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Many people lose a great deal of time by reading; for they read frivolous and idle1 books, such as the absurd romances of the two last centuries, where characters, that never existed, are insipidly displayed, and sentiments, that never were felt, pompously described; the oriental ravings and extravagance of the Arabian Nights, and such sort of idle frivolous stuff that nourishes and improves the mind just as much as whipped cream would the body.3 Stick to the best established books in every language, the celebrated poets, historians, orators, and philosophers. By these means, to use a city metaphor, you will make fifty per cent. of that time, of which others do not make above three or four, or probably nothing at all.

Many people lose a great deal of their time by laziness: they loll and yawn in a great chair, tell themselves that they have not time to begin anything then, and that it will do as well another time. This is a most unfortunate disposition, and the greatest obstruction to both knowledge and business. At your age you have no right or claim to laziness. You are but just listed in the world, and must be active, diligent, indefatigable. If ever you purpose commanding with dignity, you must serve up to it with diligence. Never put off till to-morrow what you can do to-day.

Despatch is the soul of business; and nothing contributes more to despatch 5 than method. Lay down a method for everything, and stick to it inviolably, as far as unexpected incidents may allow. Fix one certain hour and day in the week for your accounts, and keep them together in their proper order, by which means they will require very little time, and you can never be much cheated. Whatever letters and papers you keep, docket and tie them up their respective classes, so that you may instantly have recourse to any one. Lay down a method also for your reading, for which you allot a certain share of your mornings; let it be in a consistent and consecutive course, and not in that desultory and imme

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1 Idle, Oiseux.-2 The Arabian Nights, Les Mille et Une Nuits.-3 That nourishes and improves the mind just as much as whipped cream would the body, Qui apporte à l'esprit juste autant de nourriture et de force que de la crême fouettée en apporterait au corps.-4 You are but just listed in the world, Vous ne faites que d'entrer dans le monde. To despatch, à rendre expéditif. Docket them, Étiquetez-leз.

thodical manner in which many people read scraps of different authors,1 upon different subjects. Never read history without having maps and a chronological book or tables lying by you, and constantly recurred to, without which history is only a confused heap of facts. One method more I recommend to you, by which I have found great benefit, even in the most dissipated part of my life: that is, to rise early and at the same hour every morning, how late soever you may have sat up the night before.

You may say, it may be, as many young people would, that all this order and method is very troublesome, and only fit for dull people, and a disagreeable restraint upon the noble spirit and fire of youth. I deny it, and assert, on the contrary, that it will procure you both more time and more taste for your pleasures; and, so far from being troublesome to you, that, after you have pursued it a month, it would be troublesome to you to lay it aside. LORD CHESTERFIELD. 1694-1773.

THE STORY OF A DISABLED SOLDIER.2

I was born3 in Shropshire; my father was a labourer,4 and died when I was five years old: so I was put upon the parish.5 As he had been a wandering sort of man, the parishioners were not able to tell to what parish I belonged, or where I was born; so they sent me to another parish, and that parish sent me to a third. I thought in my heart, they kept sending me about so long, that they would not let me be born in any parish at all;7 but at last,

1 Let it be in a consistent and consecutive course, and not in that desultory and immethodical manner in which many people read scraps of different authors, Que vos lectures soient régulières et suivies; ne les faites pas d'une manière décousue et sans méthode, comme beaucoup de gens qui lisent des bribes de différents auteurs. - A disabled soldier, Un invalide.-3 See § 3, 6.-4 See § 3, 8.-5 So I was put upon the parish, De sorte que je fus mis à la charge de la paroisse.-6 As he had been a wandering sort of man, Comme c'était un de ces hommes qui n'ont pas de domicile fixe. I thought in my heart, they kept sending me about so long, that they would not let me be born in any parish at all, Je pensai en moi-même, tant ils persistèrent à m'envoyer à droite et à gauche, qu'ils auraient bien voulu que je ne fusse né sous aucune paroisse.

to whomsoever made the discovery, a doublet of velvet, in addition to the pension to be given by the sovereigns.

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The breeze had been fresh all day, with more sea than usual: at sunset, they stood again to the west, and were ploughing the waves at a rapid rate, the Pinta keeping the lead from her superior sailing. The greatest animation prevailed throughout the ships; not an eye was closed that night. As the evening darkened, Columbus took his station on the poop of his vessel. However he might carry a cheerful and confident countenance during the day, it was to him a time of the most painful anxiety; and now, when he was wrapped from observation by the shades of night, he maintained an intense and unremitting watch, ranging his eyes3 along the dusky horizon in search of the most vague indications of land. Suddenly, about ten o'clock, he thought he beheld a light glimmering at a distance. Fearing that his eager hopes might deceive him, he called to Pedro Gutierez, gentleman of the king's bedchamber, and demanded whether he saw a light in that direction; the latter replied in the affirmative. Columbus, yet doubtful whether it might not be some delusion of the fancy, called Rodrigo Sanchez of Segovia, and made the same inquiry. By the time the latter had ascended the round-house, the light had disappeared. They saw it once or twice afterwards in sudden and passing gleams, as if it were a torch in the bark of a fisherman, rising and sinking with the waves; or in the hands of some person on shore, borne up and down as he walked from house to house. So transient and uncertain were these gleams, that few attached any importance to them; Columbus, however, considered them as certain signs of land, and, moreover, that the land was inhabited.4

They continued their course until two in the morning, when a gun from the Pinta gave the joyful signal of land. It was first

1 From her superior sailing, À cause de la supériorité de sa voilure.-2 Wrapped from observation by the shades, Caché aux regards par les ombres.-3 He maintained an intense and unremitting watch, ranging his eyes, Il ne cessa de veiller avec la plus grande attention, promenant ses yeux. As certain signs of land, and, moreover, that the land was inhabited, Comme des indices certains d'une terre, et même d'une terre habitée.

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discovered by a mariner named Rodriguez Bermejo, resident of Triana, a suburb of Seville, but native of Alcala de la Guadaira ; but the reward was afterwards adjudged to the admiral, for having previously perceived the light. The land was now clearly seen, about two leagues distant; whereupon they took in sail, and laid to, waiting impatiently for the dawn.

The thoughts and feelings of Columbus in this little space of time must have been tumultuous and intense. At length, in spite of every difficulty and danger, he had accomplished his object. The great mystery of the ocean was revealed; his theory, which had been the scoff of sages, was triumphantly established; he had secured to himself a glory which must be as durable as the world itself! 2 It is difficult even for the imagination to conceive the feelings of such a man at the moment of so sublime a discovery. What a bewildering crowd of conjectures must have thronged upon his mind as to the land which lay before him, covered with darkness! That it was fruitful was evident from the vegetables which floated from its shores. He thought too, that he perceived in the balmy air the fragrance of aromatic groves. The moving light which he had beheld proved that it was the residence of man. But what were its inhabitants? Were they like those of other parts of the globe, or were they some strange and monstrous race, such as the imagination in those times was prone to give to all remote and unknown regions? Had he come upon some wild island far in the Indian seas, or was this the famed Cipango itself, the object of his golden fancies? A thousand speculations of the kind must have swarmed upon him,3 as he watched for the night to pass away, wondering whether the morning light would reveal a savage wilderness, or dawn upon spicy groves, and glittering fanes, and gilded cities, and all the splendours of oriental civilisation.

W. IRVING. 1782-1859.

1 Whereupon they took in sail, and laid to, Alors on serra les voiles et l'on mit en panne.-2 He had secured to himself a glory, which must be as durable as the world itself, Il s'était assuré une gloire, qui durerait aussi longtemps que le monde.

A thousand speculations of the kind must have swarmed upon him, Mille réflexions de cette nature, doivent s'être présentées en foule à son esprit.

MURDER OF ARTHUR OF BRITTANY.1

PRINCE ARTHUR was the right heir to the throne of England, and went to war against his uncle John, who had usurped. Arthur and his army were resting at Mirebeau, a town near Poictiers in France, when one summer night, King John, by treachery, got his men into the town, and surprised Arthur's force. He took two hundred of Arthur's knights, and seized the prince himself in bed. The knights were put in heavy irons,2 and driven away in open carts drawn by bullocks, to various dungeons, where they were most inhumanly treated, and where some of them were starved to death. Prince Arthur was sent to the castle of Falaise.

One day, while he was in prison in that castle, mournfully thinking it strange that one so young should be in3 so much trouble, and looking out of the small window in the deep dark wall, at the summer sky, and the birds, the door was softly opened, and he saw his uncle the king standing in the shadow of the archway, looking very grim.4

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Arthur," said the king, with his wicked eyes more on the stone floor than on his nephew, "will you not trust to the gentleness, and the friendship, and the truthfulness of your loving uncle?"

"I will tell my loving uncle that," replied the boy, “when he does me right. Let him restore to me my kingdom of England, and then come to me and ask the question."

The king looked at him, and then went out. "Keep that boy close prisoner,"6 said he to the warden of the castle.

Then the king took secret counsel with the worst of his nobles, how the prince was to be got rid of. Some said, put out his eyes and keep him in prison, as Robert of Normandy was kept; others said, have him stabbed; others, have him hanged; others, have him poisoned.

1 A.D. 1200.-2 Put in heavy irons, Chargés de lourdes chaînes. -3 Mournfully thinking it strange that one so young should be in, Pensant tristement combien il était étrange que, si jeune, il eût.-4 See § 55, 30.- See § 36, 4.-6 Close prisoner, Etroitement prisonnier.-7 How the prince was to be got rid of, Pour savoir comment se débarrasser du prince.

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