The vessels in which they had embarked, being confessedly unequal to the turbulence of the Stream of 50 Life, were visibly impaired in the course of the voyage; so that every passenger was certain, that how long soever he might, by favorable accidents or by incessant vigilance, be preserved, he must sink at last. This necessity of perishing might have been expected 85 to sadden the gay and intimidate the daring, at least to keep the melancholy and timorous in perpetual torments, and hinder them from any enjoyment of the varieties and gratifications which Nature offered them as the solace of their labor. Yet, in effect, none seemed less 90 to expect destruction than those to whom it was most dreadful; they all had the art of concealing their dangers from themselves; and those who knew their inability to bear the sight of the terrors that embarrassed their way took care never to look forward, but found 95 some amusement for the present moment, and generally entertained themselves by playing with Hope, who was the constant associate of the Voyage of Life. Yet all that Hope ventured to promise, even to those whom she favored most, was, not that they should escape, 100 but that they should sink at last; and with this promise every one was satisfied, though he laughed at the rest. for seeming to believe it. Hope, indeed, apparently mocked the credulity of her companions; for, in pro 85. Name the infinitive modifiers of expected. 89. What figure on Nature? 90. What does less modify? 97, 98. Hope. .. associate. What figures? 99. Give the grammatical construction of even. 100. she favored, etc. What figure? 104. Meaning of credulity? portion as their vessels grew leaky, she redoubled her 105 assurances of safety: and none were more busy in making provisions for a long voyage than they whom all but themselves saw likely to perish soon by irreparable decay. In the midst of the Current of Life was the Gulf of 110 Intemperance-a dreadful whirlpool, interspersed with rocks, of which the pointed crags were concealed under water, and the tops covered with herbage on which Ease spread couches of repose, and with shades where Pleasure warbled the song of invitation. Within sight of these 115 rocks all who sailed on the Ocean of Life must necessarily pass. Reason, indeed, was always at hand to steer the passengers through a narrow outlet by which they might escape; but very few could, by her entreaties or remonstrances, be induced to put the rudder into her 120 hand without stipulating that she should approach so near unto the rocks of Pleasure that they might solace themselves with a short enjoyment of that delicious region; after which they always determined to pursue their course without any other deviation. Reason was too often prevailed upon so far by these promises as to venture her charge within the eddy of the ANALYSIS.-105. vessels grew leaky. Explain the figure. 110. Name the figures in this line. 111, 112. whirlpool and rocks. Explain the figures. 113, 114. Ease.... couches of repose. What figures? 114, 115. shades where Pleasure, etc. 117. What figure on Reason? 118. narrow outlet. What figure? 119. Parse but very few. Explain the figures 120, 121. Point out the figure in these lines. 12 Gulf of Intemperance, where, indeed, the circumvolution was weak, but yet interrupted the course of the vessel, and drew it by insensible rotations toward the centre. 130 She then repented her temerity, and, with all her force, endeavored to retreat: but the draught of the gulf was generally too strong to be overcome; and the passenger, having danced in circles with a pleasing and giddy velocity, was at last overwhelmed and lost. Those few 135 whom Reason was able to extricate generally suffered so many shocks upon the points which shot out from the rocks of Pleasure, that they were unable to continue their course with the same strength and facility as before, but floated along timorously and feebly, endangered by 140 every breeze, and shattered by every ruffle of the water, till they sank by slow degrees, after long struggles and innumerable expedients, always repining at their own folly, and warning others against the first approach to the Gulf of Intemperance. 145 There were artists who professed to repair the breaches and stop the leaks of the vessels which had been shattered on the rocks of Pleasure. Many appeared to have great confidence in their skill; and some, indeed, were preserved by it from sinking who had received only a 150 single blow; but I remarked that few vessels lasted long which had been much repaired; nor was it found that the artists themselves continued afloat longer than those who had least of their assistance. ANALYSIS.-128, 129. circumvolution was weak. What figure! 132. the draught, etc. Explain the figure. 134. What does the phrase having danced, etc. modify? 141. Point out the figures in the line. 144. first approach. Name the figure. 146. artists.... to repair the breaches. What figures? 147, 148. Name the figures in these lines. 151, 152. vessels. . . . much repaired. What figure? The only advantage which, in the Voyage of Life, the 150 cautious had above the negligent, was that they sank later and more suddenly; for they passed forward till they had sometimes seen all those in whose company they had issued from the Straits of Infancy perish in the way, and at last were overset by a cross-breeze, with- 160 out the toil of resistance or the anguish of expectation. But such as had often fallen against the rocks of Pleasure commonly subsided by sensible degrees, contended long with the encroaching waters, and harassed themselves by labors that scarce Hope herself could flatter 165 with success. As I was looking upon the various fate of the multitude about me, I was suddenly alarmed with an admonition from some unknown Power: "Gaze not idly upon others when thou thyself art sinking. Whence 170 is this thoughtless tranquillity, when thou and they are equally endangered?" I looked, and, seeing the Gulf of Intemperance before me, started and awaked. ANALYSIS.-157. Parse forward and till. 160. were overset. Explain the figure. 164. encroaching waters. Explain and name the figure. 185. Dispose of the word scarce. 167. various fate. Give a modern form. 172. Dispose of seeing. What does the participial phrase modify? 173. Explain the figure in this line. 11. OLIVER GOLDSMITH, 1728-1774. OLIVER GOLDSMITH, the most charming and versatile writer of his time, was born in the county of Longford, Ireland, November 14, 1728. His father was a Protestant clergyman, who was then located in the little village of Pallas. In boyhood Oliver attended various schools, and in 1745 he passed the examination which admitted him as a sizar at Trinity College, Dublin. The sizar of those days was clad in a sleeveless gown made of coarse material, and a red cap. A part of his school-expenses were paid by his doing the work of a servant sweeping the courts, carrying the dishes back and forth from the kitchen to the students' dining-rooms, and other work of this character. Goldsmith was sensitive, and his position as a sizar was by no means congenial to him. His uncle, who had assisted him in the payment of his school-bills while preparing for college, befriended him also while in college. But when Goldsmith's father died in 1747, the young poet was left not only penniless, but also on the verge of starvation. It was at this period of his life that he began to write ballads, for which he received five shillings apiece, and many a night he stole out from his quarters and watched their sale on the streets. Here, too, he showed that weakness for being indiscriminately benevolent which characterized his whole life, and it was a rare thing that he succeeded in bringing his money back with him. He almost invariably gave it up to such impecunious students or street-beggars as he met on the |