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And many a childing mother then,
And new-born baby died;

But things like that, you know, must be
At every famous victory.

"They say it was a shocking sight

After the field was won;

For many thousand bodies here

Lay rotting in the sun;

But things like that, you know, must be
After a famous victory.

"Great praise the Duke of Marlbro' won,
And our good Prince Eugene."

"Why, 'twas a very wicked thing!"

Said little Wilhelmine.

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"Nay nay.. my little girl," quoth he,
"It was a famous victory.

"And everybody praised the Duke

Who this great fight did win."
"But what good came of it at last?"
Quoth little Peterkin.

"Why that I cannot tell," said he,
"But 'twas a famous victory."

GLOSSARY. Blenheim; expectant; Duke of Marlbro'; Prince Eugene. STUDY. Picture the scene. What led to the talk about the “great victory”? How much did the old man understand about it? What questions did the children press upon him? Are you disappointed at his answers? Were the children? What were their final opinions after listening to their grandfather's account? Read passages indicating that your opinion is correct. Do you agree with them? Does Southey seem to be satirizing the common attitude toward war? Do we usually think of the barbarisms and cruelties of war, or think of it as a kind of glorious and dramatic spectacle? Can you think of any way by which wars might be avoided without loss of honor?

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STUDY. Notice that two of the stanzas of this poem are identical. They tell you the doom of the old wrecker: what is it? to continue? Read the stanza that tells you. tells you why he is being punished. Is there anything to indicate that he could have saved those in danger if he had wanted to? Do you feel that his punishment fits his crime? Then speak to him in the language of this poem so as to show him you do.

And he that shuts out Love, in turn shall be
Shut out from Love, and on her threshold lie
Howling in outer darkness.

ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON.

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15

THE STORY OF MACBETH

CHARLES LAMB

I. AMBITION

When Duncan the Meek reigned king of Scotland, there lived a great thane, or lord, called Macbeth. This Macbeth was a near kinsman to the king, and in great esteem at court for his valor and conduct in the wars; an example of which he had 5 lately given, in defeating a rebel army assisted by the troops of Norway in terrible numbers.

The two Scottish generals, Macbeth and Banquo, returning victorious from this great battle, their way lay over a blasted heath, where they were stopped by the strange appearance of 10 three figures like women, except that they had beards, and their withered skins and wild attire made them look not like any earthly creatures. Macbeth first addressed them, when they, seemingly offended, laid each one her choppy finger upon her skinny lips, in token of silence; and the first of them saluted Macbeth with 15 the title of thane of Glamis. The general was not a little startled to find himself known by such creatures; but how much more, when the second of them followed up that salute by giving him the title of thane of Cawdor, to which honor he had no pretensions; and again the third bid him "All hail! king that shalt 20 be hereafter!" Such a prophetic greeting might well amaze him, who knew that while the king's sons lived he could not hope to succeed to the throne. Then turning to Banquo, they pronounced him, in a sort of riddling terms, to be lesser than Macbeth and greater! not so happy, but much happier! and prophesied that 25 though he should never reign, yet his sons after him should be kings in Scotland. They then turned into air and vanished; by which the generals knew them to be the weird sisters or witches.

While they stood pondering on the strangeness of this adventure, there arrived certain messengers from the king, who were 30 empowered by him to confer upon Macbeth the dignity of thane

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of Cawdor: an event so miraculously corresponding with the prediction of the witches astonished Macbeth, and he stood wrapped in amazement, unable to make reply to the messengers; and in that point of time swelling hopes arose in his mind, that the 35 prediction of the third witch might in like manner have its accomplishment, and that he should one day reign king in Scotland.

Turning to Banquo, he said, "Do you not hope that your children shall be kings, when what the witches promised to me has so wonderfully come to pass?" "That hope," answered the 40 general, "might enkindle you to aim at the throne; but oftentimes these ministers of darkness tell us truths in little things, to betray us into deeds of greatest consequence."

But the wicked suggestions of the witches had sunk too deep into the mind of Macbeth to allow him to attend to the warnings 45 of the good Banquo. From that time he bent all his thoughts how to compass the throne of Scotland.

Macbeth had a wife, to whom he communicated the strange prediction of the weird sisters, and its partial accomplishment. She was a bad, ambitious woman, and so as her husband and 50 herself could arrive at greatness, she cared not much by what means. She spurred on the reluctant purpose of Macbeth, who felt compunction at the thoughts of blood, and did not cease to represent the murder of the king as a step absolutely necessary to the fulfillment of the flattering prophecy.

GLOSSARY. Blasted; choppy; Glamis; Cawdor; riddling; weird; swelling; compass; reluctant; compunction.

STUDY. HOW was Macbeth regarded at court? Why? Give an account of the meeting with the witches. What effect did they have on Macbeth? How does his conversation with Banquo show that he was interested in the prophecies? What kind of woman was Lady Macbeth, and how did she help on the influence of the witches?

II. THE MURDER OF DUNCAN

55 It happened at this time that the king, who out of his royal condescension would oftentimes visit his principal nobility upon

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