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A gentleman, residing at Gosport, England, was, when visiting Portsmouth, usually accompanied by his dog, in the ferry-boat. One day, it so happened, that the dog lost his master somewhere in Portsmouth, and surmising that he had re-crossed the water for Gosport, sped his way to the house of a bookseller in High street, and by every possible means intimated his misfortune. "What," exclaimed the shopman, “you have lost your master, have you? Well, here is a penny, for your fare across the water." The dog snatched up the coin, ran directly to Point Beach, dropped the penny into the hand of the waterman, and was ferried across with the other passengers.

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The selection of incidents to be presented in a narration or a description, requires some taste as well as judgment. The union of such incidents in a connected narrative is not altogether a mechanical exertion. The order of time should be strictly observed. Subordinate to the order of time, is the order of the circumstances themselves. It is perhaps a good general rule, as in the case of the arrangement of the members of a sentence, to reserve the most important for the last. But the application of this rule must be submitted to the taste and judgment, as well as the design of the writer.

Exercises.

1.

[The following particulars are presented to be united in a connected narrative. The expressions may be changed, as it may be necessary to weave the circumstances together in one continued narration.]

History furnishes no parallel to the character of Washington. Washington died, after a short illness, on the 14th of December, 1799 He captured Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, in 1781.

This event established the independence of the United States.

On the 25th of December, 1776, he crossed the Delaware, and soon gained the important battles of Trenton and Princeton.

He was elected President of the United States in 1789

He was President for eight years.

He was again chosen Commander-in-chief of the American army in

1798.

His abilities were first exercised by Dinwiddie in 1753.

He was the Aid-de-camp of Gen. Braddock in 1755.

After resigning the Presidency he retired to Mount Vernon, where he devoted himself to the pursuits of agriculture.

He was born in 1732, in the county of Fairfax, in Virginia.

He was descended from an English family, which emigrated from Cheshire about 1630.

He received his education from a private tutor

2.

William Penn lost his wife in 1694, and was much afflicted by the

event.

He married again in about two years, and employed himself in travelling over Ireland as a preacher of the peculiar doctrines of his sect.

In 1699 he visited America with his wife and family, and returned to England in 1701.

He died at Rushcomb, near Twyford, in Berks, July 30th, 1718.
He was buried at Jordan, near Beaconsfield, Bucks.

His character was truly benevolent and humane, and his labors were exerted for the good of mankind.

The long prosperity of Pennsylvania furnishes the best evidence of his wisdom as a legislator.

He was born in London in 1644.

He was expelled from College on account of his religious opinions. His religious opinions differed widely from those of the Established Church.

The College was of the same religious sentiments with the Established Church.

His father left him an estate worth 1500 pounds per annum. Charles 2d, King of England, granted him a province of North America, then called New Netherlands; but now, from William Penn, called Pennsylvania.

When he was in College, he withdrew from the national forms of wor

ship with other students, who, like himself, had listened to the preaching of Thomas Loe, a quaker of eminence.

In 1672 he married a lady of principles similar to his own, and fixed his residence at Rickmansworth, where he labored hard to disseminate the principles of his sect both by his preachings and his writings.

In 1682 he came out to America for the first time, and laid out the city of Philadelphia, where he invited settlers from all parts of England, and held out to them a greater degree of religious liberty under his consti- tution than had ever before been enjoyed by any sect or people.

LXI.

NARRATION EXPANDED.*

Example.

At the battle of Philippi, Lucilius wishing to give his intimate friend Brutus an opportunity to escape, pretended himself to be Brutus, and being led before Anthony, boldly avowed the artifice. Anthony, admiring his fidelity to his friend, informed him of the death of Brutus, and offered him his friendship. Lucilius accepted the offer, and continued his faithful friend.

Same story expanded.

At the battle of Philippi, when Brutus, after the route of his army, was in danger of falling into the hands of his enemies, his bosom friend Lucilius gave him an opportunity to escape, calling out, "I am Brutus ! lead me to Anthony Being conducted to Anthony, he spoke with great resolution: "I have employed this artifice," said he, "that Brutus might not fall alive into the hands of his enemies. The gods will never permit that fortune shall triumph so far over virtue. In spite of fortune, Brutus will always be found, dead or alive, in a situation worthy of his courage." Anthony, admiring the firmness of Lucilius, said to him, "you merit a greater recompense than it is in my power to bestow. I have been just now informed of the death of Brutus; and as your fidelity to him is now at an end, I beg earnestly to be received in his place; love me as you did him, I wish no more." Luciluis embraced the offer, engaged himself

*The plan in narrative writing is simply the statement of events in the order of their occurrence; and the expansion is the mention, with varying degrees of minuteness of their statement, of the different circumstances connected with these events, accompanied by incidental remarks and te flections.

to Anthony, and maintaining the same fidelity to him that he had done to Brutus, adhered to him when he was abandoned by all the world.

The same story still more expanded.

After the second battle of Philippi between Anthony and Octavius, twe of the Roman triumvirs, and Brutus, which proved fatal to the latter, and indeed, to the liberty of Rome, one Lucilius Lucinus, an intimate friend of Brutus, observing a body of Thracian horse taking no notice of any other in their pursuit, but making directly towards Brutus, resolved to stop them, and save the life of his general at the hazard of his own. Accordingly, without acquainting Brutus with his design, he halted till the Thracians came up and surrendered him; then he cried out, "I am Brutus!" and begging quarter, desired they would carry him to Anthony, pretending that he feared Octavius. The Thracians, overjoyed with their prey, and thinking themselves happy, immediately detached some of their own body to acquaint Anthony with their good fortune; and, in the mean time, giving over the pursuit, returned to the field of battle with their prisoner. The report being spread in an instant, all over the army, that Brutus was taken, and that the Thracians were bringing him alive to Anthony, both soldiers and officers flocked together from all parts to see him. Some pitied his misfortunes, others accused him of a meanness unbecoming his former glory, for, suffering himself out of two much love of life, to be a prey to barbarians. As for Anthony, he was not a little concerned at this adventure, being quite at a loss in what manner he should receive, and how he should treat his illustrious captive; but he was soon delivered from his uneasiness; for as the Thracians drew near, he knew the prisoner, who had passed himself upon the Thracians for Brutus, and now addressing the Triumvir with a generous confidence: "Be assured, Anthony," said he, "that no enemy either has or ever shall take Marcus Brutus alive; forbid it, ye Gods, that fortune should ever prevail so much above virtue! But let him be discovered, dead or alive, he will certainly be found in such a state as is worthy of him. As for me, I have delivered myself up to save him, and am now ready to suffer whatever torments you think proper to inflict upon me, without demanding or expecting any quarter." Anthony, wonderfully taken with the fidelity, virtue, and generosity of Lucilius, turned to the Thracians, now sensible of, and outraged at their disappointment, and addressed them thus: "I perceive, my fellow soldiers, that you are concerned, and full of resentment for having been thus imposed upon by Lucilius; but be assured, that you have met with a booty better than that you have sought for; you have been in search of an enemy, and you have brought me a friend. I was truly at a loss how I should have treated Brutus, if you had brought him to me alive; but of this I am sure, that it is better to have such a man as Lucilius our friend, than our enemy." Having thus spoken, he embraced Lucilius and commended him to the care of one of his friends.

The student may now expand the following story or narrative:

STORY OF MEGAN.

Megan was one of a tribe of Indians, who ranged the extensive wilds about the Falls of Niagara. He was possessed of such superior personal and mental qualities as are very seldom concentrated in the same person, generous and humane, as well as brave, he knew how to conquer a foe, and how to raise him when disarmed; and, while he hastened to shed the blood of his enemies, he paused to drop the tear of sympathy with afflicted

friends. By these shining qualifications he was endeared to those around him, and was looked upon as a future ornament and champion of his tribe.

From the age in which he was able to bend a bow, he was ever employed, either in pursuit of game in the forest, or in showing his skill in the management of his canoe. His nation was now involved in a war, which opened to him a field of action, and afforded frequent opportunities to display his valor. In one of his excursions, he rescued from captivity a beautiful female of his nation, who had been taken some weeks before, and for whom he had conceived a passion, previously to her being taken. Their mutual attachment was not a little strengthened by this adventure; she was conducted home in triumph, a day was appointed for the nuptial ceremonies, and Megan looked forward with fond expectation tc the happy days he should spend with his beloved Alcoris. But, alas! how often are the fairest hopes we can conceive, the most deceitful! A few days only had elapsed, since his return, when he yielded to a vice, that may be called a characteristic of these people; - he drank too freely of spirit and lay down in his canoe, which was fastened to a rock on shore, and was soon lost in sleep. Impatient at his too long absence, Alcoris went in search of him, and what was her surprise and horror, as she drew near the place, to see his canoe loosened by a rival, who had made several fruitless attempts to gain her affection, and rapidly floating down the swift current towards the great falls! In vain did she cry out, in vain extend her arms towards the dearest object of her affection. He enjoyed a sweet tranquillity till roused to a sense of his danger by the noise of the cataract. Megan is now apprised of his fate. He looks back, recognizes Alcoris, and waving his cap- goes over the falls and is seen no more.*

The student may now reverse the process of expanding, and present an abridgement of the following narration.†

Many are the tales that have been repeated to us of the revolutionary struggles of our ancestors. Yet each little incident connected with those times of peril, though often listened to, becomes interesting to us, who are now enjoying the blessings of that priceless freedom for which our fathers

bled.

"Proudly, O children of freedom,

The stars of your banner float high;
Bright is the halo of glory,

O'er the graves where your ancestors lie.

Cherished may every memorial be,

Of the brave ones who perished that 'ye might be free."

Such was the motto that my sister wrote, when I told her that, in my next composition, I should weave up a reminiscence of the Revolution, and

This narrative is a genuine college exercise, presented some years ago at one of the colleges in this State.

†This narration is a school exercise, presented within a few weeks by one of the pupils, a young lady of about thirteen years of age, at the public school of which the author has the charge. It has been thought that models and specimens of this kind would be more useful than more finished writings; because they present to the student something within his reach. It will not be very difficult for him, after he has attained some ease in writing, to adopt as his motto the principle, "Excelsior"

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