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Better to hide from the Indian scouts the graves of

our people,

65

Lest they should count them and see how many

already have perished!"

Sadly his face he averted, and strode up and down, and was thoughtful.

Fixed to the opposite wall was a shelf of books, and among them

Prominent three, distinguished alike for bulk and for binding;

Bariffe's Artillery Guide, and the Commentaries of

Cæsar,

70

Out of the Latin translated by Arthur Goldinge of

London,

And, as if guarded by these, between them was standing the Bible.

Musing a moment before them, Miles Standish paused, as if doubtful

Which of the three he should choose for his consolation and comfort,

permitted, this place was sown with wheat to prevent the Indians from learning how weak the colony was growing by counting the graves.

70 Commentaries of Cæsar: what was the subject of these Commentaries?

71 Arthur Goldinge: the translator of many classical works.

Whether the wars of the Hebrews, the famous cam

paigns of the Romans,

75

Or the Artillery practice, designed for belligerent
Christians.

Finally down from its shelf he dragged the ponderous

Roman,

Seated himself at the window, and opened the book, and in silence

Turned o'er the well-worn leaves, where thumb-marks thick on the margin,

Like the trample of feet, proclaimed the battle was

hottest.

80

Nothing was heard in the room but the hurrying pen of the stripling,

Busily writing epistles important, to go by the May-
flower,

Ready to sail on the morrow, or next day at latest,
God willing!

Homeward bound with the tidings of all that terrible
winter,

75 In what period of their history occurred "the wars of the Hebrews"?

79, 80 Explain the meaning of these lines.

83 The Mayflower sailed on her return voyage April 15, 1621. How old was the colony then?

84 Terrible winter: terrible from the bereavements and priva

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Letters written by Alden, and full of the name of

Priscilla,

85

Full of the name and the fame of the Puritan maiden Priscilla !

II

LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP

Nothing was heard in the room but the hurrying pen of the stripling,

Or an occasional sigh from the laboring heart of the Captain,

Reading the marvellous words and achievements of Julius Cæsar.

After a while he exclaimed, as he smote with his hand, palm downwards,

90

Heavily on the page: "A wonderful man was this

Cæsar!

You are a writer, and I am a fighter, but here is a fellow

tions they suffered in trying to make a home in an unsettled country. But the season itself was a mild one for New

England.

85 Priscilla: see the sketch of the poem in the preface. 89 Bring into class a sketch of Julius Cæsar.

Who could both write and fight, and in both was equally skilful!"

Straightway answered and spake John Alden, the comely, the youthful:

"Yes, he was equally skilled, as you say, with his pen and his weapons.

95

Somewhere have I read, but where I forget, he could dictate

Seven letters at once, at the same time writing his memoirs."

"Truly," continued the Captain, not heeding or hearing the other,

100

Truly a wonderful man was Caius Julius Cæsar! Better be first, he said, in a little Iberian village, Than be second in Rome, and I think he was right when he said it.

Twice was he married before he was twenty, and many times after;

Battles five hundred he fought, and a thousand cities he conquered;

100 It is told of Cæsar that as he was once marching through a wretched little village of barbarians and there arose some mocking comment among his companions about there being no canvassing for office there, he remarked that for his part he would rather be first there than second even in Rome. Standish evidently agrees with him. What do you think of the sentiment?

He, too, fought in Flanders, as he himself has recorded; 'Finally he was stabbed by his friend, the orator Brutus !

105

Now, do you know what he did on a certain occasion in Flanders,

When the rear-guard of his army retreated, the front giving way too,

And the immortal Twelfth Legion was crowded so closely together

There was no room for their swords?/Why, he seized a shield from a soldier,

Put himself straight at the head of his troops, and commanded the captains,

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Calling on each by his name, to order forward the ensigns;

104 Can you give the name of a famous man connected with the Virginia colony who also fought in Flanders?

Flanders: a county of the Low Countries or the Netherlands (now Holland and Belgium) where war was waged with Spain. The seven counties which continued the war until they gained their independence made up the modern Holland.

106 Flanders: in the time of Cæsar, Flanders and the rest of what is now Belgium were not divided from France, and the Romans called the whole country Gaul. This part of it was occupied by the Belgi whom Cæsar considers "the bravest of all the Gauls."

108 Legion: a division of the Roman army consisting of about five thousand men. The Twelfth Legion was Cæsar's favorite. 111 What would be the effect of this order when executed?

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