Book: The Ontario Readers: The High School Reader, 1886

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=The Ontario Readers.=


THE
HIGH SCHOOL READER.


AUTHORIZED FOR USE IN THE PUBLIC AND HIGH SCHOOLS
AND COLLEGIATE INSTITUTES OF ONTARIO BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.


Toronto:
ROSE PUBLISHING COMPANY.
1886.




_Entered according to Act of Parliament of Canada, in the year one
thousand eight hundred and eighty-six, by the_ MINISTER OF EDUCATION
_for Ontario, in the Office of the Minister of Agriculture._


PRINTED AND BOUND BY
HUNTER, ROSE & CO.,
TORONTO.




PREFACE.


The selections in the HIGH SCHOOL READER have been chosen with the
belief that to pupils of such advancement as is required for entrance
into High Schools and Collegiate Institutes, oral reading should be
taught from the best literature, inasmuch as it not only affords a wide
range of thought and sentiment, but it also demands for its appropriate
vocal interpretation such powers of sympathy and appreciation as are
developed only by culture; and it is to impart culture that these
institutions of higher learning have been established.

Experience has shown that it is from their ordinary reading books that
pupils obtain their chief practical acquaintance with literature, and
the selections here presented have been made with this in remembrance.
They have been taken from the writings of authors of acknowledged
representative character; and they have been arranged for the most part
chronologically, so that pupils may unconsciously obtain some little
insight into the history of the development of the literary art. They
have also been so chosen as to convey a somewhat fair idea of the
relative value and productivity of authorship in the three great
English-speaking communities of the world--the mother countries, our
neighbours' country, and our own.

While a limited space, if nothing else, prevents the collection here
made from being a complete anthology, yet it does pretend to represent
the authors selected in characteristic moods, and (in so far as is
possible in a school book, and a reading text-book) to present a
somewhat fair perspective of the world of authorship. It may be said
that, if this be so, some names are conspicuously absent: McGee,
Canada's poet-orator; Parkman, who has given to our country a place in
the portraiture of nations; William Morris, the chief of the modern
school of romanticism; Tyndall, who of the literature of science has
made an art; Lamb, daintiest of humorists; Collins, "whose range of
flight," as Swinburne says, "was the highest of his generation." Either
from lack of space, or from some inherent unsuitableness in such
selections as might otherwise have been made, it was found impossible
to represent these names worthily; but as they are all more or less
adequately represented in the _Fourth Reader_, the teacher who may wish
to correct the perspective here presented may refer his pupils to the
pieces from these authors there given. It may be added, too, that
the body of recent literature is so enormous, that no adequate
representation of it (at any rate as regards quantity) is possible
within the limits of one book.

The selections in poetry, with but three necessary exceptions, are
complete wholes, and represent, as fairly as single pieces can, the
respective merits and styles of their authors. The selections in prose
cannot, of course, lay claim to this excellence; but they are all
complete in themselves, or have been made so by short introductions; and
it is hoped that they too are not unfairly representative of their
authors. In many cases they are of somewhat unusual length; by this,
however, they gain in interest and in representative character.

In some of the prose selections, passages have occasionally been
omitted, either because they interfered with the main narrative, or
because, as they added nothing to it, to omit them would be a gain of
space. In most cases these omissions are indicated by small asterisks.

All the selections, both in prose and in verse, have been made with
constant reference to their suitableness for the teaching of reading.
They are fitted to exemplify every mode of expression, except, perhaps,
that appropriate to a few of the stronger passions. It is not pretended
that they are all simple and easy. Many of them will require much
study and preparation before they can be read with that precision of
expression which is necessary to perfect intelligibility. The
chronological arrangement precludes grading; the teacher will decide
in what order the selections are to be read.

The introductory chapter is mainly intended to assist the teacher in
imparting to his pupils a somewhat scientific knowledge of the art of
reading. Of course the teacher will choose for himself his mode of
dealing with the chapter, but it has been written with the thought that
he should use it as a convenient series of texts, which he might expand
and illustrate in accordance with his opportunities and judgment.
Examples for illustration are indispensable to the successful study of
the principles described, and they should be sought for and obtained by
the teacher and pupils together (whenever possible they should be taken
from the READER), and should be kept labeled for reference and practice.
If the application of these principles be thus practically made by the
pupils themselves, they will receive a much more lasting impression of
their meaning and value than if the examples were given to them at no
cost of thought or search on their part.

To the teacher it is recommended that he should not be contented with
the short and necessarily imperfect exposition of the art of reading
therein given. The more familiar he is with the scientific principles
the more successfully will he be able to direct the studies and
practices of his pupils. Works on elocution are numerous and accessible.
Dr. Rush's _Philosophy of the Voice_ is perhaps the foundation of all
subsequent good work in the exposition of voice culture. Professor
Murdoch's _Analytic Elocution_ is an exhaustive and scholarly treatise
based upon it, and to the plan of treatment therein fully developed the
practical part of the introductory chapter has largely conformed.

The pleasing task remains of thanking those authors who have so kindly
responded to requests for permission to use selections from their works:
to President Wilson, for a sonnet from _Spring Wild Roses_, and for _Our
Ideal_; to Mr. Charles Sangster, for two sonnets from _Hesperus_; to Mr.
John Reade, for two poems from _The Prophecy of Merlin_; to Mr. Charles
Mair, for the scenes from _Tecumseh_; and to Professor C. G. D. Roberts,
for _To Winter_.

To Miss A. T. Jones, thanks are due for permission to use _Abigail
Becker_, recently published in the _Century Magazine_. The heroic acts
described in this poem seem so wonderful, so greatly superior to woman's
strength, even to human strength and endurance, to accomplish, that were
it possible to doubt its truthfulness, doubt one certainly would.
Nevertheless the poem is not only strictly in accordance with the facts,
it is even within and below them.




CONTENTS.

_(The Titles of the Selections in Poetry are printed in Italics.)_


NUMBER. TITLE. AUTHOR. PAGE.

I. King Solomon's Prayer and Blessing at the
Dedication of the Temple. HOLY BIBLE 33

II. Invitation. HOLY BIBLE 39

III. _The Trial Scene in the "Merchant of
Venice."_ SHAKESPEARE 40

IV. Of Boldness. BACON 53

V. _To Daffodils._ HERRICK 55

VI. Of Contentedness in all Estates and
Accidents. TAYLOR 56

VII. _To Lucasta, on Going to the Wars._ LOVELACE 61

VIII. Angling. WALTON 62

IX. _On the Morning of Christ's Nativity._ MILTON 67

X. Character of Lord Falkland. CLARENDON 76

XI. _Veni, Creator Spiritus._ DRYDEN 81

XII. _Lines printed under the Portrait of
Milton._ DRYDEN 82

XIII. _Reason_ DRYDEN 83

XIV. On the Love of Country as a Principle of
Action. STEELE 83

XV. The Golden Scales. ADDISON 88

XVI. Misjudged Hospitality. SWIFT 93

XVII. _From the "Essay on Man."_ POPE 96

XVIII. _Rule, Britannia._ THOMSON 101

XIX. The First Crusade. HUME 102

XX. _The Bard._ GRAY 111

XXI. On an Address to the Throne concerning
Affairs in America. CHATHAM 116

XXII. From "The Vicar of Wakefield." GOLDSMITH 127

XXIII. Meeting of Johnson with Wilkes. BOSWELL 133

XXIV. The Policy of the Empire in the First
Century. GIBBON 142

XXV. On the Attacks upon his Pension. BURKE 147

XXVI. Two Eighteenth Century Scenes. COWPER 155

XXVII. From "The School for Scandal." SHERIDAN 159

XXVIII. _The Cotter's Saturday Night._ BURNS 171

XXIX. _The Land o' the Leal._ LADY NAIRN 177

XXX. The Trial by Combat at the Diamond of
the Desert. SCOTT 179

XXXI. _To a Highland Girl._ WORDSWORTH 202

XXXII. _France: an Ode._ COLERIDGE 205

XXXIII. _Complaint and Reproof._ COLERIDGE 208

XXXIV. _The Well of St. Keyne._ SOUTHEY 209

XXXV. _The Isles of Greece._ BYRON 211

XXXVI. _Go where Glory Waits Thee._ MOORE 214

XXXVII. _Dear Harp of My Country._ MOORE 215

XXXVIII. _Come, ye Disconsolate._ MOORE 216

XXXIX. _On a Lock of Milton's Hair._ HUNT 217

XL. _The Glove and the Lions._ HUNT 217

XLI. _The Cloud._ SHELLEY 219

XLII. _On First Looking into Chapman's Homer._ KEATS 222

XLIII. _On the Grasshopper and the Cricket._ KEATS 222

XLIV. The Power and Danger of the Caesars. DE QUINCEY 223

XLV. Unthoughtfulness. DR. ARNOLD 227

XLVI. _The Bridge of Sighs._ HOOD 234

XLVII. _A Parental Ode to my Son._ HOOD 237

XLVIII. Metaphysics. HALIBURTON 239

XLIX. _Indian Summer._ LOVER 246

L. _To Helen._ PRAED 246

LI. _Horatius._ MACAULAY 247

LII. _The Raven._ POE 258

LIII. David Swan--A Fantasy. HAWTHORNE 262

LIV. _My Kate._ MRS. BROWNING 270

LV. _A Dead Rose._ MRS. BROWNING 271

LVI. _To the Evening Wind._ BRYANT 272

LVII. Death of the Protector. CARLYLE 274

LVIII. _Each and All._ EMERSON 282

LIX. Waterloo. LEVER 284

LX. _The Diver._ LYTTON 294

LXI. The Plague of Locusts. NEWMAN 299

LXII. _The Cane-bottom'd Chair._ THACKERAY 306

LXIII. The Reconciliation. THACKERAY 308

LXIV. _The Island of the Scots._ AYTOUN 315

LXV. The Gambling Party. BEACONSFIELD 321

LXVI. The Pickwickians Disport themselves on Ice. DICKENS 327

LXVII. _The Hanging of the Crane._ LONGFELLOW 336

LXVIII. Earthworms. DARWIN 342

LXIX. "_As Ships, Becalmed at Eve._" CLOUGH 346

LXX. _Duty._ CLOUGH 347

LXXI. _Sonnets._ HEAVYSEGE 349

LXXII. Dr. Arnold at Rugby. DEAN STANLEY 350

LXXIII. _Ode to the North-east Wind._ KINGSLEY 354

LXXIV. From "The Mill on the Floss." GEORGE ELIOT 356

LXXV. _The Cloud Confines._ ROSSETTI 359

LXXVI. _Barbara Frietchie._ WHITTIER 361

LXXVII. _Contentment._ HOLMES 364

LXXVIII. The British Constitution. GLADSTONE 367

LXXIX. _The Lord of Burleigh._ TENNYSON 370

LXXX. "_Break, Break, Break._" TENNYSON 373

LXXXI. _The "Revenge"._ TENNYSON 373

LXXXII. _Herve Riel._ BROWNING 378

LXXXIII. _Sonnet._ DR. WILSON 383

LXXXIV. _Our Ideal._ DR. WILSON 383

LXXXV. From the Apology of Socrates. JOWETT 384

LXXXVI. The Empire of the Caesars. FROUDE 389

LXXXVII. Of the Mystery of Life. RUSKIN 390

LXXXVIII. The Robin. LOWELL 397

LXXXIX. _The Old Cradle._ LOCKER 400

XC. _Rugby Chapel._ MATT. ARNOLD 401

XCI. _In the Orillia Woods._ SANGSTER 408

XCII. Morals and Character in the Eighteenth
Century. GOLDWIN SMITH 409

XCIII. A Liberal Education. HUXLEY 412

XCIV. _Too Late._ MRS. CRAIK 416

XCV. _Amor Mundi._ MISS ROSSETTI 417

XCVI. _Toujours Amour._ STEDMAN 418

XCVII. _England._ ALDRICH 419

XCVIII. _Rococo._ ALDRICH 420

XCIX. _Kings of Men._ JOHN READE 420

C. _Thalatta! Thalatta!_ JOHN READE 421

CI. _The Forsaken Garden._ SWINBURNE 422

CII. _A Ballad To Queen Elizabeth
of the Spanish Armada._ DOBSON 424

CIII. _Circe._ DOBSON 426

CIV. _Scenes from "Tecumseh."_ MAIR 426

CV. _The Return of the Swallows._ GOSSE 437

CVI. _Dawn Angels._ MISS ROBINSON 438

CVII. _Le Roi Est Mort._ MISS ROBINSON 439

CVIII. _To Winter._ ROBERTS 440

CIX. _Abigail Becker._ MISS JONES 442




SHORT EXTRACTS.


FIRST LINES. AUTHOR. PAGE.

He that cannot see well BACON 54

_Stone walls do not a prison make_ LOVELACE 55

When the heart is right BERKELEY 87

_It must be so--Plato, thou reasonest well_ ADDISON 92

_England, with all thy faults, I love thee still_ COWPER 154

_Now stir the fire, and close the shutters fast_ COWPER 158

_Oh, wad some power the giftie gie us_ BURNS 170

_Life! we've been long together_ MRS. BARBAULD 178

_Rough wind, that moanest loud_ SHELLEY 218

_There is a book, who runs may read_ KEBLE 233

_There is no great and no small_ EMERSON 245

_Wellington, Thy great work is but begun_ ROSSETTI 293

_Sacrifice and self-devotion_ LORD HOUGHTON 320

_Flower in the crannied wall_ TENNYSON 366

_It fortifies my soul to know_ CLOUGH 369

_And yet, dear heart! remembering thee_ WHITTIER 372

_There is no land like England_ TENNYSON 377

_The Summum Pulchrum rests in heaven above_ CLOUGH 382

Be of good cheer then, my dear Crito SOCRATES 388

_What know we greater than the soul_ TENNYSON 407

_That is best blood that hath most iron in't_ LOWELL 411

_Such kings of shreds have woo'd and won her_ ALDRICH 419




INDEX OF AUTHORS.


NAME. PAGE.

ADDISON, JOSEPH 88, 92

ALDRICH, THOMAS BAILEY 419, 420

ARNOLD, MATTHEW 401

ARNOLD, THOMAS 227

AYTOUN, WM. EDMONDSTOUNE 315


BACON, LORD (FRANCIS) 53, 54

BARBAULD, ANNA LAETITIA 178

BEACONSFIELD, LORD (BENJAMIN DISRAELI) 321

BERKELEY, BISHOP (GEORGE) 87

BIBLE, THE HOLY 33, 39

BOSWELL, JAMES 133

BROWNING, ELIZABETH BARRETT 270, 271

BROWNING, ROBERT 378

BRYANT, WILLIAM CULLEN 272

BURKE, EDMUND 147

BURNS, ROBERT 170, 171

BYRON, LORD (GEORGE GORDON NOEL) 211


CARLYLE, THOMAS 274

CHATHAM, LORD (WM. PITT) 116

CLARENDON, LORD 76

CLOUGH, ARTHUR HUGH 346, 347, 369, 382

COLERIDGE, SAMUEL TAYLOR 205, 208

COWPER, WILLIAM 154, 155, 158

CRAIK, DINAH MARIA MULOCK 416


DARWIN, CHARLES 342

DE QUINCEY, THOMAS 223

DICKENS, CHARLES 327

DOBSON, AUSTIN 424, 426

DRYDEN, JOHN 81, 82, 83


ELIOT, GEORGE (MARIAN EVANS CROSS) 356

EMERSON, RALPH WALDO 245, 282


FROUDE, JAMES ANTHONY 389


GIBBON, EDWARD 142

GLADSTONE, WILLIAM EWART 367

GOLDSMITH, OLIVER 127

GOSSE, EDMUND WILLIAM 437

GRAY, THOMAS 111


HALIBURTON, THOMAS CHANDLER 239

HAWTHORNE, NATHANIEL 262

HEAVYSEGE, CHARLES 349

HERRICK, ROBERT 55

HOLMES, OLIVER WENDELL 364

HOOD, THOMAS 234, 237

HOUGHTON, LORD (RICHARD MONCKTON MILNES) 320

HUME, DAVID 102

HUNT, LEIGH 217

HUXLEY, THOMAS HENRY 412


JONES, AMANDA T. 412

JOWETT, BENJAMIN 384


KEATS, JOHN 222

KEBLE, JOHN 233

KINGSLEY, CHARLES 354


LEVER, CHARLES JAMES 284

LOCKER, FREDERICK 400

LONGFELLOW, HENRY WADSWORTH 336

LOVELACE, RICHARD 55, 61

LOVER, SAMUEL 246

LOWELL, JAMES RUSSELL 397, 411

LYTTON, LORD (EDWARD BULWER) 294


MACAULAY, LORD (THOMAS BABINGTON) 247

MAIR, CHARLES 426

MILTON, JOHN 67

MOORE, THOMAS 214, 215, 216


NAIRN, BARONESS (CAROLINA OLIPHANT) 177

NEWMAN, CARDINAL (JOHN HENRY) 299


POE, EDGAR ALLAN 258

POPE, ALEXANDER 96

PRAED, WINTHROP MACKWORTH 246


READE, JOHN 420, 421

ROBERTS, CHARLES GEORGE DOUGLAS 440

ROBINSON, A. MARY F. 438, 439

ROSSETTI, CHRISTINA GEORGINA 417

ROSSETTI, DANTE GABRIEL 293, 359

RUSKIN, JOHN 390


SANGSTER, CHARLES 408

SCOTT, SIR WALTER 179

SHAKESPEARE, WILLIAM 40

SHELLEY, PERCY BYSSHE 218, 219

SHERIDAN, RICHARD BRINSLEY 159

SMITH, GOLDWIN 409

SOUTHEY, ROBERT 209

STANLEY, DEAN (ARTHUR PENRHYN) 350

STEDMAN, EDMUND CLARENCE 418

STEELE, SIR RICHARD 83

SWIFT, JONATHAN 93

SWINBURNE, ALGERNON CHARLES 422


TAYLOR, BISHOP (JEREMY) 56

TENNYSON, LORD (ALFRED) 366, 370, 373, 377, 407

THACKERAY, WILLIAM MAKEPEACE 306, 308

THOMSON, JAMES 101


WALTON, IZAAK 62

WHITTIER, JOHN GREENLEAF 361, 372

WILSON, PRESIDENT (DANIEL) 383

WORDSWORTH, WILLIAM 202




INTRODUCTORY.


The ability to read well cannot be attained without much pains and
study. For even a moderate proficiency in the art of reading two
requirements are essential: (1) A cultivated mind quick to perceive the
sequence of thoughts which the words to be read logically express, and
equally quick in its power sympathetically to appreciate the sentiment
with which the words are informed--the feeling, emotion, passion, which
pervades them--but which they suggest rather than actually portray; and
(2) a voice so perfected that its utterances fall upon the ear of the
listener with pleasing effect, and so flexible that it can be managed
skilfully to convey to him the full meaning and force of all the ideas
and sentiments formally expressed by the words or latent in them. Of
these two requirements the first is undeniably the more important; and
that training in the art of reading in which the close, persistent, and
liberal study of literature for its own sake has not proceeded _pari
passu_ with the requisite exercises for the development of the powers of
the voice and with the study of the principles of vocal interpretation,
has resulted in a meretricious accomplishment of very illusive value.

Nor will the special study and accurate mastery of a number of
individual selections give that readiness of mental apprehension which
is indispensable to a good reader. The ability quickly to recognize
word-forms and to utter them with ease, to catch the drift of ideas, and
to feel ready sympathy with change and flow in sentiment, is not to be
had without a long course of wide and varied reading. No one can become
a good reader by passing through, no matter how carefully, a set of
reading text-books merely. Pupils should be encouraged to read for
themselves. They should, of course, be guided in their selection of
reading matter, and they should be helped to acquire a taste for that
which is purest and most helpful in literature; but unless they form a
_habit_ of reading, and of reading thoughtfully and with precision, they
can never become good readers.

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