those on whom the iron gate had once closed were never suffered to return, the effect of long experience could not be known. Thus every year produced new schemes of delight and new competitors for imprisonment. Samuel Johnson. FOR PREPARATION.-I. From " Rasselas," Chapter I. Johnson's first literary work was a translation of Father Lobo's "Voyage to Abyssinia." About twenty-five years later appeared "Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia," his most celebrated work. The object of the book is to show that, if all of the physical wants of man were supplied as fast as they arose, still he would be unhappy, because of a spiritual want. He investigates different occupations of man, and discusses them with a profound insight. II. Con-çealed', ar-tif'-i-çerş, forged, en'-e-mies, de-scend'-ed, spē'-cies (-shez), fre-quěnt'-ed, çîr'-euit (-kit), sub'-tile, sŏl'-emn (-čm), ěl'-e-phant, ăn'-nu-al, te'-di-ous-ness, fruit'-ful (frut'-), mu-şi'-cian (-zish'an). III. All words are derived from roots (radicals, or simple uncompounded bases) by modifications through prefixes, suffixes, or internal changes. The prefixes and suffixes, and internal changes, modify or change the original meaning of the root, so as to make it an action-word, a describing-word, nameword, relation-word, manner-word, etc. For example: the prefix wo changes man to woman (fe-min-ine—wife-man); the suffix ly changes man to manly (manlike-a describing-word); and the internal change of a to e changes man to men (singular to plural). To show what possibilities of varied use a root has, let us present the following etymological fancies, which have at least a basis of fact: Take the root gr (cr or kr)—the throat-sounds g or k appear to express cause or origin most frequently; the liquids 1, r, m, and n, express more readily different kinds of moving effect; the dentals d, t, oftenest a dead result or external limitation, and hence occur in demonstratives or pointing-out-words, as this, that, etc. What could be more appropriate than to express by gr, kr, a cause or origin which had a moving effect (i. e., growth of living beings, animal or vegetable)--grow, growth, growing, grown, grass, green (gro-en-hence green, the color of growing plants, and grass, which once meant all plants), grand, and great (that which has grown to a result), grain, granary, germ; then, from the other form of its root, cr (kr), increase, crescent, kernel, corn (the kernel of the body is the heart: cordis in Latin; kardia in Greek-k becomes h, and our word heart has the same derivation as the Latin and Greek words), heart, cordial, acorn (oakcorn), (the grain or corn has a hard, horny covering, and cornu in Latin, = cor, and keras, Greek, mean "horn "), horn, cornute (horn is hard = Greek kartos, which may be from the same root, through kratos, meaning strong, as growth is also the source of strength), create, and its derivatives. In studying language, one is apt to be misled by similarity of sound and meaning. The only scientific certainty that can be reached in this study is by tracing derivation historically, step by step, back through the earlier stages of the languages, to the parent language. Hence we call this study of the root gr an "etymological fancy." It is not presented historically. IV. Policy, antiquity, destined, spacious, cavern, dispute, massy, rivulets, verdure, superfluities, precipice, browse, secured, pastures, frolicking, diversities, resided, seclusion, vacancies, artificers, festivity, harmony, perpetual, competitors. V. Notice the lack of simplicity in the style-the use of long, unusual words to describe very ordinary things. It is an elevation of language rather than of thought. It was considered a mark of elegance and refinement, in Johnson's time, to reject the pithy and strong colloquial phrases as vulgarisms, and to use a stilted vocabulary of semi-Latin words. The sentences, too, must not be short and with single subject and predicate, but long and symmetrical, so as to sound rhythmical. Instead of "made by the smiths of past ages, heavy and difficult to move," he says "forged by the artificers of ancient days, so massy that no man could, without the help of engines, open or shut them" (2). Note, too, the alliteration in this semirhythmical prose: in the 3d paragraph count the f's and v's that occur (a dozen or more in the first sentence). See how (last sentence of paragraph 3) he tells us the simple fact of a river forming the outlet of the lake, passing north through a narrow gorge in the mountains, and descending in cataracts till it reached the plain. Select other examples similar to these, and give the thoughts and ideas in your own language. (For learning to write a good style yourself, and for getting the power to understand readily the style of another, there is no other method so good as this one of paraphrasing.) CV. THE DREAM OF CLARENCE. Brakenbury-Why looks your grace so heavily to-day? So full of ugly sights, of ghastly dreams, I would not spend another such a night, Though 'twere to buy a world of happy days-. Brak.-What was your dream, my lord? I pray you, tell me. Clar.-Methought that I had broken from the Tower, And was embarked to cross to Burgundy, And in my company my brother Gloster; Who from my cabin tempted me to walk Upon the hatches. land, Thence we looked toward Eng And cited up a thousand heavy times, During the wars of York and Lancaster, That had befall'n us. As we passed along Methought that Gloster stumbled; and, in falling, O Heaven! methought what pain it was to drown! Some lay in dead men's skulls; and in those holes Brak. Had you such leisure in the time of death, To gaze upon these secrets of the deep? Clar.-Methought I had; and often did I strive Brak.-Awaked you not with this sore agony? Clar.-No, no! my dream was lengthened after life; The first that there did greet my stranger-soul Seize on him, Furies! Take him to your torments!" Brak. No marvel, lord, that it affrighted you! Clar.-Ah! Brakenbury, I have done these things, That now give evidence against my soul, For Edward's sake; and see how he requites me! Oh, spare my guiltless wife and my poor children! My soul is heavy, and I fain would sleep. Brak.—I will, my lord; God give your grace good rest! [Clarence reposing himself on a chair.] Sorrow breaks seasons and reposing hours, Makes the night morning, and the noontide night. And outward honor for an inward toil; They often feel a world of restless cares: Shakespeare. FOR PREPARATION.-I. Richard III.: date of his reign, and sketch of its chief events. Story of Clarence, as given by Shakespeare in the drama from which this extract is taken. (King Richard III., Act. I., Scene 4.) Explain "the wars of York and Lancaster" (called the "Wars of the Roses.") Who is referred to by "Gloster" ?-by "Warwick"? (the kingmaker)-in "for Edward's sake"? (Edward IV., of York, his brother.) What "perjury" is referred to? (Clarence, though son-in-law of Warwick, had deserted him, and thus broken his oath, when Warwick took the field against Edward IV.) Who was stabbed by Clarence at Tewksbury? (Young Edward of Lancaster, the prince.) What is the "Tower"? Where is Burgundy, and why going thither? (Richard III., here called Gloster, and George, called Clarence, had been placed by their mother under the protection of the Duke of Burgundy when youths, their father, the Duke of York, having been beheaded. It is quite natural that in his dream he should direct his flight thither.) II. Lei'-şure (lēʼzhur), yiēld, seoûrġe (skûrj), nŏtch'-eş, howled. |