When man to man united, 5. I live for those who love me, For the hearts that love me true, For the right that lacks assistance, And the good that I can do. BANKS. 8. ALFRED THE GREAT. 1. This noble king possessed all the Saxon virtues. Misfortune could not subdue him, and prosperity could not spoil him. He was hopeful in defeat, and generous in success. He loved justice, prudence, truth, and knowledge. 2. In his care to instruct his people, he did a great deal to preserve the old Saxon tongue. He made just laws for his people. He founded schools and appointed upright judges. He left England better, wiser, happier, in all ways, than he found it. 3. Under his reign, the best points of the EnglishSaxon character were developed. It has been the greatest character among the nations of the earth. Wherever the Anglo-Saxons have gone, they have been patient and persevering. 4. In Europe, Asia, Africa, America, the whole world over; in the desert, in the forest, on the sea; scorched by a burning sun, or frozen by ice that never melts, the Saxon blood remains unchanged. Wherever that race goes, there law, industry, and safety for life and property, are certain to arise. DICKENS'S Child's History of England. COMPOSITION. Write from memory an abstract of this sketch. SUPPLEMENTARY. If Dickens's Child's History of England is in the library, let the class read further extracts about Alfred the Great. 9. THE FIRST GRENADIER OF FRANCE. 1. For many years a touching and beautiful custom might have been witnessed in a certain regiment of French grenadiers, which was meant to commemorate the heroism of a departed comrade. When the companies assembled for parade and the roll was called, there was one name to which its owner could not answer-it was that of La Tour d'Auvergne. When it was called, the oldest sergeant present stepped a pace forward and, raising his hand to his cap, said proudly:-"Died on the field of honor." 2. He was not unworthy in life of the honor thus paid him after his death. He was educated for the army, which he entered in 1767. He always served with distinction, but he constantly refused offers of promotion, saying that he was only fit for the command of a company of grenadiers; but, finally, the various grenadier companies being united, he found himself in command of a body of eight thousand men, while retaining only the rank of captain. Hence he was known as "The First Grenadier of France." 3. When he was forty years of age, he went on a visit to a friend, in a region that was soon to become the scene of a campaign. While there, he was careful to acquaint himself with the country, thinking it not unlikely that this knowledge might be of use to him. He presently learned that the war had actually shifted to that quarter. 4. A regiment of Austrians was pushing on to occupy a narrow pass, the possession of which would give them an opportunity to prevent an important movement of the French which was then in progress. They hoped to surprise this post, and were moving so rapidly upon it that they were not more than two hours distant from the place where the grenadier was staying, and which they would have to pass in their march. 5. He had no idea of being captured by the enemy in their advance, and he at once set off for the pass. He knew that it was defended by a stout tower and a garrison of thirty men, and he hoped to be able to warn the French of their danger. 6. He hastened on, and, arriving there, found the tower in a perfect condition. But it had just been vacated by the garrison, who, hearing of the approach of the Austrians, had fled, leaving their arms, consisting of thirty excellent muskets. 7. He gnashed his teeth with rage when he discovered. this. Searching in the building, he found several boxes of ammunition which the cowards had not destroyed. For a moment he was in despair; but immediately, with a grim smile, he began to fasten the main door and pile against it such articles as he could find. 8. When he had done this, he loaded all the guns, and placed them, together with a good supply of ammunition, under the loop-holes that commanded the road by which the enemy must advance. Then he ate heartily of the provisions he had brought with him, and sat down to wait. He had formed the heroic resolution to defend the tower alone against the enemy. There were some things in his favor in such an undertaking. 9. The pass was steep and narrow, and the enemy's troops could enter it only in double files, in doing which they would be fully exposed to the fire from the tower. The garrison of thirty men could easily have held it against a division, and now one man was about to hold it against a regiment. 10. It was dark when he reached the tower, and he had to wait some time for the enemy. They were longer in coming than he expected, and for a while he was tempted to believe that they had abandoned the expedition. 11. About midnight, however, his practiced ear caught the tramp of feet. Every moment they came nearer, and at last he heard them entering the defile. He immediately discharged two muskets into the darkness, to warn the enemy that he knew of their presence and intention; then he heard the quick, short commands of the officer, and, from the sounds, supposed that the troops were retiring from the pass. 12. Until morning he was undisturbed. The Austrian commander, feeling assured that the garrison had been informed of his movements, and was prepared to receive him, saw that he could not surprise the post as he had hoped to do, and deemed it prudent to wait till daylight before making his attack. 13. At sunrise, the Austrian commander called on the garrison to surrender. A grenadier answered the summons. "Say to your commander," he said, in reply to the messenger, "that the garrison will defend this pass to the last extremity." 14. The officer who had borne the flag of truce retired, and in about ten minutes a piece of artillery was brought into the pass. In order to bear upon the tower, it had to be placed directly in front, and within easy musket range of it. Scarcely was it got into position when a rapid fire was opened on it from the tower; and this was continued with such marked effect that the gun was withdrawn after the second discharge, with a loss of five men. 15. This was a bad beginning; so, half an hour after the gun was withdrawn, the Austrian colonel ordered an assault. As the troops entered the defile, they were received with so rapid and accurate a fire, that, when they had passed over half the distance they had to traverse, they had lost fifteen men. Disheartened by this, they returned to the mouth of the pass. 16. Three more assaults were repulsed in this manner, and the enemy by sunset had lost forty-five men, of whom ten were killed. The firing from the tower had been rapid and accurate, but the Austrian commander noticed this peculiarity about it every shot seemed to come from the same place. For a while this perplexed him, but at last he came to the conclusion that there were a number of loop-holes close together in the tower, so constructed as to command the ravine perfectly. 17. At sunset the last assault was made and repulsed, and at dark the Austrian commander sent a second summons to the garrison. This time the answer was favorable. The garrison offered to surrender at sunrise next morning, if allowed to march out with their arms and return to the army unmolested. After some hesitation the terms were accepted. 18. Meantime the French soldier had passed an anxious day in the tower. He had opened the fight with thirty loaded muskets, but had not been able to discharge them all. He had fired with great rapidity, yet with surprising accuracy-for it was well known in the army that he never threw away a shot. 19. He had determined to stand to his post until he |