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ENGLISH READER.

Part 1

can I put upon thy gold and silver? What king can ade any thing to my fortune? Always attentive to discharge the duties incumbent upon me, I have a mind free from self-reproach; and I have an honest fame.

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ostentation of learning

e Pa-cif-ick, på-sif-fik, mild, gentle
Pu-sil-lan-im-i-ty, ph-sil-lan-im-me-

Sa-tire, så'-tår, såt'-år, så'-tire, or såt'-f tre, a poem in which wickedness or folly is censured

e Con-tem-po-ra-ry, kon-tem-po-rá-rẻ, living in the same age, one who lives at the same time with another

tè, meanness of spirit, cowardice g Nu-tral-i-ty, nù-trål-é-tè, a state of indifference

In-tri-cate, în'-tre-kate, entangled, perplexed

d Ped-an-try, ped-dan-trè, awkwardi De-void, dè-võid', empty, vacart

Character of JAMES I. king of England.

1. NO PRINCE, SO little enterprising and so inoffensive, was ever so much exposed to the opposite extremes ot calumny and flattery, of satire and panegyric. And the factions which began in his time, being still continued, have made his character be as much disputed to this day, as is commonly that of princes who are our contemporaries.

2. Many virtues, however, it must be owned, he was possessed of; but not one of them pure, or free from the contagion of the neighbouring vices. His generosity bordered on profusion, his learning on pedantry, his pacific disposition on pusillanimity, his wisdom on cunning, his friendship on light fancy and boyish fondness. While he imagined that he was only maintaining his own authority, he may, perhaps be suspected in some of his actions, and still more of his pretentions, to have encroached on the liberties of his people.

3. While he endeavoured, by an exact neutrality, to acquire the good will of all his neighbours, he was able to preserve fully the esteem and regard regard of none. His capacity was considerable, but fitter to discourse on general xims, than to conduct any intricates business.

His intentions were just, but more adapted to the conduct of private life, than to the government of kingdoms. Awkward in his person, and ungainly in his manners, he was ill qualified to command respect: partial and undiscerning in his affections, he was little fitted to acquire general love. Of a feeble temper, more than of

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ity, but exempt from our hatred by his freedom from pride and arrogance.

5. And, upon the whole, it may be pronounced of his character, that all his qualities were sullied with weakness, and embellished with humanity. Political courage he was certainly devoid of; and from thence chiefly is derived the strong prejudice, which prevails against nst his sonal bravery : an inference, however, which must be owned, from general experience, to be extremely fallacious.

SECTION XXVI.

Pre-em-i-nence, pré-êm'-mê-nênse, su-
periour excellence

b De-scend, dè-send', to come down, tok
fall down

• Ef-fort, êf'-fort, a struggle, laborioust
endeavour

per

HUME.

trict, legal authority, extent of pow

er

Ab-solve, áb-zólv', to clean, to quit of a crime

Al-le-giance, al-le-janse, the duty of subjects to a government

d Ri-val, ri'-vál, a competitor, to op-m Re-count, re-kount', to relate in de

an obscure family in Dalmatia.

pose

tail

e Wrest, rest, to pull, snatch, violencen

Ar-du-ous, år-ju-is, lofty, hard to

climb

f Di-o-cle-si-an, di-o-kle-zhe-án, a cel

ebrated Roman emperour, born of o Im-plore, Im-plore', to solicit, ask,

beg

Rein, rane, part of a bridle, to gov-p. Dis-pense, dis-pense', to deal out, ex

ern by a bridle, to control, to restain Pen-i-tent, pên'-ne-tent, one sorrow-g

cuse, give

Pa-ter-nal, pa-ter'-nål, fatherly, hereditary

In-vi-o-la-ble, in-vi-d-la-bl, not to be injured, not to be broken

ful for sin, sorrowful

i Pur-su-ance, půr-sù'-ánse, process,
pursuit, consequence

j Ju-ris-dic-tion, já-ris-dik'-shån, a dis

CHARLES V. Emperor of Germany, resigns his dominions,

and retires from the world.

1. THIS great emperor in the plentitude of his power, and in possession of all the honours which can flatter the heart of man, took the extraordinary resolution, to re sign his kingdoms; and to withdraw entirely from any concern in business or the affairs of this world, in order that he might spend the remainder of his days in retirement and solitude.

2. Though it requires neither deep reflection, nor extraordinary discernment, to discover that the state of royalty is not exempt from cares and disappointments; though most of those who are exalted to a throne, find solicitude, and satiety, and disgust, to be their perpetual attendants, in that envied pre-eminence; yet, to descend voluntarily from the supreme to a subordinate station, and to relinquish the possession of power in order to at

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tain the enjoyment of happiness, seems to be an efforte too great for the human mind.

3. Several instances, indeed, occur in history, of monarchs who have quitted a throne, and have ended their days in retirement. But they were either weak princes, who took this resolution rashly, and repented of it as soon as it was taken; or unfortunate princes, from whose hands some strong rival had wrested their sceptre, and compelled them to descend with reluctance into a private station..

4. Dioclesians is, perhaps, the only prince capable of holding the reins of government, who ever resigned them from, deliberate choice; and who continued, during many years, to enjoy the tranquillity of retirement, without fetching one penitent sigh, or casting back one look of desire, towards the power or dignity which he had abandoned.

5. No wonder, then, that Charles's resignation, should fiil all Europe with astonishment; and give rise, both among his contemporaries, and among the historians of that period, to various conjectures concerning the motivés which determined a prince, whose ruling passion had been uniformly the love of power, at the age of fifty-six, when objects of ambition operate with full force on the mind, and are pursed with the greatest ardour, to take a resolution so singular and unexpected.

6. The Emperor, in pursuance of his determination, I having assembled the states of the Low Countries at Brussels, seated himself, for the last time, in the chair of state: on one side of which was placed his son, and on the other, his sister the queen of Hungary, regent of the Netherlands, with a splendid retinue of the grandees of Spain, and princes of the empires standing behind him.

7. The president of the council of Flanders, by his command, explained, in a few words, his intention in calling this extraordinary meeting of the states. He then read the instrument of resignation, by which Charles surrendered to his son Philip all his territories, jurisdiction, and authority in the Low Countries; absolving his subjects there from their oath of allegiance to him, which he required them to transfer to Philip his lawful heir; and to serve him with the same loyalty and zeal that they had manifested, during so long a course of years, in support of his government.

8. Charles then rose from his seat, and leaning on the

shoulder of the prince of Orange, because he was unable to stand without support, he addressed himself to the audience; and from a paper which he held in his hand, in order to assist his memory, he recounted," with dignity, but without ostentation, all the great things which he had undertaken and performed, since the commencement of his administration.

9. He observed, that from the seventeenth year of his age, he had dedicated all his thoughts and attention to public objects, reserving no portion of his time for the indulgence of his ease, and very little for the enjoyment of private pleasure; that either in a pacific or hostile manner, he had visited Germany nine times, Spain six times, France four times, Italy seven times, the Low Countries ten times, England twice, Africa as often, and had made eleven voyages by sea.

10. That while his health permitted him to discharge his duty, and the vigour of his constitution was equal in any degree, to the arduous" office of governing dominions so extensive, he had never shunned labour, nor repined under fatigue; that now, when his health was broken, and his vigour exhausted by the rage of an incurable distemper, his growing infirmities admonished him to retire:

11. Nor was he so fond of reigning, as to retain the sceptre in an impotent hand, which was no longer able to protect his subjects, or to render them happy; that instead of a sovereign worn out with diseases, and scarcely half alive, he gave them one in the prime of life, accustomed already to govern, and who added to the vigour of youth all the attention and sagacity of maturer years:

12. That if during the course of a long administration, he had committed any material error in government, or if, under the pressure of so many and great affairs, and amidst the attention which he had been obliged to give to them, he had either neglected or injured any of his subjects, he now implored their forgiveness:

13. That for his part he should ever retain a grateful sense of their fidelity and attachment, and would carry the remembrance of it along with him to the place of his retreat, as his sweetest consolation, as well as the best reward for all his services; and in his last prayers to Almighty God, would pour forth his ardent wishes for their welfare.

14. Then turning towards Philip, who fell on his knees

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and kissed his father's hand, "If," says he, " I had left you by my death this rich inheritance, to which I have made such large additions, some regard would have been justly due to my memory on that account; but now, when I voluntarily resign to you what I might have still retained, 1 n I may well expect the warmest expressions of thanks on your part.

15. "With these, however, I dispense se; and shall consider your concern for the welfare of your subjects, and your love of them, as the best and most acceptable testimony of your gratitude to me. It is in your power, by a wise and virtuous administration, to justify the extraordinary proof which I give this day of my paternal affection, and to demonstrate that you are worthy of the confidence which I repose in you.

16. "Preserve an inviolabler regard for religion; maintain the Catholic faith in all its purity; let the laws of your country be sacred in your eyes: encroach not on the rights and privileges of your people; and if the time shall ever come, when you shall wish to enjoy the tranquillity of private life, may you have a son endowed with such qualities, that you can resign your sceptre to him, with as much satisfaction as I give up mine to you."

17. As soon as Charles had finished this long address to his subjects, and to their new sovereign, he sunk into the chair, exhausted and ready to faint with the fatigue of so extraordinary an effort. During his discourse, the whole audience melted into tears; some from admiration of his magnanimity; others softened by the expressions of tenderness towards his son, and of love to his people; and all were affected with the deepest sorrow, at losing a sovereign, who had distinguished the Netherlands, his native country, with particular marks of his regard and attachment.

SECTION XXVII.

a An-nu-al, An'-nd-ål, coming yearly, f Dow-a-ger, dou-a-jai, a widow with

that which is reckoned by the year De-fray, de-fra', to bear the chargesg,

of

e Zu-it-burgh, zu-it-bårg, the name of a place

d Ren-dez-vous, rên-de-vööz, to meet at a place appointed, place appointi ed for an assembly

h

a jointure or dowry Max-imil-i-an, måks-é-mil-é-án, sonin-law of Charles V. Emperor of Germany

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Mon-as-ter-y, môn-nas-têr-rè, house
of religious retirement
Tem-per-a-ture, têm'-për-á-ture, con-
stitution of nature, due balance of
contrarieties

e Arch-duch-ess, årtsh-ditshes, the lady of an arch-duke

j De-lic-ious, de-lish'-ås, sweet, delicate

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