESSON XCVIII.

REMARK.-Do not slide over the little words, or omit any syllable of

a word.

SOUND each letter distinctly and correctly.-Look-ers, not look-uz: mi-lingly, not smi-l'n-ly: rev-er-ence, not rev-runce; stead-y, not stid-y.

Is -sue, n. event, consequence.
Stanch, a. sound, strong.

Jag'-ged, p. notched, uneven.

Shaft, n. the stem, the body.
Quiv'-er, n. a case for arrows.
Per'-il, n. danger.

WILLIAM TELL.-(CONTINUED.)

SCENE 2.-Enter slowly, people in evident distress-Officers, Sarnem, Gesler, Tell, Albert, and soldiers-one bearing Tell's bow and quiver—another with a basket of apples.

Ges. THAT is your ground. Now shall they measure thence
Take the distance.

A hundred paces.

Tell. Is the line a true one?

Ges. True or not, what is 't to thee?
Tell. What is 't to me? A little thing,
A very little thing; a yard or two
Is nothing here or there

I shot at! Never mind.

Ges. Be thankful, slave,

were it a wolf

Our grace +accords thee life on any terms. Tell. I will be thankful, Gesler! Villain, stop! You measure to the sun.

Ges. And what of that?

What matter whether to or from the sun?

Tell. I'd have it at my back. The sun should shine
Upon the mark, and not on him that shoots.

I can not see to shoot against the sun:

I will not shoot against the sun!

Ges. Give him his way!

Tell. I shall remember it.

Thou hast cause to bless my mercy.
I'd like to see

The apple I'm to shoot at.

Ges. Stay! show me the basket! there!
Tell. You've picked the smallest one.
Ges. I know I have.

Tell. O! do you? But you see

The color of 't is dark: I'd have it light,

To see it better.

Ges. Take it as it is;

Thy skill will be the greater if thou hitt'st it.

Tell. True! true! I did not think of that; I wonder
I did not think of that. Give me some chance

[force.)

To save my boy! (Throws away the apple with all his
I will not murder him,

If I can help it; for the honor of

The form thou wearest, if all the heart is gone.

Ges. Well: choose thyself.

Tell. Have I a friend among the lookers on?
Verner. (Rushing forward.) Here, Tell!
Tell. I thank thee, Verner!

He is a friend runs out into a storm

To shake a hand with us. I must be brief.
When once the bow is bent, we can not take
The shot too soon. Verner, whatever be
The issue of this hour, the common cause

Must not stand still. Let not tomorrow's sun

+

Set on the tyrant's banner! Verner! Verner!

The boy! the boy! Thinkest thou he hath the courage
To stand it?

Ver. Yes.

Tell. Does he tremble?

Ver. No.

Tell. Art sure?

Ver. I am.

Tell. How looks he?

Ver. Clear and smilingly.

If you doubt it, look yourself.

Tell. No, no, my friend:

To hear it is enough.

Ver. He bears himself so much above his years—

Tell. I know! I know!

Ver. With constancy so modest

Tell. I was sure he would

Ver. And looks with such relying love

And +

Tell. Man!

reverence upon you

Man! Man!

No more!

Already I'm too much the father

To act the man! Verner, no more, my friend!
I would be flint-flint-flint. Do n't make me feel
I'm not do not mind me! Take the boy
And set him, Verner, with his back to me.
Set him upon his knees, and place this apple
Upon his head, so that the stem may front me,
Thus, Verner; charge him to keep steady; tell him
I'll hit the apple! Verner, do all this
More briefly than I tell it thee.

Ver. Come, Albert! (Leading him out`

Alb. May I not speak with him before I go!
Ver. No.

Alb. I would only kiss his hand.

Ver. You must not.

Alb. I must; I can not go from him without.
Ver. It is his will you should.

Alb. His will, is it?

I am content, then; come.

Tell. My boy! (Holding out his arms to him.)
Alb. My father! (Rushing into Tell's arms.)
Tell. If thou canst bear it, should not I? Go now,
My son; and keep in mind that I can shoot;
Go, boy; be thou but steady, I will hit
The apple. Go! God bless thee; go. My bow!
(The bow is handed to him.)
Thou wilt not fail thy master, wilt thou? Thou
Hast never failed him yet, old servant. No,
I'm sure of thee. I know thy honesty,

Thou art stanch, stanch. Let me see my quiver.

Ges. Give him a single arrow.

Tell. Do you shoot?

Soldier. I do.

Tell. Is it so you pick an arrow, friend?

The point, you see, is bent; the feather, jagged.
That's all the use 't is fit for.

Ges. Let him have another.

Tell. Why, 't is better than the first,

But yet not good enough for such an aim

As I'm to take. 'Tis heavy in the shaft;

(Breaks it.)

I'll not shoot with it! (Throws it away.) Let me see my quiver.

Bring it! 'Tis not one arrow in a dozen

I'd take to shoot with at a dove, much less
A dove like that.

Ges. It matters not.

Show him the quiver.

Tell. See if the boy is ready.

Ver. He is.

(Tell here hides an arrow under his vest.)

Tell. I'm ready, too! Keep silent, for

Heaven's sake, and do not stir; and let me have
Your prayers, your prayers, and be my + witnesses
That if his life's in peril from my hand,

'Tis only for the chance of saving it. (To the people.) Ges. Go on.

Tell. I will..

O friends, for mercy's sake keep motionless,

And silent. (Tell shoots. A shout of exultation bursts from the crowd. Tell's head drops on his bosom; he with difficulty supports himself on his bow.)

Ver. (Rushing in with Albert.) The boy is safe, no hair of him is touched.

Alb. Father, I'm safe. Your Albert's safe, dear father;
Speak to me! Speak to me !

Ver. He can not, boy!

Alb. You grant him life?

Ges. I do.

Alb. And we are free?

Ges. You are. (Crossing angrily behind.)

Ver. Open his vest,

And give him air. (Albert opens his father's vest, and the arrow drops. Tell starts, fixes his eyes on Albert, and clasps him to his breast.)

Tell. My boy! My boy!

Ges. For what

Hid you that arrow in your breast? Speak, slave ! Tell. To kill thee, tyrant, had I slain my boy !*

KNOWLES.

*Notwithstanding Gesler's promise, Tell was again loaded with chains, and sonfined in prison. Succeeding, however, in making his escape, he soon afterward shot Gesler through the heart, and thus freed his country from the most galling bondage. His memory is, to this day, cherished in Switzerland, as that of one of the most heroic defenders of liberty.

QUESTIONS. In what kind of tone should you read, "True, I did not think of that," line 31? Why? Relate the whole story in your own language. What became of Gesler?

Perse each word in the last line.

LESSON XCIX.

UTTER each sound correctly and distinctly. -On-ward, not on-wud: ex-ist-ence, not ex-is-tunce: fur-row, not fur-rer: nat-u-ral, not nat-er-ul: cow-ard-ly, not cow-ud-ly: hol-low, not hol-ler: fer ule, pro. fer-il, or fer-ule. Mind, not mine: field, not fiel: low-est, not low-es: el-e-ment, el'ment: fi-nal-ly, not fi-n❜ly.

5. Vi'-tiate, v. (pro. vish'-ate) to injure 9. Rem-i-nis'-cen-ces, n. recollections. the qualities of any thing.

En-act'-ments, n. the passing of laws.

THE PATRIOTISM OF WESTERN LITERATURE.

1. OUR literature can not fail to be patriotic, and its patriotism will be American; composed of a love of country, mingled with an admiration for our political institutions.

2. The slave, whose very mind has passed under the yoke, and the senseless ox, which he goads onward in the furrow, are attached to the spot of their animal companionship, and may even fight for the cabin and the field where they came into existence; but this affection, considered as an ingredient of patriotism, although the most universal, is the lowest; and to rise into a virtue, it must be +discriminating and comprehensive, involving a varied association of ideas, and embracing the beautiful of the natural and moral world, as they appear around us.

3. To feel in his heart, and to infuse of such a patriotism, the scholar must cacies of our scenery, and dwell with

into his writings the spirit feast his taste on the delienthusiasm on the genias