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THE DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH.

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his own guards were killed; but upon the whole his loss was very inconsiderable.

The immediate consequence of this victory was the possession of all the country southward as far as the Hermus, and Sardis, the chief town of Lydia, whither he marched.

With the news of this victory, the generalissimo of the Grecian army sent to the several states a portion of the military spoil, gathered on the field of battle, in order to afford them the means of commemorating their joint success against the enemies of their country. To the Athenians he sent three hundred complete suits of Persian armour, which were dedicated to Minerva, their tutelary goddess, and suspended in her temple, with the following inscription, dictated by the conqueror: "Alexander, son of Philip, and the Greeks, excepting the Lacedæmonians, offer these, taken from the barbarians of Asia.".

1. What great battle was fought on this day, B. c. 334?

2. What did the army of Alexander amount to? and with how many Persians had he to contend?

3. What was the immediate consequence of this victory? 4. What did Alexander send to the Athenians?

LESSON CXLIII.

MAY THE TWENTY-THIRD.

The Duke of Marlborough.

On this day, in 1706, was gained a famous victory over the French by the Duke of Marlborough, at Ramilies. The consequence of this victory was the fall of Louvain, Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp, Ostend, Dendermonde, &c. For these successes he not only received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament, but Queen Anne made his titles hereditary in the male and female lines of his daughters. Blenheim House was built to commemorate his victories, and an income of 5000l. from the Post-office was annexed to his title.

With respect to the Duke, his understanding does not appear to have been of that rank which rises to the character of genius, but rather seems to have been marked by plain good sense and natural sagacity, always ready to be brought into action, through the benefit of extraordinary coolness of temper and self-possession. His want of even common literature may be excused, from his early introduction to the study of the world and the courtly arts of preferment; and these served him so well that he

was at no loss in conducting the many and delicate negotiations with which he was charged. His success in these is, by Lord Chesterfield, attributed in a great degree to his exquisite proficiency in the graces, which made him irresistible both to man and woman. It may be added, that the mercenary politics of courts are best managed by the obvious arguments of interest, and do not require the superior talents of an orator or legislator.

His military talents are those on which his fame is most solidly founded. They are perhaps rated higher by his countrymen than by the rest of Europe; though the general who, when matched against the first warriors of his age, won every battle he fought, and took every town he besieged, cannot be denied to have given practical proof, of mastery in his profession. The co-operation of so eminent a man as Prince Eugene must have been of great service to him; nor is it easy in their joint exploits to distinguish the share of praise due to each.

It is remarkable that Frederick the Great, in his poem "On the Art of War," never mentions the Duke of Marlborough. If this was not owing to envy and dislike of the English nation, it probably proceeded from his not considering the Duke as an example of consummate excellence in any single branch of the art.

His moral character was that of a man of the world, who made interest his chief guide.

1. By whom was the battle of Ramilies gained over the French?

2. In what year was the battle fought ?

3. What was the consequence of this victory?

4. For what purpose was Blenheim House built?

LESSON CXLIV.—MAY THE TWENTY-FOURTH.

Edward the Black Prince.

THIS gallant hero obtained the name of the Black Prince on account of the colour of his armour. It was on this day in the year 1359, that he landed at Southwark with his royal captive, John, king of France, whom he had taken prisoner at the battle of Poictiers the preceding

year.

The prince was the eldest son of Edward III. At the age of fifteen he accompanied his father on his invasion of France, and received from him the honour of knight

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hood. He well approved his youthful chivalry at the battle of Cressy, in 1346, when, being placed at the head of the first line of the English, he fought with a valour which gave an example to the bravest men in the army. Being hard pressed, a message was sent to the king, who was posted on an adjacent hill, desiring succour. After being informed that his son was alive and unhurt, "Tell him," said he to the messenger, "that I reserve to him the honour of the day, and confide in his showing himself worthy of the knighthood which he has received." The prince redoubled his efforts, routed the French cavalry, and decided the field. When the battle was over, the king flew into his arms, and gave him the praise his courage had so well merited. It was on this occasion that he assumed the crest of ostrich feathers, and the motto of Ich dien, "I serve," belonging to the slain king of Bohemia, which the princes of Wales have ever since borne.

In 1355 he commanded an army which invaded France from Gascony, and he laid waste the greater part of Languedoc, crossed the Garonne, and brought back a vast spoil, and many prisoners. In the next year he took the field with 12,000 men, and penetrated to the heart of France. He was at length opposed by the King of France himself, at the head of 60,000 men, and was reduced to such a situation for want of provisions that would probably have terminated in a surrender, had the French acted with prudence and moderation. But John's overconfidence brought on a battle, which the skill and bravery of the Black Prince rendered fatal to his adversaries.

In this famous action, fought at Maupertuis, near Poictiers, September 19, 1356, many of the French nobility fell round their king, who was at length obliged to yield himself prisoner. When conducted to the victor's tent, the prince came forth to meet him with every mark of sympathy and respect. He caused a repast to be prepared for him, at which he waited behind his back, refusing to sit down in his presence; and in the whole of his treatment he behaved to him as to a king and a superior, rather than a captive. All the other prisoners experienced the prince's humanity and generosity; and in no instance have the noble manners of chivalry more softened the horrors of war. Edward conducted John to Bourdeaux, and thence brought him over to England. They made their entry together into the metropolis, the French king royally clad, and mounted on a stately white courser, and the Black Prince at his side, riding on a palfrey.

1. Who landed at Southwark on this day, in 1357? and with what prisoner ?

2. What message was sent to the king at the battle of Cressy, respecting Prince Edward?

3. What answer did the king send, when informed that his son was alive and unhurt?

4. What did the king when the battle was over?

LESSON CXLV.-MAY THE TWENTY-FIFTH.

View of Palermo.

PALERMO is the richest and most beautiful city of Sicily, situated in the Val di Mazara, standing on the sea, at the extremity of a plain, which, from its peculiar form and exuberant fertility, is denominated the Vale of the Golden Shell. To a Transalpine eye, unaccustomed to view nature in her wealthiest garb, nothing can present a more alluring spectacle: like an enchanted garden of the East, it is ornamented with the most beautiful flowers and rarest fruit-trees, and strewed with innumerable odoriferous shrubs, the indigenous production of the soil, all of which receive freshness and fertility from a variety of limpid streams that flow from the hills with graceful sinuosities intersecting the vale below; whilst the many palaces and villas of the nobles, which everywhere spangle the plain, yield gaiety and animation to the scene.

In its general outline the town is regular, well-built, and handsome. It is enclosed by a thick, though defenceless wall, intersected at right angles by the two principal streets, upwards of a mile in length, called the Cassaro and Maqueda, but more commonly known as the Corso and Strada Nuova, which are terminated by four gates, with an octangular piazza. The Cassaro is the finest and most fashionable, as communicating with the palace; consequently made the corso or promenade; and is, like the Toledo of Naples, every day, after dinner, crowded with an incongruous group of characters of all nations and ranks, on foot, on horseback, or sitting, with an assumed stateliness, in any vehicle they can conscientiously dignify with the appellation of carozza.

The town is extremely populous, containing nearly two hundred thousand inhabitants, and exhibits all the bustle, din, and confusion of its sister capital. It is particularly orderly by night, and the only one in Sicily well lighted at the public expense. The architecture is more remark

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able for its strength than beauty, partaking much of that heavy style of the middle ages, with one peculiar characteristic, the remains, no doubt, of Moorish taste, namely, a semicircular latticed guard, projecting from high attics, and seeming to form part of a heavy entablature. An abundant supply of water contributes to the health and cleanliness of the town, issuing from the copious streams of jets d'eau and fountains, the principal of which adorns the square in front of the Prætorian palace.

The public buildings are numerous, among which are many liberal institutions; but a description of them we must necessarily omit. The Porta Felice, a richly ornamented piece of modern architecture, opens from the Cassaro to the drive along the shore, called the Marina, which is undeniably one of the most beautiful drives or walks to be met with in Italy, excelling even the celebrated charms of the attractive Chiaja at Naples. It is protected, to the right and left, by luxuriant umbrageous trees, with the glittering waves of the Tyrrhene Sea on one side, and the ivied walls of the town on the other; above which a long range of palaces stands towering with aristocratic pride to contrast their splendid magnificence. Here it is the whole populace of Palermo assemble during the evenings of the warmer seasons, to enjoy the refreshing luxury of the sea-breeze, indulging, to a late hour, in the innocent gratifications that Punch, puppets, music, or. amicable conversaziones can provide. At the eastern extremity is the Flora, -the Kensington Gardens of Palermo, which exhibits, in its plan, considerable taste as well as beauty: parterres of the choicest flowers extend in every direction to gratify the florist's science, or regale the loungers with their odoriferous sweets; elegantlyformed bowers offer shade and repose to the weary; treelaced avenues, overarched by the spreading boughs of the citron, lemon, and orange, invite the amatory pair to their pleasant retreats; whilst, in a more secluded part, enclosed by appropriate characteristic trees of mourning, the literary enthusiast may contemplate the marbled epitaphs of some of the most renowned philosophers of Greece and Rome.

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1. Where is Palermo situated?

2. What is meant by a Transalpine eye?

3. By what names are the two principal streets in Palermo commonly known?

4. How many inhabitants does the town contain ?

5. For what is its architecture remarkable?

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