A Prayer in the Prospect of Death.

Thou unknown, Almighty Cause

Of all my hope and fear!

In whose dread presence, ere an hour,
Perhaps I must appear!

If I have wandered in those paths

Of life I ought to shun;

As something, loudly, in my breast
Remonstrates I have done,-

Thou know'st that Thou hast formed me
With passions wild and strong;
And list'ning to their witching voice

Has often lead me wrong.

Where human weakness has come short,

Or frailty steps aside,

Do thou, All-Good!-for such thou art

In shades of darkness hide.

Where with intention I have erred,

No other plea I have,

But, Thou art good; and goodness still
Delighteth to forgive.

on the

WILLIAM WORDSWORTH.

WILLIAM WORDSWORTH was born April 7, 1770, and
23d of April, 1850, "he closed a life so pure,
and priest-like in its consecration to lofty pur-
that we
must go back to Milton in order to
parallel."

serene, pose,

find its

He

1839,

In

was a graduate of Cambridge University. Oxford University recognized his ability by con

ferring upon

was

and

him the degree of D. C. L. In 1843, he

made poet-laureate of England. Wordsworth studied

Shakespeare, Milton, Spenser

Chaucer, as models. He was the founder of the "Lake School" of poets, composed of Wordsworth, Cole

ridge and Southey. As

public

notice in two poems, An Evening Walk, and Taken During a Pedestrian Tour

Descriptive Sketches

among

the Alps.

The simplicity, refinement, and ori

ginality shown in these poems attracted general atten

tion.

The Excursion is, without doubt, Wordsworth's

finest and most important production.

Most of the poet's life was devoted to a special
Two legacies bequeathed him, gave

study of poetry.

means of support.

His desire was to secure simpli

city of language. The first efforts were so extremely simple that they were considered simple by all. This apparent silliness was ridiculed and laughed at by Jeffrey.

He is now loved and admired by all the world. His poetry is completely emancipated from the artificial. As Coleridge says, "He is austerely accurate in the use of words." By common consent, we place Wordsworth on the list of great poets, next to Milton, where his "all-embracing humanity" will forever shine.

From "The Excursion."

HE mountain-ash,

Decked with autumnal berries that outshine

Spring's richest blossoms, yields a splendid show,
Amid the leafy woods; and ye have seen,

By a brook-side or solitary turn,

How she her station doth adorn; the pool
Glows at her feet, and all the gloomy rocks
Are brightened round her. In his native vale
Such and so glorious did this youth appear;
A sight that kindled pleasure in all hearts
By his ingenuous beauty, by the gleam
Of his fair eyes, by his capacious brow,