afterwards, this prince recovered his affairs, and came with a large army to lay siege to Athens. 4. The Athenians, persuaded that they had no pardon to expect from Demetrius, determined to die sword in hand, and passed a decree, which condemned to death those who should first propose to surrender to that prince; but they did not recollect that there was but little corn in the city, and that they would in a short time be in want of bread. 5. Want soon made them sensible of their error; and, after having suffered hunger for a long time, the most reasonable among them said, "It would be better that Demetrius should kill us at once, than for us to die by the lingering death of famine. Perhaps he will have pity on our wives and children." They then opened to him the gates of the city. 6. Demetrius having taken possession of the city, ordered that all the married men should assemble in a spacious place appointed for the purpose, and that the soldiery, sword in hand, should surround them. Cries and lamentations were then heard from every quarter of the city; women embracing their husbands, children their parents, and all taking an eternal farewell of each other. 7. When the married men were all thus collected, Demetrius, for whom an elevated situation was provided, reproached them for their ingratitude in the most feeling manner, insomuch that he himself could not help shedding tears. Demetrius for some time remained silent, while the Athenians expected, that the next words he uttered would be to order his soldiers to massacre them all. 8. It is hardly possible to say what must have been their surprise when they heard that good prince say,-"I wish to convince you how ungenerously you have treated me; for it was not to an enemy you have refused assistance, but to a prince who loved you, who still loves you, and who wishes to revenge himself only by granting your pardon, and by being still your friend. Return to your own homes: while you have been here, my soldiers have been filling your houses with provisions." LESSON XLV. Death of Prince William.-GOLDSMITH. 1. HENRY I.* king of England, had a son called William, a brave and active youth, who had arrived at his eighteenth year. * Henry I. commenced his reign A. D. 1100. He died 1135. The king loved him most tenderly, and took care to have him recognized as his successor by the states of England; and carried him over to Normandy, in the north of France, to receive the homage of the barons of that duchy. 2. Having performed the requisite ceremony, the king set sail for England, accompanied by a splendid retinue of the principal nobility. William, his son, was detained by some accident, for several hours;—and the crew having spent the interval in drinking, became so intoxicated, that they ran the ship upon a rock and it was immediately dashed in pieces. 3. The prince was put into a boat, and might have escaped had he not been called back by the cries of his sister. He prevailed upon the sailors to row back and take her in;—but no sooner had the boat approached the wreck, than numbers who had been left, jumped into it, and the whole were drowned. King Henry, when he heard of the death of his son, fainted away, and from that moment, he never smiled again. He never smiled again.-MRS. HEMANS. 1. The bark* that held a prince went down, And what was England's glorious crown He lived-for life may long be borne Why comes not death to those who mourn? He never smiled again. 2. There stood proud forms around his throne, But which could fill the place of one? Before him passed the young and fair, But seas dash'd o'er his son's bright hair— 3. He sat where festal bowls went round; He saw the tourney'st victor crowned, * Bark, a small vessel. + Minstrel, a singer and musical performer on instruments. + Pronounced tur-ne, a martial sport or exercise. A murmur of the restless deep A voice of winds that would not sleep- 4. Hearts in that time closed o'er the trace And strangers took the kinsman's place Graves which true love had bathed with tears, LESSON XLVI. The Shepherd and the Philosopher. "Whence is thy learning? Hath thy toil And hast thou fathom'd Tully's mind? Swain, a shepherd. Plato, an illustrious Grecian philosopher-died at Athens, 348 B. C. Marcus Tullius Cicero, one of the greatest men of antiquity, whether we consider him as an orator, a statesman, or philosopher. He was born at Arpinum, (now included in the kingdom of Naples,) 107 B. C. He was baseIv assassinated by order of Mark Anthony, 42 B. C. Or, like the wise Ulysses,* thrown, 5. "From nature too, I take my rule, Can grave and formal pass for wise, A Grecian commander at the siege of Troy. + Pie, the magpie, a chattering bird resembling a crow. Nor would I, with felonious flight, Kites, hawks, and wolves, deserve their fate. 1 LESSON XLVII. The Youth and the Philosopher.-WHITEHEAD. 1. A GRECIAN youth, of talents rare, By precept and example too, Would often boast his matchless skill, To curb the steed, and guide the wheel; With graceful ease, and smack'd the thong, Was praise and transport to his breast. 2. At length, quite vain, he needs would show His master what his art could do; And bade his slaves the chariot lead To Academus'* sacred shade. Academus, a man who owned a place near Athens, surrounded with high trees, and adorned with spacious walks. Here Plato opened his school of philosophy, and from this, every place sacred to learning, has been called Academia. |