Diseases haunt our frail humanity; Self-wandering through the noon, the night, they glide Voiceless Know then this awful truth-it is not given To elude the wisdom of omniscient Heaven. That these two subjects have been favorites with. many poets, is apparent from the selections given. The student is also referred to "Prometheus; or, the Poet's Forethought," "Epimetheus; or, the Poet's Afterthought," and "The Masque of Pandora," all by Longfellow. In them we discover how the modern poet adapts ancient classic thought to the expression of his own ideas. Icarus was the son of Dædalus, whose fame rests upon his building of the Labyrinth for Minos, king of Crete. The story of "The Minotaur," by Hawthorne, explains the design of this building. IC'ARUS. JOHN G. SAXE. I. There lived and flourished long ago, in famous Athens town, One Dædalus, a carpenter of genius and renown ; ('Twas he who with an auger taught mechanics how to bore,An art which the philosophers monopolized before.) II. His only son was Ic'arus, a most precocious lad, The pride of Mrs. Dædalus, the image of his dad ; And while he yet was in his teens such progress he had made, He'd got above his father's size, and much above his trade. III. Now Dedalus, the carpenter, had made a pair of wings, Contrived of wood and feathers and a cunning set of springs, By means of which the wearer could ascend to any height, And sail about among the clouds as easy as a kite! IV. “O father," said young Icarus, "how I should like to fly! V. "Oh, wouldn't it be jolly though, to stop at all the inns; VI. "O father, please to let me go!" was still the urchin's cry: "I'll be extremely careful, sir, and won't go very high; Oh, if this little pleasure trip you only will allow, I promise to be back again in time to fetch the cow!" VII. "You're rather young," said Dædalus, " to tempt the upper air; But take the wings and mind your eye with very special care; And keep at least a thousand miles below the nearest star. Young lads, when out upon a lark, are apt to go too far!" VIII. He took the wings that foolish boy-without the least dis may; His father stuck 'em on with wax, and so he soared away; Up, up he rises like a bird, and not a moment stops And still he flies IX. away- away; it seems the merest fun; No marvel he is getting bold, and aiming at the sun; No marvel he forgets his sire; it isn't very odd That one so far above the earth should think himself a god! X. Already in his silly pride, he's gone too far aloft ; The heat begins to scorch his wings; the wax is waxing soft; Down-down he goes! - Alas! next day poor Icarus was found Afloat upon the Ægean Sea, extremely damp and drowned! L'ENVOI. The moral of this mournful tale is plain enough to all: And never try to scale the sky with other people's wings! NOTE. The student should also read "The New Icarus" by Lucian. A translation of some of Lucian's Satires and Dialogues is published in cheap form by John B. Alden, New York. GROUP III. EVENTS PRECEDING THE TROJAN WAR. THE APPLE OF DISCORD. Ar the marriage of Pē'leus and Thē'tis, all the deities were present except E'ris (Discord). Indignant at not being invited, she determined to cause dissension, and threw into the midst of the guests a golden apple, with the inscription on it, "For the Fairest." The claims of all others were obliged to yield to those of Hera (Juno), Pallas Athene (Minerva), and Aphrodite (Venus), and the decision was left to Paris, son of Priam, king of Troy, who, ignorant of his noble birth, was at that time feeding flocks on Mount Ida. Hermes conducted the rival beauties to the young shepherd. Each tried to bribe Paris to decide in her favor by promising him what she thought he desired most. Hera offered him power as a ruler over extensive dominions, if he would award the prize to her; Athené promised him fame in war; Aphrodite promised him the fairest woman in Greece for his wife, and to her, the queen of beauty, he awarded the prize. Paris soon afterward deserted his wife, none, and carried off Helen, the wife of Menela'us, king of Sparta. This was the immediate cause of the Trojan War. Tennyson's "none" tells this story: There lies a vale in Ida, lovelier Than all the valleys of Ionian hills. The swimming vapor slopes athwart the glen, Behind the valley topmost Gargarus Stands up and takes the morning: but in front The crown of Troas. Hither came at noon Mournful (Enone, wandering forlorn Of Paris, once her playmate on the hills. Her cheek had lost the rose, and round her neck "O mother Ida, many-fountain'd Ida, |