Enough for me; with joy I see The different doom our fates assign; Be thine Despair and sceptered Care; To triumph and to die are mine." 140 He spoke, and headlong from the mountain's height. Deep in the roaring tide, he plunged to endless night. 1. To what event in English history does the opening stauza refer, and to what popular belief connected with it? 2. What is the meaning of the word "shaggy" applied to Snowdon"? (Line 11.) 3. Explain "helm " and " hauberk." (Line 5.) 4. Who were Glo'ster and Mortimer? (Lines 13, 14.) 5. What is the subject or nominative of the sentence "Vocal no more," etc.? (Line 27.) 6. What part of speech is "Loose" in line 19? 7. Where are Plinlimmon and Arvon, and what is Cambria ? 8. What is the derivation of the word "griesly" and what is its meaning? (Line 44.) 9. To whom does the pronoun thy refer? (Line 48.) 10. Explain the expression "weave the warp and weave the woof." (Line 49.) 11. Who is the "agonizing king"? Explain the name Berkley. (Line 55.) (Line 56.) 12. Who was the "she-wolf of France"? (line 57), and for what is tearing the "bowels of thy mangled mate," a figurative expression ? 13. In what tense and mood is the line "From thee be born"? (Line 59); and is "hangs" in the same line a transitive or an intransitive verb ? 14. Who is referred to as born from the she-wolf? 15. What is the meaning of the two last lines of st. iv.? Translate the figures. 16. To what kings and princes does st. v. refer? 17. Explain the meaning of lines 69 and 70. 18. Why are Thirst and Famine figuratively introduced into st. vi., and to what event in English history do they refer? 19. What is the meaning of "kindred squadrons "? (Line 86.) What war is meant ? 20. What are the "towers of Julius," and who is the "meek Usurper"? (Lines 87, 90.) 21. What line of kings does the bard name as "Britannia's issue," and why? 22. To whom does st. viii. refer ? 23. Who are referred to in the first eight lines of the last stanza? 24. Explain the expression "buskin'd measure." (Line 128.) 25. What is the force of the word "fond" in line 135 ? 26. Give the dates of Gray's birth and death, and some facts of his life. 27. What is his chief poem, and what kind of poet may he be called? 28. What is said of Greek odes? 29. What was the nature of the poetry of the 18th century, and how did Gray's differ from it? (See Pope.) LESSON XXIV. THE DESERTED VILLAGE. BY OLIVER GOLDSMITH. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE. 1. OLIVER GOLDSMITH, the friend of Dr. Johnson, and a prominent member of that literary circle which surrounded the great doctor and was so famous in his time, was born in the Co. Longford, in the year 1728. The character and circumstances of his father, his extreme poverty and simple goodness, are supposed to 1 be portrayed, in the picture drawn of the country clergyman in the "Deserted Village." 2. Goldsmith was sent to Trinity College, Dublin, but his idleness, extravagance, improvidence, and rebellion against authority, prevented him gaining much good from a university education, and on leaving college, matters do not seem to have improved. He went abroad, travelling over half the countries of Europe on foot, accompanied by his flute, and the observations he made whilst on his travels, inspired the poem of "The Traveller," which afterwards laid the foundation of his fame. 3. On his return to England he tried various pursuits, failing mostly in all. Like Johnson, he earned his bread chiefly by literary hack work, and like him too he frequently impoverished himself by his lavish generosity towards those more needy than himself. Unlike Johnson, however, he was childishly vain and extravagant, and somewhat addicted to gambling, but whatever his weaknesses may have been, he was so essentially sweet and lovable a character, that he could give offence to none, though the cause of laughter in many. 4. The publication of the "Citizen of the World," a series of familiar letters on the manners and customs of the day (from the point of view of an imaginary Chinaman) was rapidly followed by that of the two poems, "The Traveller" and "The Deserted Village," the inimitable novel of "The Vicar of Wakefield,” and the plays of "The Goodnatured Man" and "She Stoops to Conquer." These works-though Goldsmith's incorrigible extravagance made it almost impossible for them to benefit him pecuniarily-raised him to the height of fame and brought him into the notice of all the leading literary spirits of the time. To them he was at once a butt and a pet child, and next to Johnson his is perhaps the most familiar figure of that day. His career, however, was prematurely cut short, and partly by his own folly. He died of an illness brought on by mental distress, and aggravated by the manner in which he H insisted on trying to cure himself, March 25, 1774, at the early age of forty-six. 5. It is impossible not to love the author of "The Deserted Village" and "The Vicar of Wakefield." In the former we have the very crown and flower, not only of Goldsmith's poetic genius, but also of his genial and kindly nature. For tender simplicity, gentle humour, and playful familiarity with the common things of life, it is unsurpassed. Though in reading it, we find ourselves still in the presence of the smooth and polished couplet of Pope, and the didactic tendencies which were the characteristics of the time, we can see what a change had come over the spirit of the poetry—how much more lovingly and faithfully nature was treated, and how much more truly and reverently, life as it is, homely and humble though in many cases it may be, was looked upon by the poet. It was needful that such a change should pass over our English poetry before it could blossom into the splendid genius which characterized the earlier years of the 19th century. THE DESERTED VILLAGE.' Sweet Auburn! loveliest village of the plain; 1 Where health and plenty cheered the labouring swain, Where smiling spring its earliest visit paid, And parting summer's lingering blooms delayed: 5 Seats of my youth, when ev'ry sport could please, The sheltered cot, the cultivated farm, 10 1 In few cases are any but extracts given from the longer poems mentioned in the text. The student is encouraged to turn to the full version of each poem, and study it further for himself. The never-failing brook, the busy mill, The decent church that topt the neighbouring bill, How often have I blest the coming day, 15 When toil remitting lent its turn to play, And all the village train, from labour free, The young contending as the old surveyed; 20 And many a gambol frolicked o'er the ground, And sleights of art and feats of strength went round, And still, as each repeated pleasure tired, Succeeding sports the mirthful band inspired; The dancing pair that simply sought renown 25 The bashful virgin's sidelong looks of love, 29 The matron's glance that would those looks reprove, These were thy charms, sweet village! charms like these, With sweet succession taught even toils to please; These round thy bowers their cheerful influence shed: These were thy charms-but all these charms are fled. In all my wanderings round this world of care, 35 40 |