And my heart can sing, as of yore it sung, 6. I do not see her, the old wife there, Shriveled, and haggard, and gray, But I look on her blooming, and soft, and fair, 7. I do not see you, daughters and sons, But I kiss you now, as I kissed you once, 8. And, as my own grandson rides on my knee, I can well recollect I was merry as he, The bright-eyed little wight! 9. 'Tis not long since, it cannot be long,- Since I was a boy both straight and strong, 10. A dream," a dream, it is all a dream, A strange, sad dream, good sooth; My heart is full of youth. 11. Eye hath not seen, tongue hath not told, How buoyant and bold, though it seem to grow old, NOTE. -a The life of the aged, seems to them so very short, when they reflect upon t, that they look upon it rather as a dream than a reality. b Heart is here used for mind. 12. Forever young, though life's old age Hath every nerve unstrung; The heart, the heart, is a heritage That keeps the old man young! QUESTIONS. 1. Do the aged seem old to themselves? 4. Why do they not? 7. How do they look upon their sons and daughters? 10. How does their life appear to them? 11. What part of man is always young? 11. What does heart mean here? LESSON LVII. 1. Cap'tive, a prisoner of war. 1. Sub'sti-tute, one put in the place of 2. Em'per-or, the ruler of an empire. 5. In-ter-pos'ed, interfered. 6. Ex-e-cu'tion-er, one who kills another. 8. Dra-mat'ic, pertaining to the drama. ERRORS.1. Con'ter-a-ry for con'tra-ry; 2. in-ter-est'ed for in'ter-est-ed; 3. a-gaynst' for a'gainst; 4. dis-cree'tion for dis-cretion; 6. fust for first; 7. exquisite for ex-qui-site; 7. fem'i-nyne for fem'i-nine; 7. voilent for vi'o-lent; 10. bons for bonds. RESCUE OF CAPTAIN SMITH BY POCAHONTAS.b SIMMS. 1. THE appearance of the captive before the king, was welcomed by a shout from all the people. This does not appear to have been an outbreak of exultation. On the contrary, the disposition seems to have been to treat the prisoner with becoming gravity and consideration. A handsome young NOTES.a Cap'tain Smith (John); an Englishman of a bold and adventurous disposition, and the most efficient man in the Virginia colony. He was born in 1579, and died in London in 1631. b Pō-ca-hon'tas; an Indian female, and daughter of Powhattan, the great sachem of the Virginia Indians. She was born in 1595, and when seventeen years of age, married an Englishman by the name of Rolf. In 1616, they visited England, where she died at the age of twenty-two, leaving one son who was educated by his uncle in London, and afterwards became a wealthy and distinguished character in Virginia. woman, the queen of Apamattuck," is commanded to bring him water, in which to wash his hands. Another stands by with a bunch of feathers, a substitute for the towel, with which he dries them. 2. Food is then put before him, and he is instructed to eat, while a long consultation takes place between the emperor and his chief warriors, as to what shall be done with the captive. In this question, Smith is quite too deeply interested, to give himself entirely to the repast before him. He keeps up a stout heart and a manly countenance; but "Sure his heart was sad; For who can pleasant be and rest, That lives in fear and dread?" 3. The discussion results unfavorably. His judges decide against him. It is the policy of the savages to destroy him. He is their great enemy. He is the master spirit of the powerful and intrusive strangers. They have already discovered this. 4. They have seen that by his will and energies, great courage and equal discretion, he has kept down the discontents, disarmed the rebellious, and strengthened the feeble among his brethren; and they have sagacity enough to understand how much more easy it will be, in the absence of this one adventurous warrior, to overthrow and root out the white colony which he has planted. It is no brutal passion for blood and murder, which prompts their resolution. 5. It is a simple and clear policy, such as has distinguished the decision, in like cases, of far more civilized, and even Christian communities; —and the award of the council of Powhattan, is instant death to the prisoner. He is soon apprised of their decision, by their proceedings. Two great stones are brought into the assembly, and laid before the king. b NOTES.a Ap-a-mat'tuck; an Indian chief. b Pow-hat-tan'; a famous sachem of the Indian tribes of Virginia, and the father of Pocahontas; born probably about 1535. He is rudely dragged forth, and his head is laid upon them. They stood with clubs uplifted, about to strike the fatal blow, when Pocahontas, the king's dearest daughter, interposed for his safety. 6. It seems that she first strove to move her father by entreaties, but finding these of no avail, she darted to the place of execution, and before she could be prevented, got the head of the captive in her arms, and laying her own upon it, thus arrested the stroke of the executioner. And this was the action of a child but ten years old! 7. We may imagine the exquisite beauty of such a spectacle, the infantine grace, the feminine tenderness, the childish eagerness, mingled with uncertainty and fear, with which she maintained her hold upon the object of her concern and solicitude, until the will and violent passion of her father had been appeased. 8. This is all that comes to us of the strange, but exquisite dramatic spectacle; but it is not denied that we may conceive for ourselves, the beauty and terror of the tragic scene. Imagination may depict the event in her most glowing colors. The poet and painter will make it their own. They will show us the sweet child of the forest, clasping beneath her arm the head of the pale warrior, while the stroke of death, impending over both, awaits but the nod of the mighty chieftain, whose will is law, in all that savage region. 9. They will show us first the rage and fury which fill his eyes, as he finds himself baffled by his child; and then the softening indulgence with which he regards that pleading sweetness in her glance, which has always had such power over his soul. "She was the king's dearest daughter;" this is the language of the unaffected and simple chronicles, and her entreaty prevails for the safety of the prisoner. 10. Her embrace seems to have consecrated, from harm, NOTE. & Pocahontas is commonly supposed to have been about twelve years of age, at this time the head of the strange intruder. The policy of her nation, their passion for revenge and blood, all yield to the potent humanity, which speaks in the heart of that unbaptized daughter of the forest; and the prisoner is freed from his bonds, and given to the damsel who has saved him. Henceforth he is her captive. That is the decree of Powhattan. He shall be spared to make her bells and her beads, and to weave into proper form, her ornaments of copper. QUESTIONS. Who was Captain Smith? Who was Pocahontas? Where and at what age did she die? 1. How did the Indians welcome the captive? 1. Who was Apamattuck? 2. What took place between the emperor and his warriors? 2. What were the feelings of Smith during the consultation? 3. How did the judges decide? 5. What was the punishment to be inflicted? 5. Who was Powhattan? 6. How did Pocahontas rescue Captain Smith? 6. What does the author say was her age at this time? 6. How old is she commonly supposed to have been? 10. What was done with the prisoner? LVIII. LESSON 1. Cap'tors, those who take a prisoner. 1. Suit, a company of attendants. [stag. 2. Ant'ling, spreading like the horns of a 2. Um-bra'ge-ous, shady. 2. Can'o-py, a covering over the head. 4. Re-spect'ive-ly, as relating to each. 7. Ha-bil'i-ments, garments, clothing. ERRORS.-1. For'es for for'est; 1. con-jec'ter for con-ject'ure; 2. a're for a're-a ; 2. in'jun for in'dian; 3. bed'stid for bed'stead; 3. kep for kept; 4. em'prer for em'pe-ror; 6. naw'tkin for noth'ing; 7. pot'en-tates for po'tent-ates. POWHATTAN AND HIS SUIT. SIMMS. 1. Ar length the signal was received, and the captors and the captive were vouchsafed an audience. Powhattan had completed his preparations. Himself and suit were assembled. The interview seems to have taken place in the open air, among the great trees of the forest; a pleasant space NOTE. See Powhattan, p. 269. note b. |