3. Everywhere the road is strewn with these undulations like a burial-ground; the most fearless, the most unfeeling, are moved, and turn aside their eyes as they pass in haste. But before, around, everything is snow-the sight is lost in this immense and sad uniformity; the imagination is astounded. It is like a huge winding-sheet, with which nature envelops the army. The only objects which appear from out it, are sombre pines, trees of the tomb, with their funereal verdure; and the gigantic fixedness of their black trunks, and their deep gloom, completes this desolate aspect of a general mourning, and of an army dying amid the decease of nature. Then comes the night-a night of sixteen hours! But on that snow which covers all things, one knows not where to stop, where to rest, where to find roots for food, or dry wood for firing. 4. However, fatigue, darkness, and repeated orders, stop those whom their own physical and moral force and the efforts of their officers have retained together. They seek to establish themselves; but the ever-active storm scatters the first preparations for a bivouac. The pines, laden with hoar-frost, resist the flames; and the snow upon them, mixed with that which falls continually from the sky, and that lying on the earth, which melts with the efforts of the soldier and the first effect of the fires, extinguishes those fires and the strength and the courage of the men. 5. When the flame at length is raised, officers and soldiers prepare around it their sad meal, composed of lean and bloody fragments of flesh, torn from wornout horses; and, for a very few, some spoonfuls of ryeflour diluted with snow-water. The next day, soldiers, laid stone-dead in circles, mark the bivouacs, and the RETREAT OF THE FRENCH FROM MOSCOW. 257 ground about them is strewed with the bodies of many thousand horses. 6. From this day, men began to reckon less upon each other. In this army, lively, susceptible of all impressions, and inclined to speculate from its advanced civilisation, disorder soon gained footing, discouragement and insubordination spread rapidly, the imagination wandering without bounds in evil as well as good. Henceforward at every difficult passage, some portion of the yet organised troops detached itself, and fell into disorder. 7. Yet there were some who resisted this mighty contagion; they were the officers, subalterns, and seasoned soldiers. These were extraordinary men; they encouraged themselves by repeating the name of Smolensk, which they felt they were approaching, and where everything had been promised to them. 8. Thus, since this deluge of snow, and the redoubled cold which it announced, all, officers and soldiers alike, preserved or lost their strength of mind, according to their age, their character, and temperament. He of our chiefs, whom till then we had seen the strictest in maintaining discipline, now found himself no longer in his element. Thrown out of all his fixed ideas of regularity and method, he was reduced to despair by so universal a disorder, and, judging sooner than others that all was lost, he felt himself ready to abandon all. Comte de Segur. Az'-ure, sky-blue colour. From Lat. rancor, spite. Biv'-ou-ac, passing the night in the open air. Di-lut'-ed, made thin, mixed with want of discipline. disobedience, Or'-gan-ised, kept in order. Con-ta'-gion, bad influence. From con, together, and tango, I touch. Sub'-al-terns, inferior officers. Lit. one after another. From Lat. sub, under, and alternus, one after the other. EXERCISES.-1. Explain the following: (1) The sight is lost in this immense and sad uniformity; (2) sombre pines, trees of the tomb, with their funereal verdure; (3) the gigantic fixedness of their black trunks; (4) physical and moral force; (5) some portion of the yet organised troops detached itself. 2. Analyse and parse the following: "Of this fair volume which we world do name, If we the leaves and sheets could turn with care, We clear might read the art and wisdom rare.' 3. Name all the derivatives you know from the following Latin roots (1) Senex, senis, old; (2) solvo, solutum, to loosen; (3) memor, mindful; (4) miles, militis, a soldier. THE MOST HONOURABLE. [The following extract is from the Sartor Resartus of Thomas Carlyle.] 1. Two men I honour, and no third. First, the toilworn craftsman that with earth-made implement laboriously conquers the earth and makes her man's. Venerable to me is the hard hand, crooked, coarse, wherein notwithstanding lies a cunning virtue, indefeasibly royal as of the sceptre of this planet. Venerable too is the rugged face, all weather-tanned, besoiled, with its rude intelligence, for it is the face of a man living manlike. 2. Oh, but the more venerable for thy rudeness, and even because we must pity as well as love thee, hardlyentreated brother! For us was thy back so bent, for us were thy straight limbs and fingers so deformed; thou wert our conscript on whom the lot fell, and fighting our battles, wert so marred. For in thee too lay a God-created form, but it was not to be unfolded; incrusted must it stand with the thick adhesions and defacements of labour, and thy body, like thy soul, was not to know freedom. 3. Yet toil on, toil on; thou art in thy duty, be out of it who may; thou toilest for the altogether indispensable, for daily bread. 4. A second man I honour, and still more highlyhim who is seen toiling for the spiritually indispensable, not daily bread, but the bread of life. Is not he too in his duty, endeavouring towards inward harmony, revealing this by act or by word through all his outward endeavours, be they high or low? Highest of all when his outward and his inward endeavour are one; when we can name him artist, not earthly craftsman only, but inspired thinker, who with heavenmade implements conquers heaven for us! If the poor and humble toil that we have food, must not the high and glorious toil for him in return, that he have light, have guidance, freedom, immortality? 5. These two in all their degrees I honour; all else is chaff and dust, which let the wind blow whither it listeth. Unspeakably touching is it, however, when I find both dignities united, and he that must toil outwardly for the lowest of man's wants, is also toiling inwardly for the highest. Sublimer in this world know I nothing than a peasant-saint. Could such now anywhere be met with, such a one will take thee back to Nazareth itself; thou wilt see the splendour of heaven spring forth from the humblest depths of earth like a light shining in great darkness. Thomas Carlyle. Crafts'-man, man who works at a trade or handicraft, as a joiner, Im'-ple-ment, tool. From Lat. impleo, I fill, discharge. In-de-feas'-i-bly, that cannot be defeated or set aside. From been enrolled as a soldier. From Lat. ad, to, and hæreo, hæsum, to stick. In-dis-pens'-a-ble, needful. Lit. In-spired', taught of God. From Naz'-ar-eth, the town where Jesus EXERCISES.-1. Analyse and parse the following: (1) Woe doth the heavier sit, Where it perceives it is but faintly borne.' (2) 'Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.' 2. Name all the words you know connected with the following English words: (1) Dispense; (2) scribe; (3) form; (4) harmony. THE CARES OF ROYALTY. [This well-known soliloquy on sleep is from Shakspeare's Henry IV., Part II., Act iii., Scene 1.] How many thousand of my poorest subjects Are at this hour asleep! O sleep, O gentle sleep, Why rather, sleep, liest thou in smoky cribs, And hushed with buzzing night-flies to thy slumber, And lulled with sounds of sweetest melody? O thou dull god, why liest thou with the vile, 5 10 |