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Show W O MAN' 8 5 Har-rigso- In writing of a person of whom so very little is really known, and of whom so r or- - r glish language at that remote period. We know that to a great extent, in the fourteenth century the island was governed by Norman knights, who spoke the French language entirely, and whose dealings and enterprises with other classes and those under their charge were carriod on in this same language; therefore one cannot wonder that Chaucer made use of so many French words and phrases in his works. In the English language of we can scarcely recognize, with that oMhe 14th century, in any words which we use the e mute as In haste, taste, caste, a, were pronounced as e feminine, in French, making dissyllables of our monosyllables. In order to fully appreciate and understand Chaucer's works, one must study and acquainted with the grammar of the language In that day. It is true that from his writiugs we obtain the truest history of nations, customs, maunerF, fec, as he had traveled and could give reliable Information on all these subjects. . He may jositIvely be classed as one of the g reatest men of history. He was a thorough scholar In literature, science and theology. The "Canterbury Tales? are ranked as his most brilliant works, although there are many others that might be looked upon as particularly worthy of notice. Among his most choice selections I will mention the following: Some from tlw Canterbury Tales,The Prologue,The Knight, The Squiie, The Yeoman, The Nun, The Clerk; The Sergeant at Law, The Franklin, The Haberdasher, ; The Carpenter, The Cook, The Skipper, The Doctor, The Good Parson, The Plowman, The Miller, The ." Reve. ; Perhaps this la sufficient for one who can have so little conception of the character and attainments of the great poet who has much has been said and written which cannot be relied upon as literally true, consequently much of which must be conjecture, one must use his or her own judgment and powers of discrimination to a very great extent, as to which of the biographers is the best authority upon a theme that involves such a variety of dissimilar and contradictory statements. Chaucer, who has no doubt justly been styled the father of English, poetry, wag born, so tradition tells us, in .London, in the year of our Lord 1328; he also died in the ?amo city in the year 1400, being seventy-two years of age. He was buried in Westminster Abbey. Of the early period of his life very little indeed is known, but it is said by good authority he was the son of a wealthy merchant, who gave him a liberal education; he ,was for some considerable time at Cambridge, and afterwards at Oxford. After completing his studies at those celebrated places, he traveled about in foreign countries, and greatly improved himself by observation In so doing. On his return he commenced the study of law in the Inner Temple, but soon quitted Thismis and went to court aa yeoman to Edward III, who granted him a pension. He was not only a poet, a scholar, a gentleman of the court, but a soldier, having served under Edward in his Ftench campaign; he was taken prisoner, and it is supposed ho was imprisoned for several years. On one occasion he was sent to Genoa to hire ships for the king's service. He obtained on his return a pitcher ot wine daily, ' and also the comptrollership of the customs 7"Wlsdomcould live the years over again; programme before us. : ... T In the succeeding reign he was obliged to go abroad, to avoid the resentment of the paseod awayso lbngago,and lived in an ago so unliko tho prosent. In conclusion I will add a few lines from his Canterbury Tales. Then tblc conchile I, tin that God of beveu Ne wol Dot that the philosophies neveo. How that a man sbal come unto this stou, I redo as for the best to let It oru For who so maketh God bis adversary As for to werken anything In contrary Of bid will, ccttes never shall he thrive, Though that ho multiply terme of his live. nd ther a point, for ended is my ta'e. , : hrt send every yood man bote of his bale. ' . - . M. H-- ;p - for bti evil, or troublu. AFTER LONG YEARS. LETTER X. v 1 - - - " : We wreathe a chaptei falr.'tea. best flowers bedeVd with tender teats; r . Of life nd round sweet memory 'a hallowed shrine We twine the grarlaiKl, wpveo through Ion yean. half-divin- e, In looking back over bur lives alter many years of toil, study and patient, labor, and : or even : witlithelreat it is No indeed evidently much bettera3nit-i3;LbrcAV- ho would not shrink from the heavy trials that occur even In tho sereneat lives, or hesitate ere they embarked in enterprises which they knew could only end In disappointment to them, even though they benefitted mankind at large.. How could wo over fortify ourselves sufficiently to endure the sorrows which fall so heavily that they almost crush us, and where would boA the sweet visions of hope, that gladden' the heart, and give bi i) ian'cy to the mind, and elasticity to the suul, if wg knew that just beyond the brigh test moments, the most . 1 d el Igh t fu pleasures," JheeWas a dark cloud ready to burst upon us,! ammlng for a time 1 the lustre reflected y the brightness of the past, crushing out the remembrances that gladden, arid enshrouding us in darkness and gloom. We should be denied nearly all the ' sweetness ; that friendship lends, and in youth particularly. these ties are- woven, as it were, like a spell around us; who cannot recall some very dear friends of the days gone by,' who shared almost our every thoughtwho Sympathized with us in our sorrows, and whom wo ex's pected would remain-- faithful to the end of our lives, yet by and by, coldness; indifference, or mistrust crept in, and we became estranged and felt all the bitterness of the regret which follows, trust betrayed, or affection outraged. There are other and - stronger ties than those of friendship even, that are sometimes broken, asunder In a moment, or worn completely out by a constant strain of; heavy burdens long 'borne, that tell upon us j&veVmore than all others, that touch more acutely our 'sensitiveness, Inflicting wounds that never heal, that throb painfully through tho long weary days and sleepless nights, although, perhaps no mortal shares the secret. It is useless to at. tempt to enumerate the various phases of earth life, that were It opened in a panorama before us would make us shrink with alarm from taking a part.In its contests. The memory of the dead loved ones is like mountains of weight upon our. souls; go where we will, there is no true compensation for the loss; others may Jove us just as well, but the place sacred to the departed Is never filled again. .There is ever after a void that we are conscious of ; within ourselves, e'en though we scarce dare trust the acknowledgement of tho secret to our own heart. Every being fills its own. niche, not only in the material woridbut In the heart and the affections.? io ? j . v l ; Vi In There is somelivesa peculiar tendency to happiness, and this it Is well to cultivate. Youth Is generally hopeful and eagerly ex-- , pectant of Success, and tblsfeeling should De encouraged, Tor whatever we o, or feel, the heart partakes of it more or less deeply, and the more healthful and regular its beats, the better for its possessor; for there Is no cessation of Its active work, r It Is beating when work is done when amusements or pleasure8laro over, : when; sleep comes like a soothing; angel to our; couches, no matter, the heart never rest?. Ought we riot then to be careful.aqd not unnecessarily wound our own hearts, or the hearts of others. Let us be wise in our mutual interchange of words not to wound, for although we mayi fancy the hearts of our associates are callous, they may have bleeding wounds that open afresh : wheo pierced with tha all - be-co- mo ... glean much more happiness, wcr lraejtheoprwrtunitjto lo-da- y of wool for London. , making a sort of summary of it all, how Imperfect and incomplete it seems. And yet. perhaps we should not do much better, state of society, the standard of literature at the time of writing; and one must remember the rude and sad state of the En- ESSAY UPON GEOFFREY CHAUCER AND WORKS. T 87 a speaker in the House of Commons, and Ambassador o France. This is a ief account of the life of this grea t an rl . ' : p poe t, a rid-- now I will give Home acrmr : n Mi irworkf as I V i W". t hpm being very incompetent to judge of ilieii value, as I aru not very familiar with ilwm, but will pass an opinion upon them what little I have investigated them. In the first place, to judge wisely or correctly of the writings of a person, one must take into consideration the age, the ments, the Lords Prayer, dialogues, .and Brother's many instructive speaches. Wm. EC. Eelsey, John Boyer, Richard Bird, and Pres. Ann D. Bringhurst all mado brief and appropf ate remark.; closing n singing Come again" Sister Hamah counselor gave good instructions to the young. Singing Benediction. Mrs. Ann D. BftixGiiURST, Pres. Semira L. Wood, Secretary. clergy, on account of. his having embraced the doctrines of Wickliffe; however, he returned privately, and was taken and imprisoned, and was not released until he had made his submission and discovered the names of those who had been associated with him in embracing the $ new doctrine. After having thus betrayed himself, he was filled with remorse, and in h is Testament of Love deplores the disgrace into which his conduct had led him. In 1386 he was elected Knight of the shire of. Kent, and iu 1380 Clerk of tho , worte of Westminister and Windsor and other palaces. At this to follow period he was own his inclination, and- being inclined to and from his natural gifts In that repoetry, spect, about'this time he wrote those Immortal' works, which; it has been 'said by some celebrated person, "From the' knowledge they contain of human- - nature, seem to have been produced for all time." He married Philippa de Roet, a lady of good family, and by this chance he became allied to John or Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster," who was his great patron while he himself was in power. Chaucer left two sons, one EXPO NE N T . " f .... ... : f |