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great dignitaries, and by the brothers and sons of the King. Last of all came the Prince of Wales, conspicuous by his fine person and noble bearing.' The grey old walls were hung with scarlet. The long galleries were crowded by an audience2 such as rarely excited3 the fears or the emulation of an orator. There were gathered together from all parts of a great, free, enlightened, and prosperous empire, grace and female loveliness, wit and learning, the representatives of every science and of every art. There were seated round the queen the fairhaired young daughters of the House of Brunswick." There the ambassadors of great kings and commonwealths gazed with admiration on a spectacle which no other country in the world could present. There Siddons, in the prime of her majestic beauty, looked with emotion on a scene surpassing all the imitations of the stage. There the historian of the Roman empire thought of the days when Cicero pleaded the cause of Sicily against Verres, and when, before a senate which still retained some show of freedom, Tacitus thundered against the oppressor of Africa. There were seen, side by side,9 the greatest painter and the greatest scholar of the age.10

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1 Last of all came the Prince of Wales, conspicuous by his fine person and noble bearing, Le prince de Galles venait le dernier, remarquable par la beauté de sa personne et par sa noble attitude. -2 Audience, Auditoire.-3 Such as has rarely excited, Tel qu'il s'en trouva rarement de semblable pour exciter.- Great, Vaste.— 5 The fair-haired young daughters of the house of Brunswick, Les jeunes princesses de la maison de Brunswick avec leurs blonds cheveux.-6 Commonwealth, République.- In the prime, Dans toute la fleur.-8 See § 30, 5.-9 There were seen, side by side, Là, on voyait assis, l'un à côté de l'autre.-10 The greatest scholar of the age, Le plus grand érudit de l'époque.

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The spectacle had allured Reynolds from that easel which has preserved to us the thoughtful foreheads of so many writers and statesmen, and the sweet smiles of so many noble matrons.2 It had induced Parr to suspend his labours in that dark and profound mine from which he had extracted a vast treasure of erudition, a treasure too often buried in the earth, too often paraded with injudicious and inelegant ostentation, but still precious, massive, and splendid. There appeared the voluptuous charms of her to whom the heir of the throne had in secret plighted his faith." There too was she, the beautiful mother of a beautiful race, the Saint Cecilia whose delicate features, lighted up by love and music, art has rescued from the common decay.10 There were the members of that brilliant society which quoted, criticised, and exchanged repartees, under the rich peacockhangings" of Mrs. Montague. And there the ladies whose lips, more persuasive than those of Fox himself, had carried the Westminster election against palace 12 and treasury, shone round Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire."

MACAULAY. 1800-1859.

1 Had allured Reynolds from, Avait fait quitter à Reynolds.— 2 Matrons, Dames.-3 It had induced Parr, Il avait engagé Parr.* Extracted, Tiré.—5 Injudicious and inelegant, Sans jugement et sans goût.—6 Still, Cependant.-7 Plighted his faith, Engagé sa foi.

She, Cette beauté.-9 Lighted up, Illuminés.—10 Art has rescued from the common decay, Ort été dérobés par l'art à la destruction commune. The rich peacock-hangings, Les riches tentures en plumes de paon.-12 Against palace, En dépit de la cour.

XV. THE BROKEN FLOWER-POT.

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My father was seated on the lawn before the house, his straw hat over his eyes (it was summer), and his book on his lap. Suddenly a beautiful Delft blue-and-white flower-pot, which had been set on the window-sill of an upper story, fell to the ground with a crash, and the fragments spluttered up round my father's legs.2 Sublime in his studies, as Archimedes in the siege, he continued to read. Immpavidu ferient ruina!

"Dear, dear!” cried my mother, who was at work in the porch; "my poor flower-pot, that I prized so much! who could have done this? Primmins, Primmins!

Mrs. Primmins popped her head out of the fatal window, nodded to the summons,5 and came down in a trice, pale and breathless.

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“Oh!" said my mother mournfully, "I would rather have lost all the plants in the greenhouse in the great blight last May-I would rather the best teasel were broken! The poor geranium I reared myself, and the dear, dear flower-pot which Mr. Caxton bought for me my last birthday! that naughty child must have done this!'

Mrs. Primmins was dreadfully afraid of my father, -why, I know not, except that very talkative social"

1 Delft, En faïence de Delft.—2 Spluttered up round my father's legs, S'éparpillèrent aux pieds de mon père.-3 Sublime in his studies, Transporté dans une autre sphère par ses études.- Dear, dear! Miséricorde !5 Nodded to the summons, Répondit à cet appel.—6 I would rather have lost, J'aurais préféré perdre.-7 Social, Communicatif.

persons are usually afraid of very silent shy ones.1 She cast a hasty glance at her master, who was beginning to evince signs of attention, and cried promptly, "No, ma'am, it was not the dear boy-it was I!"

"You! How could you be so careless? and you knew how I prized them both. O Primmins!"

Primmins began to sob.

"Don't tell fibs," nursey," said a small shrill voice; and Master Sisty (coming out of the house as bold as brass) continued rapidly, "don't scold Primmins, mamma; it was I who pushed out the flower-pot.'

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"Hush!" said nurse, more frightened than ever, and looking aghast towards my father, who had very deliberately taken off his hat," and was regarding the scene with serious eyes wide-awake."

"Hush! And if he did break it, ma'am, it was quite an accident; he was standing so, and he never meant it, did you, Master Sisty? Speak" (this in a whisper 9), or pa will be so angry."

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Well," said my mother, "I suppose it was an accident; take care in future, my child. You are sorry, I see, to have grieved me. There's a kiss; don't fret."

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'No, mamma, you must not kiss me; I don't deserve it. I pushed out the flower-pot on purpose."

1 Of very silent shy ones, De ceux qui sont fort silencieux et réservés. And you knew how I prized them both, Et vous saviez combien j'y tenais.-3 Don't tell fibs, Ne dis donc pas de menteries (childish and familiar expression instead of mensonges).—1 As bold as brass, Hardi comme un page.-5 Who had very deliberately taken off his hat, Qui s'était décidé à retirer son chapeau.—6 Wide-awake, Tout grands ouverts.-7 He was standing so, Il était là tout à côté. -3 And he never meant it, Et il ne l'a pas fait exprès.-9 This in a whisper, Ajouta-t-elle tout bas.

"Ha! and why?" said my father, walking up.1 Mrs. Primmins trembled like a leaf.

"For fun!" said I, hanging my head-"just to see how you'd look,2 papa; and that's the truth of it. Now beat me, do beat me."

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My father threw his book fifty yards off, stooped. down, and caught me to his breast. "Boy," he said, "you have done wrong; you shall repair it by remembering all your life that your father blessed God for giving him a son who spoke truth in spite of fear. Oh! Mrs. Primmins, the next fable of this kind you try to1 teach him, and we part for ever."

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Not long after that event, Mr. Squills, who often made me little presents, gave me one far exceeding in value those usually bestowed on children-it was a beautiful large domino-box in cut ivory, painted and gilt. This domino-box was my delight. I was never weary of playing at dominoes with Mrs. Primmins, and I slept with the box under my pillow.

"Ah!" said my father one day when he found me ranging the ivory parallelograms in the parlour, “ah! you like that better than all your playthings, eh?

"Ah! yes, papa."

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"You would be very sorry if your mamma was to throw that box out of the window and break it for fun." I looked beseechingly at my father, and made no

answer.

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1 Walking up, En s'approchant.-2 To see how you'd look, Pour voir quelle figure vous feriez.-3 Fifty yards off, Loin de lui.— The next fable of this kind you try to, A la première histoire pareille que vous essaierez de.-5 Not long after, Peu de temps après.6 Beseechingly, D'un air suppliant.

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