4. The countries where the most memoravie events have happened are the following, Palestine, Egypt, Phoenicia, Assyria, Persia, Greece, and Rome in ancient times, and different parts of Europe and America in modern times. In this book, by ancient times, is meant those ages of the world which existed before the birth of Jesus Christ our Saviour, and by modern times, the years that have elapsed since the year 800.

5 Palestine is a small country the boundaries of which are not very well known* but it is in Asiatic Turkey, and lies at the head of the Mediterranean. A part of this coast of the Mediterranean comprehended Phoenicia. Egypt is in Africa, and connected to the country of Palestine by the Isthmus of Suez. Assyria lay north of the Persian gulf, and ancient Persia was probably the country which is seen upon modern maps under that name. Greece was the southern part of European Turkey. Rome is a city of Italy on the Tiber; this city was the beginning of a great empire which in the time of our Saviour included all the countries that surround the Mediterranean Sea.

*Dr Clarke.

LESSON II.

Definitions of Historical Terms.

History, is a written account of what men have done in any country.

Ancient History, is the history of events which happened in the world before the birth of Christ. Modern History, is the history of what has happened in the world for about one thousand years last past.

Civil or political History, is the history of wars, treaties, kingdoms and states.

Ecclesiastical History, is the history of religion and the church.

Sacred History, is that contained in the Bible. Profane History, is that which is not contained

in the Bible.

Fabulous History, is that which was related from one person to another before writing was invented and which is only true in part.

Different countries have different forms of government. The government of a king or emperor alone, without any laws to regulate him, except his own conscience and will, is a DESPOTISM. This form of government is generally adopted by very ignorant people, who have no written laws, nor learning enough to read those of other nations, nor wisdom to compose any for themselves. The Turks and Russians at the present time have such a government.

A limited monarchy is that of a king who is himself instructed by the laws how he shall go

vern, and who, if he does not govern himself by the laws, is tried by them; he is also assisted in his government by persons chosen out of the whole nation, called representatives of the people, and he makes war and peace with the consent of the nation. The government of Great Britain at this time is a limited monarchy.

A king's prerogative is his right to do, or refuse to do certain things according to his own will.

A republic is the government of a number of persons chosen by the men of the nation to regulate publick affairs according to the laws, or to amend the laws, and make new ones if necessary. The government of the United States is of this class. A republick is also called an elective government, because its officers are elected, or chosen.

When there are only a few people in a country, when they do not buy and sell among other nations, but cultivate the fields, and exchange what they have, or make, among one another, the younger consult the old people and follow their direction. This is a patriarchal government, and now perhaps can only be found among small tribes of people in Africa and Asia, but the history of Abraham and Lot affords examples of it in ancient times.

A military government is that of a great officer at the head of a large army. Having soldiers at his command he can at any time make men obedient through fear for their property and lives.

Hierarchy, is the government of a priest or religious ruler, the Pope's government in Italy is a hierarchy.

Anarchy, is no government at all, a state of confusion in public affairs.

Aristocracy. In some countries when a parent dies his property is equally divided among the children who survive him, but in other countries the laws require that the larger part of a man's fortune should belong to the eldest son of the family. This property which belongs to the eldest son cannot be sold, and is called an entailed estate. The eldest son has, among the lords or the nobility of a country, a title different from the family name of his brothers. All noblemen of the first rank have a different appellation or title from others of the same family: thus, in England, the duke of Bedford's name is Russell, and his brother is lord John, or lord William Russell.

The fortune derived from parents is hereditary property. The eldest sons of lords, or noblemen are the aristocracy of a country-their property is their birth right. Esau sold his birth right, his inheritance as the eldest son of Isaac.

Constitution, the political rules by which a nation or people agree to be governed.

Legislature, an assembly of law makers, law givers. Moses was the Hebrew legislator. Monarch, a King.

Nation, people of a country.

State, people governed by laws and having rulers.

2*

LESSON III.

The Bible.

The Bible is now translated into all langua. ges of civilized men, and even into some of those of barbarous nations. This book has not been very long universally known in Europe. After the Christian religion was adopted in the Roman empire A. D. 336, the Old and New Testaments were translated into Latin and distributed in manuscripts over the provinces. Various Greek and Hebrew manuscripts besides these Latin ones were preserved by religious persons.

2. Few people knew how to read, and the Roman Catholic religion which forbade the people to read the scriptures, being the Christianity of Europe after the sixth century, prevented them from learning any thing of the Bible except what they were told by the priests. The Latin Bible was carried by the Romans to England, and a Saxon Bible was also known there A. D. 701.

3. In 1380, before the art of printing was invented, John Wickliffe first translated the Bible into the English language. When printing came into use Bibles became common. The Roman Catholic priests did not like this, and one preached thus, "We must root out printing or printing will root out us." He meant, that when men by the art of printing should be taught truth without ministers of religion, or priests, the ministers would not be respected and supported as they then were, but fall into disgrace if they should not be