3 de. 4 il faudrait une longue journée pour le parcourir à pied. 5 together with, ainsi que. 6 plus d'.

fore consists of a large tract of country, more indeed than we can generally see from the top of a high hill. The

3

county we live in is (468.) several miles in length and breadth, so that it would be a long day's work to walk through it 4. There are as many as (813.) forty counties in England. England contains a great many towns and villages, together with a large number of hills and valleys, rivers and lakes. It would take us more than 6 a year to travel through all parts of England.-CRAMPTON AND TURNER'S Geographical Reading Book.

5

54. RIVERS.

(A (383.) GEOGRAPHICAL LESSON.)

(See LES FLEUVES ET LES RIVIÈRES in HAVET's "French Studies,"

p. 48.)

3

2

LES FLEUVES ET LES RIVIÈRES.-1 Les eaux courantes. Vous avez dû (219.) souvent les remarquer. cours d'eau. 4 step over them, les enjamber. 5 d'autres. 6 pour porter de grands navires.

7 ruisseaux.

are so

Streams of running water1 are so common that you must have often noticed them 2. Some streams 3 small that we (617.) can step over them, while others 5 are deep and wide enough † for large ships to sail on. Small streams are called (192.) streamlets or brooks, while the larger water-courses are called (192.) rivers. river has an individual name, as the Thames, the Rhine,

3

Each

+ Assez, "enough," is always placed before the word which it modifies: Ce puits est assez profond, This well is deep enough.

8 d'amont en aval. grands ruisseaux.

9 to become dry, tarir. 10 les petits et les (416.) 11 descendent. 12 and at last form, pour former 14 tombent dans les

enfin. 13 une grande rivière ou un fleuve. rivières ou deviennent eux-mêmes des rivières.

&c. If we observe a running stream we shall see that the water flows from higher to lower ground. We may inquire, however, as to where the water comes from at first. The beds of rivers would soon become dry9 if there were not fresh supplies. After much dry weather there is little or no water in brooks; but these are quite full again after much rain. It must be the rain, therefore, that fills the brooks and streams 10; so that they flow down 11 from the hills and mountains to the lower plains and valleys, joining one another in their course, and at last form 12 one large stream or river 13. Thus streams 7 fall into or become rivers 14; and these generally discharge their waters into a lake or the ocean. The part of the river where it flows into the sea or lake is called its mouth.-CRAMPTON AND TURNER'S Geographical Reading

Book.

la.

55. ITALY.

(A (583.) GEOGRAPHICAL LESSON.)

1

L'ITALIE.-(I.) qui donne un coup de pied à la Sicile. 3 the shin of the boot, l'os de la jambe.

2 Mettez

(I.) Sicily (406.) is an island in the Mediterranean, forming part of the kingdom of Naples. Italy has been described as a boot giving Sicily a kick1. Lay your 2 right leg upon your left knee, and then observe that the shin of the boot is bounded by the Mediterranean and

4 la plante du pied et le derrière de la jambe. 5 vers le milieu du bas de la jambe. 6 sur l'os de la jambe. 7 qui monte au-dessus du. 8 et forme environ les trois quarts du mollet.

10

(II.) 9 et s'étend vers le nord à partir. comme la botte est disposée de telle sorte que le haut est dirigé vers le nord-ouest.

the sole and back of the leg 4 by the Gulf of Venice. All the part from the toe to the calf belongs to Naples*, and the city of Naples* is on the sea-side, at about the middle of the small 5. Then the Pope takes a slice on the shin side, going up above the knee7, and reaching about three parts of the way across the calf; and the city of Rome is in this slice.

(II.) Piedmont, which belongs to the king of Sardinia, begins at the northern extremity, and runs northward from the Mediterranean, having part of France* (407.) and Switzerland on one side, and the Austrian territory on the other, which comes down the thigh and along the back of the calf of the leg, bounding Rome* to the point where Naples ends. As the boot lies in such a manner as to make the top point towards the north-west 10, all that part which is above the Pope's territory is called the north of Italy.-W. COBBETT.

1

56. ALFRED THE GREAT, KING OF ENGLAND. ALFRED LE GRAND, ROI D'ANGLETERRE.—(I.) 1 When England was, où l'Angleterre était.

2 en.

1

(I.) At a period when England was 1 torn by civil war, and a 2 prey to the cruelty of the Danes, a man appeared, destined by Providence (f.) to avenge his country, to defend his rights, to enlighten the age in which he lived,

fourth son of Ethelwolf, King of England (408.); he succeeded to the throne on (à) the death of his brother Ethelred*, in the year 871. After several actions with 3 the Danes, the unfortunate Alfred* was obliged to seek his safety by flight, and to retire to the cottage of one of his peasants, where he remained several months as 5 a

servant.

9

8

4

(II.) He afterwards withdrew to the Isle of Athelney*, in Somersetshire, where having heard that the Earl of Devonshire had obtained a great victory over the Danes, and had taken their magical standard, he disguised himself as a harper, entered the enemy's camp* (m.), and was admitted to the principal generals, who praised his talent* (m.) for music. Having acquired an exact knowledge of the situation* (f.) of his enemies, and finding that they were divided among themselves 10, he seized the favourable moment* (m.), joined the Earl, headed 11 his troops, surprised the Danes at Eddington *, in Wiltshire, and obtained a complete victory.

(III.) Having secured the peace of his dominions, after a great number of battles, which filled his enemies with terror, his next 12 care was to polish his kingdom. Although there remain but few 13 of his laws, England owes to him many of those advantages which render her constitution* (f.) so precious. The trial by jury 14 is said (618.) to have been instituted by him. He caused learning to revive, and

15 et fit tous ses efforts. 16 a love for, l'amour des. 17 qu'il pouvait dérober aux affaires. 18 on ne s'étonne pas que sa mémoire soit.

used his utmost endeavours 15 to excite a love for 16 letters among his subjects. He was (imp.) himself a very learned prince*, and all the hours he could take from business 17 were devoted to study. When we consider the great qualities of Alfred, and his many virtues, we need not be surprised that his memory is 18 still so dear to Englishmen. -ADDISON.

57. THE MISER AND HIS COOK.

(Voyez L'AVARE de Molière, acte III. sc. I. et suiv †)

2

were

L'AVARE ET SON CUISINIER.-1 above, depuis plus d'. starved, sont morts de faim. 3 for your commands, à vos ordres.

[The MISER alone. Enter JAMES.]

MISER. Where have you been? I have wanted (710., you above1 an hour.

JAMES. Whom do you want, sir-your coachman or your cook? for I am both one and the other.

MISER. I want my cook.

JAMES. I thought, indeed, it was not your coachman ; for you have had no great occasion for him since your last pair of horses were starved 2; but your cook, sir, shall wait upon you in an instant. [Puts off his coachman's greatcoat, and appears as a cook.] Now, sir, I am ready your commands 3.

for

MISER. I am engaged this evening to give a supper.

On trouvera cette scène à la p. 182 des French Studies.