This was the truest warrior
  That ever buckled sword;
This the most gifted poet
  That ever breathed a word. 
And never earth’s philosopher
  Traced with his golden pen
On the deathless page truths half so sage
  As he wrote down for men.

And had he not high honor?—­
  The hillside for a pall,
To lie in state, while angels wait,
  With stars for tapers tall;
And the dark rock-pines, like tossing plumes,
  Over his bier to wave,
And God’s own hand in that lonely land
  To lay him in the grave,—­

In that strange grave without a name,
  Whence his uncoffined clay
Shall break again, O wondrous thought! 
  Before the judgment day,
And stand with glory wrapt around
  On the hills he never trod;
And speak of the strife, that won our life,
  With the incarnate son of God.

O lonely grave in Moab’s land! 
  O dark Beth-peor’s hill! 
Speak to these curious hearts of ours,
  And teach them to be still. 
God hath his mysteries of grace,
  Ways that we cannot tell;
He hides them deep, like the hidden sleep
  Of him He loved so well.

_—­Cecil Frances Alexander._

THE HISTORY OF JOSHUA

After Moses, Joshua was duke and leader of the children of Israel, and brought them into the land of behest, and did many great battles.  For whom God showed many great marvels and in especial one; that was that the sun stood still at his request, till he had overcome his enemies, by the space of a day.  And our Lord, when he fought, sent down such hail-stones that slew more of his enemies with the stones than with man’s hand.

Joshua was a noble man and governed well Israel, and divided the land unto the twelve tribes by lot.  And when he was an hundred and ten years old he died.  And divers dukes after him judged and deemed Israel, of whom be noble histories, as of Jephthah, Gideon, and Samson, which I pass over unto the histories of the kings, which is read in holy church from the first Sunday after Trinity Sunday, unto the first Sunday of August.

THE HISTORY OF SAUL

The first Sunday after Trinity Sunday unto the first Sunday of the month of August is read the Book of Kings.

This history maketh mention that there was a man named Elkanah which had two wives, that one was named Hannah, and the name of the second Peninnah.  Peninnah had children and Hannah had none but was barren.  The good man at such days as he was bounden, went to his city for to make his sacrifice and worship God.  In this time Hophni and Phineas sons of Eli, the great priest, were priests of our Lord.  This Elkanah gave to Peninnah at such times as he offered, to her sons and daughters, certain parts, and unto Hannah he gave but one part.  Peninnah did much sorrow and reproof to Hannah because she