Point, of the class of 1829. In 1834 he was appointed professor of philosophy and astronomy in the Cincinnati college. Here he rendered himself eminent by the enthusiasm and success with which he pursued astronomical investigations, and interested the public, by his lectures, in the science. On the breaking out of the rebellion, he entered the national army, and became, ultimately, a major-general. At the time of his death he was commander of the department of the south. This selection is an extract from a lecture delivered in New York, in 1859.

EXERCISE XXVIII.

THOMAS HOOD, an English poet, was born in London in 1798, and died in the same city in 1845. This poet has contributed largely to the amusement and delight of all who speak the English language, but his own life and character were tinged with a gentle melancholy which finds expression in such effusions as The Song of the Shirt, The Bridge of Sighs, &c. This author is largely read, and is in all respects worthy of his great popularity. Several editions of his works have been published in the United States.

SIR JOHN F. W. HERSCHEL, an English astronomer, was born at Slough, near Windsor, in 1790. His father, Sir William Herschel, was an eminent astronomer, and the discoverer of the planet Uranus. Sir John has made many valuable contributions to astronomical science, having visited Southern Africa, and remained there four years, for the purpose of making observations. He is also a gentleman of modesty and worth, and highly respected. He has received the highest scientific honors, and his works on astronomy, optics, and other branches of natural philosophy, are universally reckoned among the highest authorities on those subjects.

VENUS was the goddess of love in the Greek and Roman mythology. The second planet in order from the sun is also called Venus. It appears as the morning star during a part of the year, and as the evening star during the remainder. CHARLES THE MARTYR is a name given to Charles I. by his admirers. Charles's Wain is really the churl's or country

man's wain or wagon. But the poet, in the selection entitled the Comet, playfully assumes that the constellation was named after Charles I.

EDMUND HALLEY, an English astronomer, was born near London in 1656, and died near Greenwich in 1742. In 1681 he discovered the comet now known by his name, and predicted its return. This was the first prediction of the kind ever made and fulfilled, and its fulfillment was a brilliant triumph of science, which, however, he did not live to see. The comet has appeared twice since his death, viz: in the years 1759 and 1835. Its period is about 75 years. In 1703 he became professor of astronomy in Oxford. In 1720 he was appointed astronomer royal.

TYCHO BRAHE, a Danish astronomer, was born in Sweden in 1546, and died in Prague in 1601. He was employed by the Danish king as an astronomer, and the island of Huen was given to him for the erection of an observatory. He was an accurate observer of the heavens, and left extensive data from which Kepler and others drew important inferences.

BERENICE'S HAIR is a cluster of stars in the sign Leo, and so named in compliment to Berenice, daughter of Magas, king of Cyrene, and wife of Ptolemy Euergetes, king of Egypt.

The GREAT BEAR is a well known constellation near the North Pole. Also called the Dipper and Charles's Wain. VAUXHALL is a suburb of London, and contains Vauxhall gardens, to which the inhabitants of London often resorted for amusement. They were closed in 1859.

EXERCISE XXX.

For HENRY CLAY, see EXERCISE XVIII.

PHILIP, king of Macedon, lived in the fourth century before Christ. By skill in council and valor in war, he acquired entire control of the states of Greece, which had previously been independent. He was a man of eminent abilities, great energy, and unscrupulous ambition.

ALEXANDER, the son and successor of Philip, perpetuated his father's power in Greece, and achieved a military reputation, by foreign conquests, which almost obliterates his father's fame. He set out upon his career of conquest in 334 B. C., at 22 years of age, with a small army and a slender treasury, and in less than ten years all the principal nations of the world were at his feet. But as his dominions increased, he became more and more addicted to despotic ways and luxurious living, and at last demanded to be worshiped as a god. His death, which occurred at Babylon 323 B. C., was caused, in part, at least, by his excesses.

CAIUS JULIUS CESAR, the final destroyer of the Roman republic, and founder of the empire, was born in 100 B. C., and assassinated 44 B. C. He was a man of extraordinary mental endowments, but deficient in moral principle, and addicted, during a part of his life at least, to vicious courses. He was governor of Gaul, now France, under the Roman But when he was recalled by that body he refused to obey, and, after some slight hesitation, marched his army upon the city of Rome.

senate.

The RUBICON was a river forming a part of the boundary of Cæsar's province; and the turning point in his rebellion against the lawful authority of his country was the marching of his army across that stream. He soon overthrew the authority of the senate by military force, but used the powers thus gained in reforming the government and improving the condition of the people. He was assassinated by a

band of senators, the most famous of whom were Brutus and Cassius.

MADAME DE STAEL (mädäm de stäl), an eminent French writer, was born in 1766, and died in 1817. She was a lady of rare endowments and high culture, and remarkable for her brilliant powers in conversation. For many years, she was a leader of public sentiment on political affairs in Paris, whence she was banished by Napoleon Bonaparte, because she freely criticized his claims and measures. Her most famous work is "Corinne," a novel containing eloquent descriptions of scenery in Italy. She was the daughter of Necker, the famous banker, and her first husband was a Swedish nobleman, the Baron De Staël-Holstein.

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, a man who, in French history, played a part not unlike that enacted in Rome by Julius Cæsar, was born in Corsica in 1769, and died at St. Helena in 1821. He was the most extraordinary man of modern times, especially when considered in respect to his military achievements. By his military successes he so dazzled the French people that he became, step by step, absolute ruler of the nation, under the title of Emperor. He then aimed at universal dominion, and in the attempt to secure it deluged Europe with blood for some ten years. His success in this attempt was extraordinary, and, had he been willing to set any bounds to his ambition, he might have lived and reigned the greatest monarch of his time. But his attempt to penetrate the extreme north, by making himself master of Moscow, was the beginning of his reverses. From this time on, his course was downward. In 1813 the allied powers entered Paris, and Napoleon was banished to Elba, to exercise on that little island the prerogatives of sovereignty. Leaving Elba and assuming again the sovereignty of France, he raised a new army, but was defeated at Waterloo by the Duke of

Wellington, in 1815. Upon this he was exiled to the island of St. Helena, where he died.

ST. CLOUD, a small village near Paris, where the French assembly sat for a time. It contains a palace, which has been the abode of several of the French monarchs.

EXERCISE XXXI.

ROBERT SOUTHEY, an English poet, was born in 1774, and died in 1843. He was a voluminous writer, remarkable for his industry, the elaborateness of his versification, the gorgeous splendor of his imagery, and the high moral tone of his poetry. At different periods of his life, he entertained very different theories on social and political subjects, which makes his early and later productions seem very contradictory. He was a man of genial and kindly spirit, and was very happy in his family relations. At the time of his death Mr. Southey was poet laureate.

EXERCISE XXXII.

EDWARD EVERETT, an American orator and statesman, was born in 1794, and died in 1864. Mr. Everett was eminent among Americans for the vigor, finish, and good taste of his oratory. He was a man of dignified bearing and courteous address, averse to angry discussion. He held many positions of honor and trust, was governor of Massachusetts, member of both houses of Congress, minister to England, and national secretary of state. The years 1856-7-8 and 9, were to a great extent devoted by Mr. Everett to raising funds for the erection of a monument in honor of Gen. Washington, and the amount paid over by him to the treasurer of the association reached nearly 100,000 dollars. After the breaking out of the rebellion, Mr. Everett rendered noble service, by word and deed, to the cause of the government, and this circumstance greatly enhanced his popularity in some portions of the country.