EXERCISE 46. SHIP SAVED BY A DOLPHIN. Points of story :— 1. Bristol East-Indian merchant homeward bound-all his wealth on board. 2. Ship springs leak. 3. Great efforts of crew-water still gains on them-prospect of destruction. 4. Sudden stoppage of influx of water: surprise of crew. 5. Ship at last cleared of water-dolphin wedged in leak. 6. Gratitude of merchant: who endows school in Bristol. 7. Badge of scholars: a dolphin in brass on the breast. EXERCISE 47. ANECDOTE OF FREDERICK THE GREAT. Points of story : 1. War-enemy near at hand. 2. Military movement needing to be made unperceived. 3. King's orders: all lights in camp to be extinguished by a certain hour. Penalty: death. 4. King goes round the camp: his object in doing so. 5. Light seen in officer's tent-officer found sealing up letter to his wife. 6. King orders officer to add to letter announcement that he was to die the next day. 7. Apparent cruelty of sentence. Query, justification of it? 8. Brutality of requiring a man to communicate such tidings to his own wife. EXERCISE 48. ESCAPE FROM FIRE." 1. Fire: youth asleep in third story-dog with him. 2. Dog wakes: effort of dog to arouse his master. 3. Youth partially aroused-relapses into sleep. 4. Renewed efforts of dog-dog pulls off the bedclothes. 5. Youth aroused again-pulls clothes on again. 6. Dog seizes youth's shirt-sleeve-tears it. 7. Flames burst in. 8. Youth saved by rope-dog forgotten, perishes. 9. Gratitude and remorse of youth. Points of story : EXERCISE 49. A TAME TIGER. 1. Tiger cub reared by gentleman in India. 2. Playfulness of young tiger-like a dog. 3. Gentleman reclining-reading; tiger by his side. 4. Tiger licks gentleman's hand hanging down. 5. Blood flows-why? (formation of tongue of lion, tiger, &c.) 6. Instinct of prey awakened :-tiger growls on attempted withdrawal of hand. 7. Danger imminent. Gentleman calls servant with gun. 8. Moments of suspense. 9. Tiger shot. 10. Danger of keeping such favourites. EXERCISE 50. THE AFFECTIONATE CHARGER. Points of story :— 1. Scene: French retreat from Moscow, 1812. 2. Mutual attachment of grenadier and horse. 3. Grenadier strays from his regiment. 4. False step of horse-rider thrown and knee dislocated. 5. Suffering of grenadier and inability to remount. 6. Russians in pursuit-anticipated fate. 7. Sagacity of horse: kneels: grenadier (with difficulty) remounts: gentleness of horse in rising. 8. Regiment rejoined: grenadier's knee dressed. 9. What one naturally wishes for so humane a brute. Points of story :- EXERCISE 51. A MISER'S DEATH. 1. Wealth accumulated by-extortion-meanness-or dishonesty. 2. Amount of wealth not known. 3. Reasons for maintaining secrecy. 4. Miser's treasure-house-underground cave, with ladder, trap door, and spring-lock. 5. Miser missing search at length made. 6. Discovery of cave-miser found starved to death. 7. How this fate probably overtook him. EXERCISE 52. AN ELEPHANT IN A WELL. Points of story : 1. Scene, Bhurtpore: siege of, by British, 1805. 2. Supply of water in camp failing-tanks dry-water only in deep wells. 3. Struggles of men and cattle round largest well. 4. Two elephants-a large and a small one. 5. Large elephant snatches pail of water from smaller. 6. Weaker elephant watches his opportunity-pushes big elephant (when close by) into well. 7. Danger of water becoming useless. 8. Difficulty of extricating elephant: surface of water 20 ft. from top. 9. Fascines thrown in for elephant to pile and stand upon. Elephant gradually rises to top. 10. Top of well lowered somewhat. Elephant steps out. 11. Time occupied: fourteen hours. II. MORE DIFFICULT NARRATIVE, EXERCISE 53. ALEXANDER KILLS CLITUS. Outline and hints : Banquet at Maracanda [Samarcand: where?]-fulsomeness of flatterers of Alexander-Alexander extolled above Philip [who was he?]— declared worthy of deification. Acceptance of flattery by Alexanderconsequent vexation of old officers, especially Clitus. Effect of wine on all ["in vino veritas"]-Remonstrances of Clitus-Clitus gives reasons why the exploits of Philip should be thought greater [Philip fought with Greeks; Alexander with Asiatics]-reminds Alexander of death of Parmenio.* Clitus contradicted by some-grows more violent-taunts Alexander [battle of the Granicus: Alexander saved by Clitus]-fury of Alexander-Alexander starts up-feels for dagger [dagger removed before by friends]-orders arrest of Clitus-order not obeyed-why not so [drunken state of Alexander]. Alexander breaks loose, in spite of officers holding his body-seizes pike from guard-kills Clitus-"Go now to Philip and Parmenio." EXERCISE 54. THE TRAVELLER'S DOG. The facts related in the following piece are to be related in simple, unadorned, prose. The purely imaginative element-which here is slight-belongs to poetry, and may be omitted. The fourth stanza only is wholly poetic, and had better be left untouched. * Treacherously murdered by order of Alexander; see p. 36. a § 21. Here note that the arrangement and grouping of facts suitable for poetical composition, is not always equally suitable to prose. Arrange your facts in the clearest and most natural order; that is, the order in which they would naturally present themselves to the mind. In the present case, this seems to be-(1) a spot in the solitary mountain district of Helvellyn: (2) a traveller passing there: (3) the "barking cry" which he hears: (4) the discovery: (5) probable explanation of the facts: (6) reflections on the extraordinary fidelity and endurance of the dog. The poet on the other hand begins with the "barking cry"; and seems, as it were, to set us down in the midst of the scene itself: not till our curiosity is already excited, does he proceed to draw for us a picture of the wild, lonely place, "Far in the bosom of Helvellyn," where the incident occurred. The effect of the picture is further heightened by the imaginative association with it of peculiar but congenial sounds, and all the impressive elemental effects of mountain scenery (stanza 4). From this point the poetic and prose order coincide; nor is there anything in the remaining four stanzas which may not be equally well expressed in prose. EXERCISE 55. HANNIBAL MAKES A PREMATURE ATTEMPT AT CROSSING THE APENNINES. Outline and hints: Time: 2nd Punic war, B.C. 217 (Hannibal having crossed the Alps late in preceding year.) Spring not really begun-violent storm-wind (in the face of men) -heavy rain-thunder and lightning-rain abates-wind still more D viclent-halt decided on-difficulty of encamping, unfolding canvas, &c. [as with the English in Crimea, Nov. 1854]-sleet and snowfearful force of gale-men and beasts throw themselves down-imperfectly covered. Cold-numbness-stiffness-difficulty of rising evenchafing of limbs-fires kindled-halt lasts two days-loss of men, cattle, elephants-retreat-winter-quarters resumed. EXERCISE 56. CHARLES XII. From the following highly rhetorical passage, draw a portrait of the character of Charles XII., and sketch an outline of his career. Avoid reproducing the actual words. On what foundation stands the warrior's pride, No dangers fright him, and no labours tire; No joy to him pacific sceptres yield, War sounds the trump, he rushes to the field; And one capitulate,† and one resign,‡ Peace courts his hand,§ but spreads her charms in vain: The march begins in military state, His fall was destined to a barren strand, (Dr. Johnson, Vanity of Human Wishes.) * Denmark, Poland, and Russia. † Denmark, which Charles attacked first and defeated. Charles deposed one king of Poland and set up another: resign abdicate, being compelled to do so by the conqueror. i.e. he refuses overtures of peace from Peter, defeated by him at Narva. Gothic, i.e. Swedish. i.e. all Northern Europe. ** Pultowa where Charles XII. was decisively defeated by Peter the Great. ++ viz. Turkey. Frederikshall, in Norway. He was killed by the bursting of a bomb, A.D. 1713. Leave these two lines unaltered: they have become proverbial. |