Sore, here means much.

Trim, state, position.

Accost, to speak to any one.

Timely, at the right time.

Guise, manner.

Away went Gilpin out of breath,

And sore* against his will,
Till at his friend the calender's
His horse at last stood still.

The calender, amazed to see

His neighbour in such trim,*
Laid down his pipe, flew to the gate,

And thus accosted* him :

160

"What news? What news! Your tidings tell! 165 Tell me you must and shall

Say why bareheaded you are come,

Or why you come at all."

Now Gilpin had a pleasant wit,
And loved a timely * joke ;

And thus unto the calender,

170

In merry guise * he spoke :—

Wedding day, it was Said John, "It is my wedding-day,*

the anniversary of his wedding.

And all the world would stare,

If wife should dine at Edmonton
And I should dine at Ware."

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190

195

200

So turning to his horse, he said,

"I am in haste to dine;

'Twas for your pleasure you came here,
You shall go back for mine."

Ah, luckless speech! ah, bootless * boast!
For which he paid full dear;

For, while he spake, a braying ass
Did sing most loud and clear;

205 Whereat his horse did snort, as he *
Had heard a lion roar,

210

And galloped off with all his might,
As he had done before.

Away went Gilpin, and away
Went Gilpin's hat and wig;
He lost them sooner than at first-
For why they were too big.

Now Mrs. Gilpin, when she saw
Her husband posting * down

215 Into the country far away,

220

She pulled out half-a-crown:

And thus unto the youth she said,
That drove them to the Bell,

"This shall be yours, when you bring back
My husband safe and well."

The youth did ride, and soon did meet
John coming back amain,

*

Whom in a trice* he tried to stop,
By catching at his rein:

225 But not performing what he meant,
And gladly would have done,

230

The frighted steed he frighted more,
And made him faster run.

Away went Gilpin, and away

*

Went postboy at his heels,

The postboy's horse right glad to miss
The lumb'ring* of the wheels.

Six gentlemen upon the road
Thus seeing Gilpin fly,

235 With postboy scampering in the rear,"
They raised the hue and cry:

*

Bootless, useless, without success.

As he, as if he.

Posting, travelling in great haste.

Amain, with all his might.

Trice, in an instant.

Frighted, frightened.

Postboy, one who
rides and drives a
carriage-horse.
Lumb'ring, noise,
rattle.

Rear, after him.
Hue and cry, loud
cries to give the
alarm when in pur-
suit of an offender.

ODE TO THE NORTH-EAST WIND.-Kingsley.

He

THE REV. CHARLES KINGSLEY (1819-1875) was born in Devonshire. distinguished himself as a poet, historian, novelist, &c. From 1859 till 1870 he was Professor of Modern History at Cambridge. He was the author of Alton Locke, Westward Ho, Town Geology, The Roman and the Teuton, Madam How and Lady Why, &c.

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

Hurled, driven forward
very rapidly.
Hearts of oak, our ships,
so called because built of
oak. It also refers to the
strength and bravery of the
English.

Heralded, introduced, or
brought in.

Vikings, ancient pirates of Norway and the countries around the Baltic Sea, who ravaged the coasts of Britain and France from the eighth to the tenth centuries. Their ships sailed from the vik, or bay, and not from the lawful harbour; hence their name.

But the black North-easter,

Through the snowstorm hurled,*
Drives out English hearts of oak
Seaward round the world.

Come, as came our fathers,
Heralded by thee,
Conquering from the eastward,
Lords by land and sea.

Come ; and strong within us
Stir the Vikings'* blood;
Bracing brain and sinew;
Blow, thou wind of God!

60

65

ZARA'S EAR-RINGS.-Lockhart.

JOHN GIBSON LOCKHART (1794-1854) was born in Lanarkshire, and married the eldest daughter of Sir Walter Scott in 1820. In early life he wrote several tales and biographies and published his translations of the Spanish Ballads. He also wrote the Lives of Burns, Napoleon, and Theodore Hook. His Life of Scott is one of the finest biographies we possess.

"My ear-rings! my ear-rings! they've dropped
into the well,

And what to say to Muça, I cannot, cannot tell."
'Twas thus Granada's * fountain by, spoke
Albuharez' daughter,-

"The well is deep, far down they lie, beneath
the cold blue water-

To me did Muça give them, when he spake his
sad farewell,

And what to say when he comes back, alas! I

66

cannot tell.

'My ear-rings! my ear-rings! they were pearls

in silver set,

That when my Moor*
should him forget,

*

was far away, I ne'er

That I ne'er to other tongue should list, nor
smile* on other's tale,

But remember he my lips had kissed, pure as
those ear-rings pale-

When he comes back, and hears that I have
dropped them in the well,

Oh what will Muça think of me, I cannot, can-
not tell.