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CHAP. VIII.

The Piedmontese and his Marmot.

1. Moor-lands, s. pl. watery grounds.

Marmot, a. the mountain rat, about the size of a rabbit.

3. Frisk, s. to leap about with nimbleness.

4. Ram'-bled, pret. wandered, without any fixed determination of settling.

France, s. a large and populous country in Europe, containing about 33 millions of inhabitants. Its capital is Paris.

Droop, v. to grow faint, weak, or dispirited.

Drow-sy, a. strongly inclined to sleep.

Pine, v. to languish with any kind of misery.

1. FROM my dear native moorlands, for many a day, Thro'* fields and thro' cities I'vet wander'd

away;

Tho' I merrily sing, forlorn is my lot;

I'm a poor Piedmontese, and I show my marmot'.

2. This pretty marmot by a mountain's steep side Made a burrow, himself and his young ones to hide :

The bottom they cover'd with moss and with hay, And stopp'd up the entrance, and snugly they lay.

3. They carelessly slept till the cold winter blast, And the hail and the deep drifting snow-show'r were past;

* When one or more letters are cut off from the end of a word it is written in Apocope. (pro. A-pok-'o-pe.)

The letters ha are cut off by the figure Apheresis.

Observe, that the accent on this word is on the first syllable in every situation except in rhyme, this being a poetical license, or a liberty used in verse.

But the warblings of April* awake them again,
To crop the young plants and to frisk on the plain.

4. Then I caught the poor fellow, and taught him to dance,

And we liv'd by his tricks as we rambled through
France;

But he droops and grows drowsy as onward we

roam,

And he and his master both pine for their home.

5. Let your charity then hasten back to his cot The poor Piedmontese, with his harmless marmot.

CHAP. IX.

To a Young Lady with a Watch.

1. Toy, s. a small commodity, a mere trifle.†

Ra"-pid, a. swift, impetuous.

2. Bless ́-ing, s. the divine favour; any means or cause of happiness. Re-store, v. to give or bring that which is lost, wasted, or taken away.

3. E-ter-ni-ty, s. duration without end.

4. Hea"-ven, s. the place where all good people go after death; (the regions above the sky).

1. WHILE this gay toy attracts thy sight,
Thy reason let it warn;

And seize, my dear, that rapid time,
That never can return.

Warblings of April (figuratively) mean the commencement of Spring, being the time when birds begin to warble or sing.

+In the piece, the watch is called a toy, as a thing of no value, in comparison with eternal happiness.

2. If idly lost, no art or care
The blessing can restore;

And Heav'n requires a strict account
For every mispent hour.

3. Short is our longest day of life,
And soon its prospect ends;
Yet on that day's uncertain date
Eternity depends.

4. Yet equal to our being's aim,
The space to virtue giv'n;
And ev'ry minute well improv'd,
Secures an age in Heav'n.

MRS. CARTER.

CHAP. X.

Thoughts on New Year's Day, written in 1782.

2. Mor'-tal, a. deadly, subject to death.

3. Po"-ver-ty, s. that situation of fortune opposed to riches, in which we are deprived of the conveniences of life.

Wealth, s. riches, opulence.

4. Sea -son, s. a period of time. One of the four parts of the year. Re"-gis-ter-ed, pret. recorded, written down in the register or book. 5. Pre-ci-ous, a. valuable, of great worth.

Way'-ward, a. perverse, froward, peevish.

Pas'-si-ons, s. pl. any emotion of the soul, arising from the manner in which it considers things as amiable or hurtful, is called a passion; such as anger, love, fury, zeal, lust, &c. &e. 6. Fi-nal, a. that in which a thing terminates or ends. Ex-pi're, v. to perish, to finish or terminate.

7. Aw'-ful, a. that which causes respect joined with terror or fear, on account of its dignity or authority.

1. SEVENTEEN hundred eighty-one

Is now for ever past;
Seventeen hundred eighty-two
Will fly away as fast.

2. But whether life's uncertain scene
Shall hold an equal pace;

Or whether death shall come between,
And end my mortal race;

3. Or whether sickness, pain, or health,
My future lot shall be ;
Or whether poverty or wealth,

Is all unknown to me.

4. One thing I know, that needful 'tis
To watch with careful eye :
Since ev'ry season spent amiss
Is register'd on high.

5. Too well I know what precious hours.
My wayward passions waste!
And oh! I find my mortal pow'rs
To dust and darkness haste.

6. Earth rolls her rapid seasons round,
To meet her final fire;
But virtue is with glory crown'd,
Though suns* and stars expire.

7. What awful thoughts! what truth sublime!
What useful lessons these!
Oh! let me well improve my time!
Oh! let me die in peace!.

* Suns-fixed stars. The astronomers suppose these stars to be of the same nature with the sun, shining with their own native light, and only diminished in appearance by the immense distance they are from us.

PART III.

MORAL LESSONS, AND INSTRUCTIVE MAXIMS.

CHAP. I.

Rules for acquiring Knowledge.

1. Fa"-cul-ties, s. pl. the powers of the mind, whether imagination, memory or reason.

3. Ig-no-rance, s. want of knowledge and instruction.

Cul-ti-va-tion, s. the art of improving the understanding by education and study. (The art of improving soils by husbandry.) 5. In-es'-ti-ma-ble, a. so valuable as to exceed all price.

6. Hu-man, a. belonging to, or like man.

7. Survey, s. a view. (Measure.)

Re-gi-on, s. sphere, space. (A tract of country.)

9. De-no"-mi-nate, v. to name.

12. Ho"-ver, v. to wander about one place.

Sur-face, s. the outside.

14. Dog-ma"-ti-cal, a. strongly attached to any particular notion or

thing.

15. Re-tract, v. to recal, to recant.

17. Sa-ered, a. holy.

19. In-tel-lec'-tual, a. relating to the mind.

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1. KNOWLEDGE denotes learning, or the improvement of our faculties by reading, experience, or the acquiring new ideas or truths; by seeing a variety of objects, and making observations upon them in our own minds. 2. No man, says the admirable Dr, Watts, is obliged to learn and know every thing; this can neither be sought nor required, for it is utterly impossible: yet all persons are under some obligation to improve their own understand

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