35. "There mark what ills the Scholar's life assail,

36.

37.

38.

Toil, envy, want, the patron, and the jail.

See nations slowly wise, and meanly just,

To buried merit raise the tardy bust."

Did Johnson experience any of the "ills” he names?

Why does he complain of nations being "slowly" wise, and

"meanly" just?

"His fall was destined to a barren strand,

A petty fortress and a dubious hand;

He left a name, at which the world grew pale,

To point a moral or adorn a tale."

To whom does Johnson apply these verses?

To what early kings of England are they, with slight alteration, equally applicable; and what modern 'tale' does his name ' adorn'?

"At length his sovereign frowns-the train of state

Mark the keen glance, and watch the sign to hate.
Where'er he turns he meets a stranger's eye,
His suppliants scorn him, and his followers fly;
Now drops at once the pride of awful state,
The golden canopy, the glittering plate,
The regal palace, the luxurious board,
The liveried army, and the menial lord;
With age, with cares, with maladies opprest,

He seeks the refuge of monastic rest,

Grief aids disease, remembered folly stings,

And his last sighs reproach the faith of Kings.”

The meaning of the italics.

What did a 'state' formerly signify?

In what words did Wolsey "reproach the faith of Kings?"

"Must helpless man, in ignorance sedate,

Roll darkling down the torrent of his fate?"

The literal meaning of these verses

What poet had the credit of coining "darkling?" and justly or unjustly?

39. Explain the meaning, and derivation of 'sycophant;' the meaning of 'madded;' 'modish ;' 'palladium ;' 'farce;' 'motley.'

CAMPBELL'S PHILOSOPHY OF RHETORIC.-Books I. II.

Morning Paper.

1. What is Campbell's definition of Eloquence? and what are the ends to one or other of which, as its end, every discourse must be adapted?

2. In what sense does he always use the word 'pathetic'? Explain what he means by 'the vehement.'

3. In what do Wit and Humour consist, and what is the distinction between them?

4. Point out and explain briefly all the witty or humorous ideas in the following passages:

(3.) "For some think that the spirit is apt to feed on the flesh, like hungry wines upon raw beef; others believe there is a perpetual game at leap-frog between both; and sometimes the flesh is uppermost and sometimes the spirit; adding that the former, while it is in the state of a rider, wears huge spurs; and when it comes to the turn of being bearer, is wonderfully headstrong and hard-mouthed."

5. What are the differences between demonstrative and probable or moral evidence?

6. He maintains that every syllogism necessarily involves a petitio principii. Examine the grounds on which this doctrine rests.

7. Enumerate the circumstances that are chiefly instrumental in operating on the passions. Shew how they are made use of in Antony's speech over the body of Cæsar.

8. Explain wherein probability and plausibility differ. Do you, with Campbell, consider them "totally distinct."

d

Afternoon Paper.

1. What are the distinguishing qualifications of that use which is the sole standard of style? Explain their import and extent.

2. In the following instances of divided use, point out to which you assign the preference, and on what principle.

(1.) By consequence or of consequence. (2.) Scarcely or scarce. (3.) Substraction. (4.) Contemporary or cotemporary. (5.) Though it be never so great or ever so great. (6.) Accept or accept of.

3. What are the canons by which you would judge many words and phrases favoured by good use not worthy to be retained? Mention some which you would reject.

4. Shew how former use differs from present use, in the words state and estate, property and propriety, import and importance, decompound, affect.

5. To what faults are the names barbarism, solecism, impropriety applied?

6. What does Campbell mean by an idiotism? Mention some.

7. What is the result which, Quintilian says, ought to be sought and obtained by perspicuity?

8. Point out any faults, obscurities, or vulgarisms which occur in the following passages: and remove them by as slight alterations as possible.

(1.) This noble nation hath of all others admitted fewer corruptions. (2.) The greatest masters of critical learning differ among one another. (3.) The conscience of approving one's self a benefactor to mankind is the noblest recompense for being so.

(4.) He aimed at nothing less than the crown.

(5.) He seeks something for beguiling the heavy hours of life.

(6.) Is not man superior to the brutes? For what? It is for reason— reason alone that he is considered as the Lord of the Creation.

(7.) If youth be spent in idleness, we will have occasion to experience in old age the want of that knowledge we have missed to acquire.

(8.) The calamities or happiness of children are due to the negligence or good conduct of parents.

(9.) We surely pity that man who neglects the faculties with which nature has endowed him: because he will entirely turn a great vagabond. (10.) "Howbeit not this" (patriarchal government) "the only kind of regiment that hath been received in the world."

(11.) "Sith men naturally have no full and perfect power to command whole politic multitudes of men therefore utterly without our consent we would be at no man's commandment living.

(12.) "In this sort to broach my private conceit for the ordering of a public action I should be loth, (albeit I do it not otherwise than under correction of those whose gravity and wisdom ought in such cases to overrule) but that so venturous boldness I see is a thing now general; and am thereby of good hope that where all men are licensed to offend no man will shew himself a sharp accuser."

(13.) "Among authors of books of any sort of note we recollect of none unless the writer before us who have, &c."

(14.) “If it is any honour, it has been conferred upon me, to have received from Napoleon's heir the literary work which he composed in prison, well knowing, as he did, and expressing his regret for my sentiments on his uncle."

9. Mention, with instances, in what ways Campbell has sometimes transgressed his own canons of style.

History.

FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD CLASSES.

ARNOLD'S ROME, VOL. I.

Morning Paper.

1. Who are the principal authorities for this part of the History of Rome, and what materials did they use? State the marked features of the books of Livy and Dionysius.

2. Mention the chief parts of the Servian constitution, and distinguish between the assemblies of the curies, centuries, and tribes.

What modifications did the Publilian law make?

3. Give the Legend of Tarquinius Superbus, and point out some of the greater inconsistencies in it.

4. Describe the state of the Plebs in the early period of the republic, and give the causes which led to the first secession of the Mons Sacer.

5. What was the nature of the Agrarian laws and the history of Sp. Cassius as connected with them?

6. Give the principal contents of the Laws of the Twelve Tables. By what assembly were they confirmed?

7. Compare the relative positions (political and national) of Rome and Carthage in respect to their neighbours, about A. U. 360.

ELPHINSTONE'S INDIA, VOL. I.

Afternoon Paper.

1. What are the natural divisions of Hindustan and the Dakhan,-and the forest and mineral productions?

2. What is known of the ancient commerce of India; its chief exports

:

and imports and what circumstances tend to shew that its vessels were in the habit of crossing the adjacent seas?

3. Give the principal changes of caste since the time of Menu.

4. Give some account of the Sanscrit Literature.

5. Assuming the identity of Chundragupta and Sandracottus, what date may be assigned to the war of the Maha Bharat? What is the probable age of Menu and the Vedas?

6. What are the prominent claims to originality in Hindu Science, especially in Algebra and Astronomy, and the principal reasons for supposing rather that the Egyptians are indebted to India than the reverse?

7. Mark the limits to the conquests and the sovereignty of Mahomed Ghaznavi.

8. Give his character.

9. Point out the causes which prevented the Arabs from effecting the conquest of India in a similar manner to that of Persia.

FIRST CLASS.

ENGLISH HISTORY.

Morning Paper.

1. In what shape did the feudal system exist in England? Illustrate your account by references to history.

2. What were the principal circumstances which contributed to the rise of the papal supremacy in England from the conquest to the time of John?

3. Give the leading particulars of the quarrel between Henry and Anselm and the compromise effected.

4. On what occasions were the 'Battle of the Standard' and the 'Battle of Bannockburn' fought? State their consequences.

5. What were the great privileges, secured to the nation by Magna Charta?

6. Shew that the stability of kingdoms was advanced by the municipalities and corporations.