And donned his robes, and with reluctant pace Where the great bell upon its cross-beam swung In half-articulate jargon, the old song: "Some one hath done a wrong, hath done a wrong!" Meanwhile from street and lane a noisy crowd So 1 donned, past tense of don, a contraction of do on, to put on. doff=do off, to put off. 2 belfry's light arcade. Explain. 3 Domeneddio, an Italian exclamation equivalent to Good Lord! 4 sore. Explain, and name the part of speech. 5 pleads his cause. Explain the metaphor. 6 like a summer cloud. Show the appropriateness of the comparison. 7 gesticulation. See Webster for the interesting etymology of this word. Treated the matter as a pleasant jest, And set at naught the syndic and the rest, That he should do what pleased him with his own. The proclamation of the king; then said: They never yet have reached your knightly ear. 5 The knight withdrew abashed; the people all 1 Pride goeth. What is the figure? (See Def. 7.) 2 of flowers of chivalry. What noun does this phrase modify? 3 proverbs. What is a proverb? 4 repute reputation. 5 abashed = abased, ashamed. mass. See Webster. 6 "It cometh into court, and pleads the cause 4. THE BETROTHAL OF EVANGELINE. [The following beautifully limned picture is from Longfellow's extended poem of Evangeline. The poem is based on an incident attending the forced expulsion, by the English, of the French settlers in Nova Scotia, in 1755. That province at this time belonged to the English, but contained many French farmers, a simple-minded, peaceful people, who wished to be neutral in the quarrels between the French and English in America. The English authorities, fearing they might side with the French, cruelly kidnapped some three thousand of these people, and scattered them through the various colonies. In the haste and confusion of sending them off, many families were separated, and some at least never came together again. The story of Evangeline is the story of such a separation. The measure of Evangeline is the dactylic hexameter, -a measure that has never become very popular in English poetry; but Longfellow handles this difficult meter with great skill. The cæsural pause in the middle of the line should be carefully regarded. Says Mr. Scudder: "A little practice will enable one to acquire that habit of reading hexameter, which we may liken, roughly, to the climbing of a hill, resting a minute on the summit, and then descending the other side. The charm in reading Evangeline aloud is found in this gentle labor of the former half of the line, and gentle acceleration of the latter half."] I. THUS, at peace with God and the world, the farmer2 of Grand-Pré3 1 unknown to: that is, unno- | Evangeline, "the pride of the vilticed by. Bene 2 the farmer: that is, dict Bellefontaine, "the wealthiest farmer of Grand-Pré," father of lage." 3 Grand-Pré, or Lower Horton, a village of Nova Scotia, formerly called Acadia. Lived on his sunny farm, and Evangeline governed his household. Many a youth, as he knelt in the church and opened his missal,1 Fixed his eyes upon her as the saint of his deepest devotion; Happy was he who might touch her hand or the hem of her garment! Many a suitor came to her door, by the darkness befriended, And, as he knocked, and waited to hear the sound of her footsteps, Knew not which beat the louder,2 his heart or the knocker of iron; Or, at the joyous feast of the patron saint of the village, Bolder grew, and pressed her hand in the dance as he whispered Hurried words of love, that seemed a part of the music. But, among all who came, young Gabriel only was wel come; Gabriel Lajeunesse, the son of Basil the blacksmith, Who was a mighty man in the village, and honored of all men; For, since the birth of time,. throughout all ages and nations, 4 Has the craft of the smith been held in repute by the people. Basil was Benedict's friend. Their children from earliest childhood 1 missal, mass-book. 8 Lajeunesse. Accent on the 4 craft, manual art, trade. 2 which beat the louder, etc. last syllable. Note this fine touch. Grew up together as brother and sister; and Father Felician, Priest and pedagogue both in the village, had taught them their letters Out of the self-same book, with the hymns of the church and the plain-song.1 But when the hymn was sung, and the daily lesson com pleted, Swiftly they hurried away to the forge of Basil the black smith. There at the door they stood, with wondering eyes to behold him Take in his leathern lap the hoof of the horse as a play thing, Nailing the shoe in its place; while near him the tire2 of the cart-wheel Lay like a fiery snake, coiled round in a circle of cinders. Oft on autumnal eves, when without in the gathering darkness Bursting with light seemed the smithy, through every cranny and crevice, Warm by the forge within they watched the laboring bellows, And as its panting ceased, and the sparks expired in the ashes, 8 Merrily laughed, and said they were nuns going into the chapel.* Oft on sledges in winter, as swift as the swoop" of the eagle, 1 plain-song, a monotonous recitative of the church collects, or short prayers. 8 nuns going, etc.,--a French saying. 4 chapel. See Webster for inter 2 tire, a band of iron use to bind esting derivation. the fellies of wheels. 5 swoop: allied to sweep. |