Siberia, "You have a good climate, an excellent soil, rich minerals, broad rivers, and all that should make a country rich, but you lack what is indispensable to the success of a country, namely, the varied efforts of human intelligence.” "You are mistaken," said the Siberian; "we are better off in this respect than most countries; for as soon as an intelligent man turns up in Russia, the Emperor Alexander sends him to us immediately." Siberia is perhaps destined to become another great corn-producing country to supply the teeming millions of the crowded nations of Europe. Ships can probably be constructed which will be able to overcome the difficulties of the north-east passage now they have been explored by competent observers. Siberia may not be so destitute of inhabitants as is generally supposed, for the voyagers found numerous villages along the north coast. Professor Nordenskjöld is a Finlander by birth, and belongs to a Swedish-Finn family. His father was Nils Gustaf Nordenskjöld, who became chief of the Mining Board of Finland, and died, in 1866, at the age of 74 years. His full name is Nils Adolph Erik Nordenskjöld. He was born at · Helsingfors, November 18th, 1832. He was educated at the College of Borga, then at the University, and afterwards at Berlin. He acquired an early liking for geographical investigations, and an ardent love of liberty. The latter caused him to leave the Russian province of Finland, and take up his abode in Sweden, where he was naturalized. In 1858 he went with Professor Torellon on an expedition to Spitzbergen. In 1861 and 1864 he sailed again in the Sophia into the same seas; and in 1868 he explored Spitzbergen, Beeren Island, and the surrounding waters. In 1872 he sailed with Captain Palander in the Polhem; and in 1875, 1876, superintended expeditions to the Karian Sea and to Yenisei. Captain Adolph Arnold Louis Palander was born at Carlscrona, October 2nd, 1842. He became a midshipman in 1856, and an officer in 1864. He went as a lieutenant in the voyage of the Sophia, mentioned above. In 1869, 1870, he assisted on the Vanadis at the opening of the Suez Canal. He commanded the Polhem in 1872. He commanded the Vega in the present expedition at the express wish of Professor Nordenskjöld. How well he has justified the confidence reposed in him is proved by the unprecedented success of the enterprise. During a two years' voyage of the most hazardous and trying character there has been not a single death, nor even a serious case of illness, on board the l'ega. The detailed account of the expedition, which it is understood Professor Nordenskjöld intends to publish, will be looked for with great interest. NOTES TO SHAKESPEARE'S RICHARD II. ACT III. SCENE 1. 3. part; part from, leave; used transitively. 8. royal king; a tautological expression. 9. A gentleman fortunate in being of kingly descent and noble appearance. 10. unhappied; rendered unfortunate. clean; quite. Comp. Joshua iii. 17. II. in (a) manner. 15. wrongs; wrongdoings. 20. sigh'd; sighed out. 22. signories; domains, lordships. 23. Observe the alliteration. 24. coat; coat-of-arms, emblazoned in the windows. 25. imprese; impress, motto, device. 29. Observe the article before "death," and comp. Matt. xv. 4. 37. entreated; treated. Comp. Matt. xxii. 6. 38. commends; commendations, compliments. large; in full. 66 ACT III. SCENE 2. 41. at " 2. brooks; Sax. brucan, to use; also to eat, digest. Hence, to bear, suffer. 9. fondly; foolishly, according to the old meaning; "smiles" in this line is a noun. II. Embrace thee with my hands, in token of affection. 15. heavy-gaited; slow-going. "Gait" is connected with "go' " and 'gad," and Ger.gehen. 21. double; forked. mortal; deadly. 34. security; carelessness, feeling too secure. 35. substance; perhaps "wealth, means. 36. discomfortable; making uncomfortable, disquieting. 37, 38. The antecedent of "that is "eye," meaning, of course, the sun. With the epithet "searching,” comp. line 43, in which it is explained. 44. detested; detestable. Comp. Act II. 3, 109, and elsewhere. 59. shrewd; sharp, cutting, bitter. 65. discomfort; uneasiness, disquietude. Comp. line 36. 80. will be; wish to be. 86. puny; Fr. puisne (puis, since; né, born), born after, young; hence feeble, petty. 92. deliver, hand over. We speak of the delivery of a letter, etc. 94. The worst (which) thou canst unfold is worldly loss. 100. Do our subjects revolt? 106. unseasonable; coming out of season, and therefore all the worse for being unforeseen and unprovided for. 110 fearful; full of fear. Comp. Matt. viii. 26. 112. whitebeards; gray-beards, old men. 114. joints; limbs. 116. beadsmen; dependents on the king's bounty, and bound to pray for him. 117. double-fatal; fatal in a two-fold degree, since its leaves are poisonous, and its wood is employed in the construction of warlike implements. 118. manage; wield, brandish. bills; bill-hooks. 125. measure; traverse. 135. his property; its nature or quality; that which is proper to it. 140. graved; entombed, buried. 141. A singular verb is employed, being supposed to belong to each of the persons named. "Is Bushy dead? is Green dead?" etc. 144. (let) no man speak. 146. (let us) make dust, etc. 150. deposed, etc.; the king speaks of himself in the plural, in royal phraseology. 153. model; alluding to the small hillock over a grave, which he regards as taking the form of the body buried beneath. 158. the ghosts (of those whom) they have deposed. 161. rounds; goes round, end 162. Death keeps his court. to "Death," a The first "his 163. scoffing; uesd others to "king.' antic; à buffoon, mimic. tively, for "scoffing at." 166. self; an adjective. 168. humour' (Death's) humour having been indulged. 176. subjected; rendered to these things, and therefore not being a king, but a subject. 179. pre immediately. Comp. Matt. xxi. 19. 183. If you fear you will be 185. where; whereas. 186. power; military force. 189. day of the day which is to decide our fate. 198. by small and small; b and little, by degrees. 206. of; from, out of. 211. Discharge that (which) I have. 212. ear; plough; Lat. aro. Comp. Isa. xxx. 24 NOTES TO MILTON'S IL PENSEROSO. 62. An example of "alliteration," or the repetition of the same le the beginning of the words. 64. woo; (Sax. wogan) seek the soci 68. noon; highest point in her path, similar to that of the sun at o'clock in the day. Dryden speaks of the "noon of night." 72. resembling wool (in appearance). So we talk of " fleecy snow, 73. plat; i.e., flat. A piece of even ground; the same as "plot." plate, platter, plateau, etc. 74. curfew; evening bell, properly th rung at eight o'clock in the evening by Norman law as a signal to fires (couvre-feu). 77. the air; i.e., the coldness or dampness of will not permit (to remain out of doors). 78. still removed; quiet, r solitary. fit; suit, be suitable. 80. counterfeit; imitate. Shake calls sleep "Death's counterfeit." 83. bellman; the ancient night man, who carried a bell. The song of the watchman crying out the is likened to a charm which protects the doors from nocturnal dang robbers, brawlers, etc.). 87. outwatch, etc.; continue my studies light of morning causes the Great Bear (which never sets) to fade 88. Hermes; an ancient Egyptian philosopher of now obscure and un fame; surnamed Trismegistus (thrice-great). The name here may be to indicate deep philosophy, or abstruse studies in general. 88. uns call back from the spheres. The simple meaning is,-study deep views of Plato with regard to the condition of the soul after 93. demons, etc.; spirits of the four elements,-fire, air, earth, and 95. consent; agreement, correspondence, concord. 98. sceptred pall robes." Pall" (Lat. pallium, a cloak) is a long robe worn by queens, archbishops, etc. 99. The Greek dramatists, Eschylus, Sop and Euripides wrote tragedies, whose plots referred to the war Thebes, the fate of Agamemnon and other descendants of Pelo Trojan War, and other mythological events. 101-2. Referring to S peare and other modern dramatists. Tragic actors wore buskins, thick soles, to increase their stature, and give them a more noble appe on the stage. Hence "buskin'd" is "trod with buskins." Virgin; i.e., melancholy. Comp. lines 12, 31. 104. Musaeus; an a musician. Orpheus; see L'Allegro, 145. 106. string; i.e., of the 107. iron tears; as wrung from the iron heart of the relentless god lower regions. 109. call; infin. mood, gov. by "might" unde him; obj. case, gov. by "call." up; adv. qualifying "call." here refers to Chaucer, and the Squire's Tale," which he h DIO unfinished and which treats of the persons named in the succeeding 113. virtuous; of great virtue; that is, strength, excellence, efficacy. Comp. Mark v. 30. 118. turneys; tournaments. 119. drear; dismal, gloomy, awe-inspiring. 120. Having an allegorical meaning. The poet refers to the Fairy Queen of Spenser, and to such poems as the Orlando Furioso of Ariosto, and the Jerusalem Delivered of Tasso. NOTE TO L'ALLEGRO, lines 45-48.-There appears to be some difference of opinion as to whether it is the lark or the poet who comes to the window and bids good-morrow. We understand the lines to refer to the poet, for the following reasons : 1. The infinite mood "to come seems to be the third of a series; "to live," "to hear," and "to come," all referring to the poet. It is true that the infinitive "begin" refers to the lark, but then it is governed by "to hear," and we should have "come " without the "to" if it were the lark who came. We could not say "to hear the lark to come." 2. It is contrary to the habits of the lark to come and sing at our windows at daybreak. 3. "In spite of sorrow seems to have no satisfactory meaning when applied to the lark. We apprehend that the passage signifies that the poet himself comes (or goes) to his window and bids good morning to the lark, and to waking nature in general. NOTES TO BACON'S ESSAYS. ESSAY IX. DERIVATIONS.—Bewitch; Sax. wicca (a witch), probably connected with “wicked.”— Wish; Sax. wiscan.-Frame; Sax. fremman.-Ready; Sax. hraed (quick, ready).—Easy; Fr. aise, Sax. eathe.-Evil; Sax. yfel.— Time; Sax. tima, Lat. tempus.-Stroke; Sax. astrican (to strike).—Hurt; Fr. heurter, Ital. urtare (to strike against).-Edge; Sax. ecg.—Meet ; Sax. metan.-Leave; Sax. laefan.-Feed; Sax. fedan.—Want; Sax. wan (deficient); comp. wane, wan.-Seek; Sax. secan. —, .-Busy; Sax. bysig.Need; Sax. nead.-Walk; Sax. wealcan (to roll).—Mend; Lat. menda (a fault).-Fellow; Sax. felaw; from "follow," Sax. folgian. Bred; from breed," Sax. bredan.-Look; Sax. locian.-Self; Sax. self, or sylf. Ger. selbst.-Fresh; Sax. ferse, Ger. frisch.-Dark; Sax. deorc.-Earn; Sax. earnian.-Craft; Sax. craeft. Ger. kraft (power).—Taint; Fr. teindre. Lat. tingo (I dye), and tango (I touch).—Pine; Sax. pinan (connected with "pain"), Fr. peine, Lat. poena.-Wheat; Sax. hwaete. 66 NOTES.-Non est curiosus, etc.; there is no inquisitive person who is not also ill-disposed.—Light upon; alight upon, fall upon.-Part of his honour; it brings additional honour to him to have done great things, in spite of natural defects.-Cannot want work; they will be sure to find ample opportunities of bringing their envy into operation.—incurreth, etc.; meets the notice of others.-Per saltum; at a leap, suddenly.—Quanta patimur; how many things we suffer.-Derive; to divert, turn aside (as a stream, Lat. rivus).—Invidia, etc.; Envy does not keep holidays. ESSAY X. DERIVATIONS.-Mad; Sax. gemaad, Ital. matto.-Love; Sax. lufe, or lufu, verb lufian (to love), Ger. lieben. —Keep; Sax. cepan.-Weak; Sax. waac.-Half; Sax. healf, Ger. halb.-Open; Sax, open, Ger. Heart; Sax. heort, Ger. herz.-Watch; Sax. wacian (to be aw Poor; Lat. pauper.-Heaven; Sax. heafan (to heave).-Knee cneow (knee).-Little; Sax. lytel.-Mouth; Sax. muth.-Beas bestia, Fr. bête.-Which; Sax. hwilc.-Thing; Sax. thing, Ger. Well; Sax. wel, Ger. wohl.-Proud; Sax. prut.-Beware; Sax. The verb is weardian (to defend, ward).-Lose; Sax. losian Sax. gifan (to give).-Flood; Sax. flod, from flowan_(to flow).Lat. candeo (I shine).-Child; Sax. cild.-Folly; Fr. fou, fol Sever; Fr. sevrer, perhaps from Lat. separo. Trouble; Fr. troub turbo.-Ask; Sax. ascian.-Few; Sax. feawa, comp. Fr. peu.Sax. spraedan.-Friar; Fr. frère, Lat. frater (a brother). NOTES.-Than the life of man (is).-Open heart; unguard protected (by virtue and sound principles).-Satis magnum, etc.; or may find in another a theatre large enough.-Braves; defies, sets at -Have intelligence; conspire together, act in concert.-Peet's relat poetical account of the judgment of Paris.-His; for "its."-Keep remain within its own quarters.-Check; interfere.-Embase; rend lower its value, deprave. PARSING AND ANALYSIS. Or what, though rare, of later age Ennobled hath the buskin'd stage."-Il Penser Extension |