education came into the hands of the monks, Gymnastic exercises disappeared altogether. The great men had their tilts and tournaments, while the people were mere slaves, used only to lead their horses and carry their masters' arms.

To Promerit of They

The Germans were the first to revive 'this relic of an age gone by.' fessors Gustmuth and Jahn the the discovery is particularly due. set about devising numerous exercises, arranging them in a well adapted series, and thus restored Gymnastics to something like their former rank and importance. Many towns in Switzerland and Germany soon had their Gymnasiums, and the youth and even grown men derived immense advantages from them.

To finish this long story, I shall only add that these exercises are used in the British Naval and Military Schools, where the boys are very clever, climbing like monkeys, without any fear or danger of falling; and running and jumping like antelopes.

Now, my lads, it happens luckily that I have by me a regular series of all the various exercises they used to perform at the Gymnasium under Professor Voelker, and if you promise to attend to my directions, and persevere in the practice of them, I promise in return that all of you, whether sickly or weakly, shall become strong, active and healthy.

Now begin. Pull off your caps and coats, take off your stocks and neckerchiefs, and unbutton your shirt collars;

you warm enough before I've done, only when you leave off, clothe yourselves, the sooner the better. Stand in a line-head easy-heels close-toes turned out-body upright-stomach kept in-arms hanging straight by the sides-hands closed, with the thumbs inside.

Now then, move to the right and left, and stretch out your arms, so as each can barely touch his neighbor's fingers' ends; thus

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Remember, boys, every thing must be done with spirit, and when I have shown you how to move your legs and arms, and you are not tired of the sport, I'll have some parallel bars, a horizontal pole or two, a couple of wooden horses, some leaping poles, and other things, which I will tell you about by and by. So we'll have a Gymnasium of our own.

1. Attention!-Bring your arms quickly up in front as high as the shoulders, nails upwards-now swing them forcibly back, so, turning the nails outwards-body upright as a dart-again and againhalf a dozen times.

RICHARD THE FIRST. SURNAMED COUR-DE-LION (HEART OF A LION.)

WHEN Richard the First heard that

his poor father was dead, and that he had died broken-hearted by the cruelty and disobedience of his children, he was sorry for his fault, but it was too late; he went to the church where the dead body of his parent lay and wept bitterly; but his sorrow did not last long; he soon forgot it in his joy at becoming king.

The day he was crowned some Jews pressed forward in the crowd to see their new king, and were roughly pushed back by the mob. They got angry with each other, and as they did not try to restrain their evil passions, they went on from sin to sin, until at last the mob burnt all the Jews' houses, and murdered every man who wore a yellow cap. At that time there was a law that every Jew should wear a yellow cap. The blood ran down the streets in streams and Richard did

not try to stop this wickedness: he ordered two or three of the murderers to be hung the next day, because in the confusion they had burned the houses of one or two of his own people; but he cared not what was done to the Jews. But it would make your hearts sad if I were to tell you of the poor little children,when they saw the fire all around them, and beheld their parents' agony.

Richard wished to go to Jerusalem and join the crusaders. I hope you know what I mean; if not, ask mother to let you read again the reign of William II. in our August number; for it was in his reign the crusades began. Well, King Richard, as I said before, wished very much to go and fight at Jerusalemn, and in order to get money enough to buy himself handsome horses and clothes, and to pay a great many gentlemen and a large army to go with him, he sold every thing that he could; indeed he said one day that he would sell London if he could get any one to buy it of him; and he ordered all the teeth of a Jew to be pulled out because the Jew would not give him any money, and he was about to torture him more, but the peor man gave him all he had.

The Bible says, 'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods-Thou shalt not steal-Neither thieves nor covetous shall inherit the kingdom of God. Richard went to Palestine, and fought a great many battles, but few people liked him

because he was so proud and so cruel. He was very courageous, I believe; at least he killed a great many of his fellow creatures, and was not afraid of any thing, and that is what the world calls courage. But, my children, what good will that do him in the last great judgment day, when the commandment shall be thundered in his ears, 'Thou shalt not kill! Will he boast of his courage then?

At last Richard set out to come home. Look on the map and you will see that he was obliged to sail through the Mediterranean sea, when a dreadful storm separated the ship Richard was in from the rest of the fleet, and he was driven on shore near the south of Germany, and he set off toward England by land and on foot; but in passing through Austria he was taken prisoner by the Duke and thrown into prison. The heart of man is evil, and we need not wonder at this conduct in the Duke of Austria, for Richard had treated him very ill when they were both fighting in the holy land against the Turks. The Bible says love your enemies,' but the Duke hated Richard.

When the English heard that their king was in prison they offered a great deal of money to ransom him, for they were very proud of their brave king; but the Duke of Austria had given him up to the Emperor of Germany, and he would not let him go for less than 1 or 2 millions of dollars; and it was many months before they could get money enough, for Richard had taken away all the money he could from England, when he went

to the holy land: they did however at last get money enough, and Richard went home again after four years' absence, fifteen months of which he was in prison. I am glad that I have one pleasing incident to tell you of King Richard. His brother John had done every thing that he could to keep Richard longer in prison by offering the Emperor great sums of money, and had also often tried to make the people of England rebel against him, and place John on the throne; yet when Richard returned he forgave him, and said, 'I wish I could as easily forget your injuries as you will my pardon.'

Did you ever hear of Robin Hood? He was a robber, who lived in Sherwood Forest. He too was called brave and generous, because he would steal only from the rich, and would sometimes give to the poor, and was not afraid of any one. Many idle songs were made about him, but I have not room to say any thing more of him just now, and will refer you to the Child's Own Book for his history.

I wish to relate to you how King Richard died. A gentleman had found some money in one of his fields, and because he would not give it all to Richard, the king with a band of soldiers went to take it from him. A soldier named Gordon sent an arrow from the castle, and wounded the king in the shoulder, which gangrened, and he being intemperate it caused his death. He sent for Gordon, and asked why he sought his life? Because, he replied, 'you killed my father and my two brothers, and I am glad to rid the