1

sion to travel in the Spanish colonies of America, he set out with his friend in 1799 on his grand scientific journey, which occupied five years. The result of this journey is a work, gigantic as to 2 its value and voluminousness.

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66. LIVINGSTONE IN AFRICA.

4

The King, who was about forty-five years old, received Livingstone with the greatest kindness. He was very pleased that the Doctor brought his wife and children with him, considering this a great mark of confidence. He provided oxen to replace those that had died, supplied the party with ox-flesh and honey, and soft skins to lie upon at night; and came in the morning to the Doctor's tent to talk with him about the good work which, as he hoped, might be done among his people through him. The King was a wonderfully wise and enlightened man. Livingstone never afterwards met with any African king like him, and he felt 8 much encouraged by the promise of his help.

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SECOND CLASS.

1. WALLENSTEIN'S ARMY.

This project was universally ridiculed as chimerical; but it seemed at least to be worth a trial. Certain districts of

1 See p. 1 n. 1.

2 As to, was

anbetrifft, or, in Beziehung auf (Acc.).

3 To bring, bringen, brachte, gebracht; see p. 1 n. 5.

4 'Him' when referring to the subject of the sentence is translated by sich.

5 See p. 14 n. 9.

• To meet with, treffen, traf, getroffen (Acc.).

7 Like him, ihm gleich.

8 He felt much encouraged, er fühlte sich sehr . . .

Bohemia were assigned to Wallenstein for recruiting 1, and he was, moreover, authorised to appoint his own officers. In a few months he had 20,000 men under arms. With these he left the Austrian territory, and appeared soon afterwards on the frontiers of Lower Saxony with 30,000. The Emperor had given this armament nothing but his name. The reputation of the general, the prospect of rapid promotion, and the hope of booty, attracted to his standard adventurers from all parts of Germany.

2. KOSCIUSCO'S HORSE.

Kosciusco, the Polish hero, who in his old age lived in Switzerland, wanted one day to send a few bottles of very good wine to a clergyman at Solothurn. But not wishing to intrust the wine to one of his own servants, he asked a young man named Zeltner to mount the horse which Kosciusco usually rode, and to take the wine to the clergyman. When Zeltner returned, he told Kosciusco that he would never ride his horse again, unless he also gave him his purse at the same time. 'Why?' asked Kosciusco. 'Because whenever I met a poor man on the road who took off his hat to me and begged an alms, the horse stopped and would not move from the spot until I gave something to the beggar. So my little stock of money soon came to an end, and I was then obliged to do as if I was giving something, since the animal would not be satisfied with anything else.'

3. JOHN ZISKA.

John Ziska was born about the year 1360. At an early age he entered the service of King Wenceslaus as a But such an office could not long be agreeable to a youth who was a born soldier, and he soon exchanged it for 2 the profession of arms. After having served with dis

1 For recruiting, um Rekruten auszuheben.

2 To exchange for, vertauschen mit.

tinction in the wars of Hungary against the Turks, and of England against France, he returned to Bohemia and devoted his sword to the cause of the Hussites. As their leader he proved himself one of the greatest captains who had appeared hitherto in Europe. He was never defeated. It has been calculated that he was victorious in thirteen pitched battles, and in more than a hundred engagements. His exploits appear the more marvellous, as he was totally deprived of sight; for he had lost one eye by an accident in boyhood, and the other by an arrow at the siege of the castle of Raby.

4. THE PRINCIPALITY OF HERAT.

The district or principality of Herat borders in the west on the Persian province of Khorassan, in the north on the steppes of Turkestan, in the east on the desolate mountains of Hezareh and the kingdom of Cabul, and in the south on the great salt desert and on Beloochistan. It is, probably, the lowest ground of the great table-land of Iran, and is, in fact, an indentation divided into two parts. The northern half is formed by the valley of the Herirud; the southern by the great basin of lake Hamum. In olden times the whole district was famous for producing 1 abundance of grain and delicious fruit, whilst at present the northern only is fertile, the works of irrigation necessary to the fertility of the southern valley having fallen into decay during the repeated conquests to which this favoured spot has been subject.

1

5. DEAN SWIFT.

Dean Swift was not very generous. He seldom gave anything to the servants of those who sent him presents. But he once received a good lesson from a lad who very often carried him hares, partridges, and other game. One day the boy arrived with a pretty heavy basket containing fish,

1 For producing abundance for (wegen with Gen.) the abundance . . . which it produced.

fruit, and game. He knocked at the door, and the dean, by chance, opened it himself. 'Here,' said the boy, gruffly, 'my master has sent you a basket full of things.' Swift, feeling displeased at the boy's rude manner, said to him, 'Come here, my lad, and I will teach you how to deliver a message a little more politely; come, imagine yourself Dean Swift, and I will be the boy.' Then, taking off his hat very politely, and addressing himself to the lad, he said 'Sir, my master sends you a little present, and begs you will do him the honour to accept it.' 'Oh, very well, my boy,' replied the lad, 'tell your master I am obliged to him, and there is halfa-crown for yourself.'

6. A FAMILY OF HEROES.

A little boy about five years old, being at play, fell into a river. His sister, a child of nine years, with an affection that would have done honour to riper years, instantly plunged in to his assistance. Both sank, in sight of their mother. The poor woman, distracted with horror at the prospect of instant death to her children, braved the flood to save them; she rose with one under each arm, and by her cries happily brought 1 her husband, who instantly swam to their assistance, and brought them all three safe to shore.

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7. THE BAPTISM OF THE IRISH KING.

Saint Patrick, after having 2 converted an Irish king, baptized him with the solemnity then in use. The holy bishop, leaning on his crozier, which was garnished at the lower end with a point of iron, pierced the foot of the king, who suffered the pain, without complaining, until the ceremony was over. The prelate, having heard of the accident, asked him why he had not complained. The king assured

1 'To bring', here: herbei-bringen.

2 Render it: after St. Patrick had converted .

him respectfully, that he had believed it was part of the ceremony.

8. THEODOSIUS AND PULCHERIA.

2

Theodosius, the Roman emperor, had been used 1, when a child, to sign all the acts which were brought to him by his ministers without reading them; and he was so indolent and thoughtless as to continue the same custom even after he was married. His sister Pulcheria, to make him sensible of the evil consequences that might attend it, caused an act to be drawn up, whereby he yielded to her for ever the empress Eudoxia as her slave. This act the emperor signed, as usual, without perusing it, or even inquiring what it contained. Some short time afterwards, his sister presented him the act, and desired he would read it. He did so, and was so ashamed of his past indolence and neglect, that he never after that signed any papers, till he had either attentively read them himself, or was well informed what they contained.

9. A MODEST YOUTH.

A young man who had paid great attention to his studies, and consequently had made rapid progress, was once taken by his father to dine with a company of learned men. After dinner, the conversation turned naturally upon literature and the classics. The young man listened to it 3 with great attention, but did not say anything. On their return home, his father asked him why he had remained silent, when he had so good an opportunity of showing his knowledge. 'I was afraid, my dear father,' said he, 'that if I began to talk of what I did know, I should be interrogated upon what I do not know.' 'You are right, my dear boy,' replied the father, 'there is often more danger in speaking than in holding one's tongue.'