"Valette, after vainly endeavouring to defend the Holy Sepulchre from the defilements of the infidels, was by them driven, with his faithful Christian army, from island to island, until he ultimately planted the standard of the cross on this sea-girt rock, and bravely withstood the attacks of his enemies."

Vide page 34.

no port-holes, the guns being on the upper decks only.

Port-holes

were invented by Descharges, a French builder at Brest, in the

year 1500." CHARLES.

"That was a useful and simple invention enough: it must have been very inconvenient to have all the guns on the upper decks; besides, there could not be space for so many as the vessels of war carry now. Pray what is the size of a first-rate man-of-war, and how many guns does she carry?"

MR. BARRAUD. "The Caledonia,' built at Plymouth in 1808, is 2616 tons burthen, carries 120 guns, and requires 875 men without officers. You can imagine the size of a vessel that could contain so many men. But all are not so large: that is a first-rate: there are some sixth-rate, which only carry twenty guns, are not more than 400 tons burthen, and their complement of men is only 155. The intermediate ships, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th rate, vary in every respect according to their size, and are classed according to their force and burthen. Only first- and second-rate men-of-war have three decks. Ships of the line include all vessels up to the highest rate, and not lower than the frigate."

GEORGE. "How I should like to have a fleet of ships. Will you buy me more, dear papa, when I have rigged the Stanley.' I am getting on very fast with her; Emma has stitched all the sails, and only three little men remain to be dressed; while I have cut the blocks, and set the ropes in order. It will look very handsome when it is quite finished; but a miniature fleet would be beautiful to launch on the lake at Horbury next summer. If I rig this vessel properly, may I have some others of different sizes, with port-holes to put cannon in? The Stanley,' you know, is a merchantman; but now I want some men-of-war."

6

MR. WILTON. "My dear, when your godpapa sent you the

Stanley,' do you remember how delighted you were, and the remark you made at the time? I have not forgotten your exclamation-Now I am a ship-owner! I should be quite satisfied if I were a man to possess one vessel to cross the great ocean, and bring all sorts of curiosities from foreign lands. I should not care to have half a dozen, because they would be a deal of trouble to me, and would make me anxious and unhappy.' How quickly you have changed your opinion. I fear that if you had a little fleet, your desires would not be checked, for you would, after a while, be wishing for large ships, and real men, and, instead of being a contented ship-owner, would not be satisfied with any station short of the Lord High Admiral. I do not think it would be wise in me to gratify your desires in this matter, for then I should be like the foolish father of whom Krummacher relates a story."

He daily But in a few

"Oh! what was it, papa," inquired George: "will you tell us?" MR. WILTON. "A father returned from the sea-coast to his own home, and brought with him, for his son, some beautiful shells, which he had picked up on the shore. The delight of the boy was great. He took them, and sorted them, and counted them over. He called all his playfellows, to show them his treasures; and they could talk of nothing but the beautiful shells. found new beauties, and gave each of them a name. months, the boy's father said to himself, I will now give him a still higher pleasure; I will take him to the coast of the sea itself; there he will see thousands more of beautiful shells, and may choose for himself.' When they came to the beach, the boy was amazed at the multitude of shells that lay around, and he went to and fro and picked them up. But one seemed still more beautiful than another, and he kept always changing those he had gathered for fresh shells. In this manner he went about changing, vexed, and

out of humour with himself.

At length, tired of stooping and com

paring, and selecting, he threw away all he had picked up, and, returning home weary of shells, he gave away all those which had afforded him so much pleasure. Then his father was sorry, and said, 'I have acted unwisely; the boy was happy in his small pleasures, and I have robbed him of his simplicity, and both of us of a gratification.' Now, my boy, does not this advise you to 'be content with such things as ye have?' King Solomon says, 'Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and trouble therewith;' and surely your trouble would be largely increased were you to have a whole fleet of ships to rig and fit up against next summer; and I rather think Emma would be bringing forward various objections, as her time would be required to prepare the sails and dress the sailors."

66

Indeed, dear papa," said Emma, "I have had quite enough trouble with his merchantman,' for George is so very particular. I am sure I could not dress the marines for a man-of-war: they require an immense deal of care in fitting their clothes: loose trousers and check shirts are easy to make, but tight jackets and trousers, with all the other et ceteras required to dress a marine, would be more than I should like to undertake, as I feel convinced I could not do it to the admiral's satisfaction."

CHARLES. 66

of an admiral ?”

George, shall I give you the dictionary definition

GEORGE. "I know what an admiral is. He is an officer of the first rank; but I do not know what the dictionary says."

CHARLES. "Then I will tell you how to distinguish him: according to Falconer, an admiral may be distinguished by a flag displayed at his main-top-gallant-mast-head."

This caused a burst of merriment, when Emma exclaimed, "That