grandfather to his throne. Soon afterwards Romulus left Alba to found a city, and Remus was slain in a dispute, and the city, then founded, was called Rome; which grew rapidly, and became the mistress of the world. ATHENS.—A city of ancient Greece, celebrated for its ambition, valor, and skill in war; but still more celebrated for the surpassing works, in literature and the arts, produced by the great men who flourished there. It was founded by Cecrops and a Colony from Egypt, 1556 years before Christ, being about the time of Moses. LACEDÆMON.-Called also Sparta; a city of ancient Greece, eminently distinguished for the temperance, valor, and warlike achievements of its citizens. l'heir habits were entirely formed by the singular laws of Lycurgus, the great design of which was, to establish a military commonwealth, and to make every citizen a soldier. Their uniform success in war proves that this end was answered; but domestic happiness, and all the arts of peace, were sacrificed in its attainment. CARTHAGE.-Anciently a commercial city in Africa, long a rival, and once almost the conqueror of Rome, and famous for the long and bloody wars it carried on with that city. It was founded by Dido, 869 years before Christ, and was destroyed, 721 years afterwards, by the Romans, under Scipio Africanus. ROME. A famous city, founded, 753 years before Christ, by Romulus; and, at the commencement of the Christian era, the largest, most wealthy, and most powerful city in the world. From its foundation until the reign of Augustus, the city was engaged in incessant warfare: it was the practice of the Romans to close the gates of the Temple of Janus, whenever they were at peace with the whole world; yet the temple was shut but three times during this whole period, being more than 700 years. ADONIS.-A beautiful youth, who was thought by the ancients to have been the favorite of Venus ;— the fable is, that he was cautioned by Venus not to hunt, for fear of being killed; but that he disregarded her advice, and was killed by a wild boar. STYGIAN LAKE.-The river Styx, which was supposed by the ancients to encircle the infernal regions. GOLIATH of Gath was 64 cubits high; which is about 10 feet 4 inches; a cubit being 1916 inches. ALCHYMY. That branch of chemistry which professed to have for its principal object the transmutation of iron, copper, and other metals, into gold. MAGIC-LANTERN.-An optic machine, invented by Kircher, a German divine; by means of which, little colored images are represented on an opposite wall of a dark room; magnified, at pleasure, to any size, and exhibited in their natural vivid colors. STEAM-ENGINE.-A machine employed as the first mover of other machines and engines; its mechanical force being obtained from the alternate expansion and contraction, in volume, of the steam of boiling water. RAIL-WAY.-A track, in rural economy, constructed of iron, stone, timber or other material, upon the level surface of an inclined plane, or other situation, for the purpose of diminishing friction, and thus promoting the easy conveyance of heavy loads of various kinds of articles. ELEPHANT TRAPS.-They are built in the forest, where it is known these animals are fond of going. They consist of two enclosures, one larger than the other, formed by large beams of wood, set in the ground so firmly, and fastened together by cross beams, with so great strength, that the elephants cannot push them down, and rising so high, that they cannot leap over them. It is extremely difficult to entrap this animal, as he is cunning, cautious, and fearful of the designs of man. They can be taken only by stratagem, making use of one of the tame elephants, (having been taught the art of deceiving,) to decoy them into traps. When they have both entered the enclosure, and the gate is shut upon them, by men lying in wait for the purpose, the wild elephant rages round furiously, endeavoring to break down the enclosure; failing of this, he falls to beating the tame elephant with his trunk, until one of the hunters enters and pricks him with a pointed pole : he then leaves beating the tame elephant, and pursues the hunter, who escapes for life between the beams. The whole process of catching and taming this animal, is long and tedious, and attended with great danger. FIRE-FLIES.-These insects emit and conceal their light, which resembles sparks of fire, as uniformly, as if it proceeded from a machine of the most exact contrivance. THE CORAL, OR MADREPORE, is a rock which is formed by a small marine insect, or polypus, of the torrid zone. A portion of the rock seems to be first formed by these animals on the bed of the ocean, upon which others build, until the mass rises to the surface, in the form of coral reefs. Sand, shells, and other substances, are thrown upon them by the waves; and they become the resort of sea-birds. Small animals and the seeds of vegetables are then lodged upon them from floating wood or sea-weed; and they are at length covered with soil, and prepared for the habitations of man. Several harbors of the Red Sea have been blocked up by the labors of these animals. ROYAL PALM-See page 208. WILLIAM TELL.-He was one of the heroes of Swiss liberty, in the beginning of the fourteenth century; a man of property, and of good, though not distinguished family. He lived in the village of Burgeln, in the country of Uri. In 1307, the bailiff, or governor, Herman Gesler, being suspicious, that Tell and others were plotting an insurrection, resolved to ascertain who would most patiently submit to his dominion. For this purpose, he is said to have raised a hat upon a pole, as an emblem of liberty, and commanded Tell, among others, to pay obeisance to it. Tell, a friend to freedom, disdained to honor, in a servile manner, and on an arbitrary command, even its emblem. For which reason, according to the current story, Tell was ordered to shoot at an apple placed on his son's head. His skill, courage and sentiments displayed on this occasion, (as may be seen in the lesson,) excited in the tyrant, Gesler, so great dread of him, as induced him, personally, to carry Tell out of the country, Uri, across the lake of Lucern. A violent storm arising, Gesler, who knew Tell's adroitness in managing a boat, ordered his fetters to be knocked off, and the helm committed to him. Taking advantage of this circumstance, Tell steered the boat close to a rock, leaped upon a flat part of it, scrambled up the precipice, and escaped. Gesler also escaped a watery grave, but, landing near Kusnatch, fell by an arrow from the bow of Tell. In 1354, forty-seven years after this event, Tell is supposed to have lost his life by an inundation at Burgeln. A chapel has been erected by his countrymen on the spot where he resided, and another on the rock where he landed. |