Page 188 - Third Book of Reading Lessons

RE DING LESSONS. 187
styled the "Colosseum," om its magnitude, was erected by Fla­ vius Vespasian, soon after the nal destruction of Jerusalem by bis son Titus. Historians a rm, that no less than 30,000 Jewish cap­ tives were employed at one time on this gigantic edi ce. It meas­ ures 157 feet in height and 1640 in circumference, is of an oval form, was capable of accommodating 100,000 spectators, and cost £3,000,000 sterling. F. amphit eatre; from (G.) amphi, around,
and t eatron, a theatre, om theaomai, I behold.
Tw1'L1GHT, n., the waning light immediately a er the setting (as
here), or be re the rising, of the sun. D. tweelicht; A.S., tweonliht,
dubious light,-tweon, from tweonan, to doubt.
U1NlVERSE, n., the whole system of the world. F. ·univers ,· L. uni-
ers ., om unus, the whole, anJ verto, I turn.
MAGNIF1ICENCE, n., splendour. F. magn cence. "Magnify," p. l 8.
1 PER1MANENCE, n., continuance in the same state (of serenity). See "Permanent," p. 116.
CoNSERVA1TION, n., preservation om decay. F. conservation, om con.erver. I. and L. con.ervo,-con, and servo, I save, I keep.
1 AR1CHITECT, n., the chief Framer or Builder. F. archit,,cte, om (G.) arche, chief, and tekton, a builder, om teucho, I build.
irNUTE', a., little, small. F. minute, from minuere, L., to lessen. H01u'zo , n., the line which bounds or terminates the view. F. L.
:md G. horizon, om horizo, G., I bound :-horos, a boundary.
THESE ruins are highly impressive; yet when I saw them six years ago, they had a stronger e ect on my imagination; whether it was the charm of novelty, or that my mind was fresher, or that the circum-
·stances under which I saw them were peculiar, I know not; but, probably, all these causes operated in a ecting ·my mind. It was a still and beautiful evening in the month of ay; the last sunbeams were dying away in the western sky, and the rst moon-beams shining in the eastern; the bright orange tints lighted up the ruins, and, as it were, kindled the snows that still remained on the distant Apennines, which were visible om the highest accessible part of the amphitheatre. In this glow of colouring, the green of advanced spring softened the grey and yel-_ low tints of the decaying stones, and as the lights gradually became fainter, the masses appeared grand­ er and more majestic; and when the twilight had entirely disappeared, the contrast of light and shade