New Code Reading Books. ADAPTED TO THE 5TH AND 6TH STANDARDS. LESSONS IN ENGLISH HISTORY, WITH POETICAL SELECTIONS FROM COWPER, LESSON 1.-ANCIENT BRITONS. Ancestors forefathers (Latin ante, be- | Cavalry-horse soldiers. fore; cedo, I go). Assassinated-treacherously murdered. Civilized-polished, as people in society should be (Lat. civis, a citizen; ize, verbal termination). Precipitous-exceedingly steep. Agriculture-the art and practice of husbandry or tillage (Lat. ager, a field; cultura, cultivation, from colo, I till). THE people who lived in England two thousand years ago are known as the Ancient Britons. As you would expect, they were widely different in habits and character from the present inhabitants of our country, and were more like the savage natives of the South Sea Islands than the well-clothed, well-fed, civilized, and Christian Englishman. But as the Ancient Britons are our ancestors in part, we cannot but be interested in their history. We are obliged to confess that they were savages, but we dwell with pleasure on the accounts of their bravery and courage; and when we read of foreigners invading them, we are glad to read that the Britons made a gallant resistance, and gave the invaders much trouble before they were finally subdued. We feel, indeed, that our own character is involved in that of our forefathers. All our knowledge of the Ancient Britons is obtained from foreigners. At the time we are speaking of, the civilised nations of the world lived around the Mediterranean Sea, and very little was known of the regions beyond. But merchants used to come to the south of Britain, to what is now Cornwall and the Scilly Islands, and the neighbourhood, in order to get tin from the Cassiterides, or Tin Islands, as they were called. Yet these merchants, who were anxious to keep their profits to themselves, were unwilling to let it be known where they went to obtain their cargoes, and there was only a general idea that there were Tin Islands somewhere EDUCATIONAL V READING LESSONS IN SOCIAL L. ONE THOUSAND QUESTIONS ALLISON'S FIRST LESSONS IN G For the use of the Nursery and Junior thousand. Revised to 1868. Stiff co boards, Is. BOND'S CHILD'S QUESTION BOOK KNOWLEDGE. 16th Edition, 18mo, cloth, Is. CHILD'S PATHWAY THROUGH TH OF ENGLAND, in Question and Answer. THINGS OF EVERY-DAY USE; W Where they come from, and How they are m London: Jar them all. Those who dwell inland do not sow corn, A This is their method of fighting from chariots. At they drive them in all directions, and throw their s, and often break the ranks of their enemies by the terror of their horses and noise of the wheels; and they have introduced themselves between the of the cavalry, they leap from their chariots, and on foot. Meanwhile the chariot-drivers retire a from the combat, and so place themselves, that if warriors are overpowered by the number of the v, they may rapidly retreat to their own men. y have the rapidity of cavalry and the stability of ry in engagements, and are so skilful from daily 1 exercise, that they are accustomed to stop their at full speed on sloping and precipitous ground, in them in and turn them in brief space, and to run the pole, and stand on the yoke, and again betake lves into the chariot with the greatest quickness." chariots that Cæsar speaks of had sharp scythes ed to the axles of the wheels, which would do Jamage among the ranks of their enemies. ppears that the country was possessed by as many different tribes, and that there were frequent suong them. This made it easier for the Romans rds to conquer the whole country. houses that Cæsar mentions seem to have been buildings of wood; and a number of the houses together, and sometimes surrounded with a ditch wooden palisade, made a town. people in the south of the country cultivated nd, and used the corn that they grew for food; culture was not practised elsewhere. M |