106 THE STORY OF MY LIFE [1840
the multitude of figures always left something to be discovered. At the end of the room was a " horse " — a sort of stilted chair on high springs, for exercise on wet days.
In the evenings my mother used to read aloud to her old parents. Miss Strickland's "Queens of England " came out then, and were all read aloud in turn. If I found the book beyond my comprehension, I was allowed, till about six years old, to amuse myself with some ivory fish, which I believe were intended for card-markers. Occasionally Margaret, the housemaid, read aloud, and very well too. She also sang beautifully, having been thoroughly well trained by Mrs. Leycester, and I never hear the Collect, "Lord of all power and might" without thinking of her. Grannie was herself celebrated for reading aloud, having been taught by Mrs. Siddons, with whom her family were very intimate, and she gave me the lessons she had received, making me repeat the single line, " The quality of Mercy is not strained," fifty or sixty times over, till I had exactly the right amount of intonation on each syllable, her delicate ear detecting the slightest fault. Afterwards I was allowed to read — to devour — an old brown copy of " Percy's Reliques," and much have I learnt from those noble old ballads. How cordially I agree with Professor Shairp, who said that if any one made serious study of only two books — Percy's " Reliques " and Scott's "Minstrelsy" — he would "give himself the finest, freshest, and most inspiring poetic education that is possible in our age."
My mother's "religion" made her think readingn were still to be found in spring under the moss-grown apple-trees.lergy, driving back late afterwards through, the hot lanes. I always liked this expedition and scram-is a safe punishment for naughtiness, more safe, I think, than giving a reward for goodness. c If you are naughty I must punish you,' is often a necessary threat: but it is not good to hold out ad (J<><1 to forgive him for !*'in^ so nau^Imhr- and the most attractive in Florence. thru