ARMINIUS. BACK, back; he fears not foaming flood Go earn Rome's chain to load thy neck, With all the gauds of guilt. But wouldst thou have me share the prey? By all that I have done, The Varian bones that day by day Lie whitening in the sun; The legion's trampled panoply, Ho, call me here the wizard, boy, When swords are out, and shriek and shout No fetter on man's arm or heart I curse him by the gifts the land I curse him by our country's gods, The breakers of the Roman rods, Oh, misery, that such a ban And worthy of a brother's pride, But it is past!-where heroes press Arminius is not brotherless, His brethren are the free. They come around :-one hour, and light Then onward, onward to the fight, To-night, to-night, when we shall meet In combat face to face, Then only would Arminius greet The renegade's embrace. The canker of Rome's guilt shall be Upon his dying name; And as he lived in slavery, So shall he fall in shame. VERSES ON SEEING THE SPEAKER ASLEEP IN HIS CHAIR IN ONE OF THE DEBATES OF THE FIRST REFORMED PARLIAMENT. SLEEP, Mr. Speaker, 't is surely fair If you may n't in your bed, that you should in your chair. Louder and longer now they grow, Tory and Radical, Ay and No; Talking by night and talking by day. Sleep, Mr. Speaker, sleep while you may! Sleep, Mr. Speaker; slumber lies Some disorderly thing will do; Sleep, Mr. Speaker, sleep while you may ! Sleep, Mr. Speaker. Sweet to men Is the sleep that cometh but now and then, Sleep, Mr. Speaker, Harvey will soon Sleep, Mr. Speaker, and dream of the time, When Grant was a pupil in Canning's school, And Palmerston fancied Wood a fool. Lord, how principles pass away— Sleep, Mr. Speaker, sleep while you may. |