was a shrewd fellow, winked at the manifest iniquity of
the decision; and when the court was dismissed, went privily, and bought
up all the pigs that could be had for love or money. In a few days his
lordship's townhouse was observed to be on fire.

16. The thing took wing, and now there was nothing to be seen but fire in
every direction. Fuel and pigs grew enormously dear all over the district.
The insurance offices one and all shut up shop. People built slighter and
slighter every day, until it was feared that the very science of
architecture would in no long time be lost to the world.

17. Thus this custom of firing houses continued till in process of time,
says my manuscript, a sage arose, like our Locke, who made a discovery
that the flesh of swine, or indeed of any other animal, might be cooked
(burnt, as they called it) without the necessity of consuming a whole
house to dress it.

18. Then first began the rude form of a gridiron. Roasting by the string
or spit came in a century or two later; I forget in whose dynasty. By such
slow degrees, concludes the manuscript, do the most useful, and seemingly
the most obvious, arts make their way among mankind.

19. Without placing too implicit faith in the account above given, it must
be agreed that if a worthy pretext for so dangerous an experiment as
setting houses on fire (especially in these days) could be assigned in
favor of any culinary object that pretext and excuse might be found in
Roast Pig.

DEFINITIONS.--3. Youn'kers, young persons. 4. An-te-di-lu'-vi-an
(literally, existing before the flood), very ancient. Make'shlft, that
which answers a need with the best means at hand. 6. Pre-mon'i-to-ry,
giving previous warning. 8. Re-trib'u-to-ry, rewarding, retaliating. 12.
En-joined', ordered, commanded. l3. Ob-nox'-ious (pro. oh-nok'shus),
liable to censure, offensive. 18. Dy'nas-ty, sovereignty, reign. 19.
Im-plic'it, trusting without doubt. Cu'li-na-ry, relating to the kitchen.

NOTES.--1. Abyssinia is a country of eastern Africa.

2. Confucius (pro. Con-fu'she-us; the Chinese name is Kong-fu-tse', pro.
Kong-foot-sa') was a celebrated Chinese philosopher (b. 551 B.C.) who did
much for the moral improvement of his country.

The Golden Age was supposed to be that period in the various stages of
human civilization when the greatest simplicity existed; the fruits of the
earth sprang up without cultivation, and spring was the only season.

13. Pekin is the