18.  Then first began the rude form of a gridiron.  Roasting by the string or spit came in a century or two later; I forget in whose dynasty.  By such slow degrees, concludes the manuscript, do the most useful, and seemingly the most obvious, arts make their way among mankind.

19.  Without placing too implicit faith in the account above given, it must be agreed that if a worthy pretext for so dangerous an experiment as setting houses on fire (especially in these days) could be assigned in favor of any culinary object that pretext and excuse might be found in Roast Pig.

Definitions.—­3.  Youn’kers, young persons. 4.  An-te-di-lu’-vi-an (literally, existing before the flood), very ancient.  Make’shlft, that which answers a need with the best means at hand. 6.  Pre-mon’i-to-ry, giving previous warning. 8.  Re-trib’u-to-ry, rewarding, retaliating. 12.  En-joined’, ordered, commanded. l3.  Ob-nox’-ious (pro. oh-nok’shus), liable to censure, offensive. 18.  Dy’nas-ty, sovereignty, reign. 19.  Im-plic’it, trusting without doubt.  Cu’li-na-ry, relating to the kitchen.

Notes.—­1.  Abyssinia is a country of eastern Africa.

2.  Confucius (pro.  Con-fu’she-us; the Chinese name is Kong-fu-tse’, pro.  Kong-foot-sa’) was a celebrated Chinese philosopher (b. 551 B.C.) who did much for the moral improvement of his country.

The Golden Age was supposed to be that period in the various stages of human civilization when the greatest simplicity existed; the fruits of the earth sprang up without cultivation, and spring was the only season.

13.  Pekin is the capital of China.  An assize town is a town where the assizes, or periodical sittings of a court, are held.

17.  Locke (b. 1632, d. 1704) was one of the most illustrious of English philosophers.

CXI.  A PEN PICTURE.

William Black (b. 1841,—–­) is one of the leading modern novelist of England.  The scenes of his stories are for the most part laid in Scotland, and he excels in the delineation of Scotch character.  But his most remarkable power is seen in those vivid, poetical descriptions of scenery, of which the following selection, adapted from “The Princess of Thule,” is a good example.  Mr. Black’s most noted works, in addition to the one named, are:  “A Daughter of Heth,” “The Strange Adventures of a Phaeton,” “Kilmeny,” and “McLeod of Dare.”

1.  Lavender had already transformed Sheila into a heroine during the half hour of their stroll from the beach and around the house; and as they sat at dinner on this still, brilliant evening in summer, he clothed her in the garments of romance.

2.  Her father, with his great, gray beard and heavy brow, became the King of Thule, living in this solitary house overlooking the sea, and having memories of a dear sweetheart.  His daughter, the Princess, had the glamour of a thousand legends dwelling in her beautiful eyes; and when she walked by the shores of the Atlantic, that were now getting yellow under the sunset, what strange and unutterable thoughts must appear in the wonder of her face!