Page 172 - Third Book of Reading Lessons

stand.
READING LESSONS.
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and kolossos, in G.-F. statue; I. and L, stafoa, traced to stare, to
Cu 1BIT, n., a measure of a ot and a half :-a measure amon the ancients, which was originally the distance om the elbow, bend­ ing inwards, to the extremity of the middle nger :-the curvature of the arm. L. cubitus ; G. kubiton, om k tein, to bend.
AR1SENAL, n., a repository of things requisite r war; a storehouse or armory; a magazine. F. arsenal; I. arsenate-of doubtful ex­ traction.
H. 1VE , 11., a harbour or port :-that which holds or contains. haven; F. havre; A.S. h fan, om habban, to have.
BRA1ZEN, a., made of brass: from Ger. brasen, to burn or give a burnt or brown colour. A.S. br s, brass, whence, probably, F. bronze. PRODIGIOUS (pro-did'-jus), a., enormous, monstrous, strange. L. pr
digios?,s, omprodigium, a prodigy, or frnm prodigo, I drive rth­ because what i monstro S or excessive should be banished or driven away; pro, and ago, I drive.
ER1CHANT, n., a tra cker; one who tra cs to reign countries. F. marcl1a d, om (L.) merx-mercis, merchandize.
QUIN1TAL, n, a hundred weight :-a quint was so called, because di­ vided into fo·e equal parts of twenty each. F. and S. quintal : of uncertain etymology.
Drnrnu'TioN, n., the state of growing less. F. diminution, om mi­ nor, L., less.
1. DE TRrns, on his rec_onciliation wih the Rho­ dians, was desirous, be re his departure, to give them a testimonial of his iendly disposition ; he accordingly presented them with all the engines of war that he had employed in th siege. These they afterwards sold r three hundred talents, equal in value to three hundred thousand crowns, which they · employed, with an additional sum of tpeir own, in making their mous Colossus (A.M. 3708), which was reputed one of the seven wonders of the world. It was a statue of so stupendous a size, that ships in full sail passed under its legs; the height of it was seventy cubits, or one hundred and ve et, and few men could clasp their arms around its thumb. It
was the work of Chares of Lindns, and employed him r the space of twelve years.
2. In the year of the world, 3782, Rhodes su ered very considerable damages om a great earthquake.
D.