SIR WALTER RALEIGH.

Sir Walter Raleigh was born at Hayes Farm in Devonshire, 1552, and was beheaded in London, 1618. He is memorable for his understanding, his knowledge, and his enterprising spirit. During the reign of Elizabeth, Raleigh performed many honourable services in the British navy, and fitted out, and sometimes accompanied, ships of discovery which explored the coasts of North and South America. After the accession of James I. of England, who was Elizabeth's successor, Raleigh was indicted and tried for treason, upon the charge of attempting to place Lady Arabella Stuart upon the throne of England; and though he was not condemned, he suffered fifteen years of imprisonment. When Raleigh was liberated, he obtained a commission from the King, and commanded an expedition against Guiana, in South America. In this enterprize he was unsuccessful, though he committed some depredations upon the Spaniards who were in possession of the country. On his return to England he was tried upon the former accusation, and sentenced to death. The sentence was immediately executed, and a life of singular vicissitudes, in which the prosperity was adorned by eminent accomplishments, and the adversity sustained by admirable fortitude, was thus cruelly terminated.

SPENSER.

UNA AND THE REDCROSS KNIGHT.

"The heavenly Una and her milk-white lamb."-Wordsworth.
"A gentle knight* was pricking on the plain,
Yclad in mighty arms and silver shield,
Wherein old dints of deep wounds did remain,
The cruel marks of many a bloody field;
Yet arms till that time did he never wield;
His angry steed did chide his foaming bit,
As much disdaining to the curb to yield:

Full jolly knight he seem'd, and fair did sit,

As one for knightly jousts* and fierce encounters fit.

But on his breast a bloody cross he bore,
The dear remembrance of his dying Lord,
For whose sweet sake that glorious badge he wore,
And dead (as living) ever him ador'd:

Upon his shield the like was also scor'd,†

For sovereign hope, which in his help he had :
Right faithful true he was in deed and word;
But of his cheer did seem too solemn sad:
Yet nothing did he dread; but ever was ydrad.

Upon a great adventure he was bound,
That greatest Gloriana to him

gave,
That greatest glorious queen of fairy lond,
To win him worship, and her grace to have,
Which of all earthly things he most did crave;
And ever as he rode his heart did yearn
To prove his puissance in battle brave
Upon his foe, and his new force to learn;
Upon his foe, a dragon horrible and stern.

A lovely lady rode him fair beside,

Upon a lowly ass more white than snow;
Yet she much whiter, but the same did hide
Under a veil, that wimpled§ was full low,
And over all a black stole|| she did throw,
As one that inly mourn'd; so was she sad,
And heavy sat upon her palfry slow;

Seemed in heart some hidden care she had,
And by her in a line a milk-white lamb she led.

So
pure an innocent, as that same lamb,
She was in life and every virtuous lore,
And by descent from royal lineage came
Of ancient kings and queens, that had of yore

Contests of skill at arms.

Drawn closely.

+ Engrayed.
Robe.

+ Dreaded.

Their sceptres stretcht from east to western shore,
And all the world in their subjection held;
Till that infernal fiend with foul uproar
Forewasted all their land and them expell'd:
Whom to avengo, she had this knight from far compell'd.

Behind her far away a dwarf did lag,
That lazy seem'd in being ever last,
Or wearied with bearing of her bag

Of needments at his back. Thus as they past
The day with clouds was sudden overcast,
And angry Jove an hideous storm of rain
Did pour into his leman's lap so fast,

That every wight to shroud it did constrain,
And this fair couple eke to shroud themselves were fain.
Enforc'd to seek some covert nigh at hand,
A shady grove not far away they spied,
That promis'd aid the tempest to withstand;
Whose lofty trees, yclad with summer's pride,
Did spread so broad, they heaven's light did hide,
Not pierceable with power of any star:
And all within were paths and alleys wide,
With footing worn, and leading inward far :
Fair harbour, that them seems; so in they entred are.

And forth they pass, with pleasure forward led,
Joying to hear the birds' sweet harmony,

Which therein shrouded from the tempest's dread,
Seem'd in their song to scorn the cruel sky.
Much can they praise the trees so strait and high,
The sailing Pine, the Cedar proud and tall,
The vine-prop Elm, the Poplar never dry,
The builder Oak, sole king of forests all,
The Aspin good for staves, the Cypress funeral,
The Laurel, meed of mighty conquerors
And poets sage, the Fir that weepeth still,
The Willow, worn of forlorn paramours,
The Yew, obedient to the bender's will,

The Birch for shafts, the Sallow for the mill,
The Myrrh sweet bleeding in the bitter wound,
The warlike Beech, the Ash for nothing ill,
The fruitful Olive, and the Plantain round,
The carver Holme, the Maple seldom inward sound:

Led with delight they thus beguile the way,
Until the blustering storm is overblown,
When, weening* to return, whence they did stray,
They cannot find that path which first was shown,
But wander to and fro in ways unknown,

Furthest from end then, when they nearest ween,
That makes them doubt their wits be not their own:
So many paths, so many turnings seen,

That which of them to take, in divers doubts they been.

These verses are easily comprehended. Every young person should know something of chivalry. That institution once had great influence upon the manners and happiness of Europe. The situation of Una, and the nature of her protector's character and office, will not be understood without some acquaintance with the meaning of chivalry.

CHIVALRY.

The origin of Chivalry was briefly this:-France, Spain, England, Germany, Italy and Holland, once belonged to the Roman Empire; but armies from the North of Europe invaded these more southern countries, overthrew the Roman power, and at different times took possession of the places they conquered. When they made themselves masters of a country, the great leaders of the armies took large tracts of land, and their followers, that is the soldiers they commanded, together with such of the original inhabitants of the countries as they permitted to live, became the vassals of these great men. * Presuming.

These poor people were not acquainted with the use ful arts or comforts of life that we enjoy, but they could take care of cattle, cultivate the soil in a rude and imperfect manner, could help to erect the castles and churches of their masters, and could follow him to battle. This latter service, together with a great part of the cattle and corn which they could procure from the cultivation of the soil, they gave to their lords. The lords always kept many of their vassals in their houses or castles, and usually went out with a considerable number of them as attendants. This was partly for show, and partly for safety. These followers were called Retainers, and when they went abroad with their master formed his Retinue. The more people a great lord had about his person, the better was he guarded, and the more was he feared.

In the present happier age of the world, when every man has his own business, and property, and leisure, and enjoyments, no great man has any right to the services of so many of his fellow-men; nor has he any need of them, for he has nothing to fear from the violence of others he is protected by the laws of his country, and what is better, by the humanity of all men who have learned, in some measure, to respect one another's lives and property, and to know, in order that all may be happy, all must be safe, and protected by each other.

But a thousand years ago men lived very differently. The lands which had been seized by the great lords of Europe, were not exactly bounded, each proprietor or landholder did not precisely know how much belonged to himself: so that the owners of property which lay together often claimed the same; and as there were not courts of justice to inquire into and settle their rights, they and their vassals fought about them. Many of the richer and more powerful lords, wanting to become still more rich and powerful, and having no sense of religion, of justice, or mercy-none of the fear of God or love of man-murdered their neighbours, set fire to their houses, carried off their property, and claimed their lands: on