From time to time he tried with his faint hand to clear away the death-mist that gathered on his sight; but the efforts seemed vain, for presently he lay back, and gave no signs of life beyond a heavy breathing and an occasional groan. Meantime the French had given way, and were flying in all directions. A grenadier officer seeing this, called out to those around him: 'See! they run!' The words caught the ear of the dying man; he raised himself, like one aroused from sleep, and asked eagerly: 'Who run?' 'The enemy,

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sir,' answered the officer; they give way everywhere.' 'Go, one of you, to Colonel Burton,' said Wolfe; tell him to march Webbe's (the 48th) regiment with all speed down to the St Charles's River, to cut off the retreat.' His voice grew faint as he spoke, and he turned on his side, as if seeking an easier position.

When he had given this last order, his eyes closed in death.

13. One of the greatest questions that have ever yet moved the human race was decided in this struggle. When a few English and French emigrants first landed among the Virginian and Canadian forests, it began; when the British flag was hoisted on the citadel of Quebec, it was decided. From that day the hand of Providence pointed out to the Anglo-Saxon race that to them was henceforth intrusted the destiny of the New World.

Que-bec', an important city in
Canada.

em'-in-ence, height.

St Lawrence, a large river of
North America.

cit'-a-del, a fortress in a city.
Wolfe. Wolfe's great achievement

was the taking of Quebec, as told in this lesson. He was only thirty-three years of age. ac'-cess, way of coming near; approach.

flo-til-la, a fleet of small vessels.
un-chal'-lenged, not questioned.
in-ten'-si-ty, the state of being

strained or stretched.
re-cog-nised', knew.
un-con'-scious, not knowing.
hes-i-ta'-tion, waiting.
qui vive? who goes there?
pan'-ic, great fear.

in-trenched' post, a place fortified
with trenches.

a-lac-ri-ty, cheerful readiness, lively
speed.
dis-pos'-a-ble, subject to disposal,
free to be used.

shiv'-er-ing

con-cealed'

Captain Warburton.

ac-comp'-lished de-cid'-ed

in-cred'-i-ble, beyond belief.
Mont-calm was commander of the
French in this battle, where,
like Wolfe, he was slain.
in-cess'-ant, constant.
par-ade', exercise.
pen'-nons, flags.

en-cour'-age, to cheer, to inspirit.
re-doubt', a small fort.
ar'-dour, fire.

re-straints', bounds.

dis'-ci-pline, military rule.

gren-a-dier', a member of the first

company of every battalion of
infantry; originally a soldier
who threw grenades, a small
shell filled with powder and
bits of iron.

car'-nage, slaughter.
vet'-er-ans, old soldiers.
mus'-ket-ry, the fire of muskets.
St Char'-les's Riv'-er, the St Charles,
a short river of Canada, flow-
ing into the St Lawrence at
Quebec.
em'-i-grant, one who leaves his
country to settle in another.

EXERCISES.-1. The Saxon prefix be- has three functions: (1) It makes transitive verbs out of intransitive; as fall, befall; moan, bemoan; wail, bewail; speak, bespeak. (2) It makes verbs out of nouns or adjectives; as dew, bedew; guile, beguile; friend, befriend; dim, bedim; numb, benumbed. (3) When placed before verbs, it strengthens the meaning, and signifies over, about, or for; as spatter, bespatter, to spatter over or about; sprinkle, besprinkle; smear, besmear; stir, bestir, to stir up vigorously; speak, bespeak, to speak for.

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2. Analyse and parse the following: Support me," said he to a grenadier officer who was close at hand, "that my brave fellows may not see me fall.""

3. Make sentences of your own, and use in each one or more of the following words: Incredible, emigrant, approach, alacrity.

MORNING IN THE COUNTRY. [This extract is from the poem L'Allegro ('the merry man'), by John Milton, author of Paradise Lost.]

To hear the lark begin his flight,
And, singing, startle the dull night
From his watch-tower in the skies,
Till the dappled dawn doth rise;

Then to come in spite of sorrow
And at my window bid good-morrow,
Through the sweet-brier or the vine,
Or the twisted eglantine,

While the cock with lively din
Scatters the rear of darkness thin,
And to the stack or the barn-door
Stoutly struts his dames before.

Oft listening how the hounds and horn
Cheerly rouse the slumbering Morn,
From the side of some hoar hill
Through the high wood echoing shrill.
Sometime walking not unseen
By hedgerow elms, on hillocks green,
Right against the eastern gate
Where the great sun begins his state
Robed in flames and amber light,
The clouds in thousand liveries dight;
While the ploughman near at hand
Whistles o'er the furrowed land,
And the milkmaid singeth blithe,
And the mower whets his scythe,
And every shepherd tells his tale
Under the hawthorn in the dale.

[From the poem Il Penseroso ('the pensive man'), by John Milton. The 'sweet bird' here referred to is the nightingale.]

Sweet bird, that shunn'st the noise of folly,

Most musical, most melancholy!

Thee, chantress, oft the woods among

I woo, to hear thy evening song;
And missing thee, I walk unseen
On the dry, smooth, shaven green,
To behold the wandering moon
Riding near her highest noon,
Like one that hath been led astray
Through the heaven's wide, pathless way,
And oft, as if her head she bowed
Stooping through a fleecy cloud.