Wo in thy frown-in thy smile victory! Hear my lăst prayer!—I ask no mortal wreath; Let but these eyes my rescued country see, Then take my spirit, All Omnipotent, to thee. Now for the fight-now for the cannon-peal- They shake-like broken waves their squares retire,- LESSON CLXXXVII. Extract from "Heaven and Earth,-A Mystery."-By RAPHAEL, the Archangel.-Noah.—Japhet Japhet. ОH, say not so, Father! and thou, Archangel, thou! Celestial mercy lurks below That pure serenity of brow. Let them not meet this sea without a shore! Noah. Peace! child of passion, peace! If not within thy heart, yet with thy tongue Live as he wills it-die, when he ordains, And bear what Adam's race must bear, and can. Floating upon the azure desert, and The depth beneath us hides our own dear land, And dearer, silent friends and brethren, all Buried in its immeasurable breast, Who, who, our tears, our shrieks shall then command? Renew not Adam's fall: But they are numerous now as are the waves, And the tremendous rain, Whose drops shall be less thick than would their graves, Were graves permitted to the sons of Cain. Noah. Silence, vain boy! each word of thine's a crime! Angel! forgive this stripling's fond despair. Japh. Hark! hark! deep sounds, and deeper still, Yet quivers every leaf, and drops each blossom: In clouds they overspread the lurid sky, And hover round the mountain, where before Never a white wing, wetted by the wave, Yet dared to soar; Even when the waters waxed too fierce to brave. And then no more! Japh. The sun! the sun! He riseth, but his better light is gone, His glaring disk around, Proclaims Earth's låst of summer days hath shone! The distant thunder's harbinger, appears! It cometh! hence, away, Leave to the elements their evil prey! Hence, to where our all-hallowed ark uprears Its safe and wreckless sides. Japh. Oh, father, stay' Leave not my Anah to the swallowing tides! Noah. Must we not leave all life to such? Begone! Japh. Not I. Noah. Then die With them. How dar'st thou look on that prophetic sky, And seek to save what all things else condemn, In overwhelming unison With just Jehovah's wrath? Japh. Can rage and justice join in the same path? He knows not what he says, yet shall not drink But be, when passion passeth, good as thou, LESSON CLXXXVIII. Speech of Catiline before the Roman Senate, on hearing his sentence of banishment.-CROLY'S Catiline. L chain ! BANISHED from Rome! what's banished, but set free But here I stand and scoff you :--here I fling Traitor!' I go-but I return. This trial! Or make the infant's sinews strong as steel. This day's the birth of sorrows! This hour's work Will breed proscriptions.-Look to your hearths, my lords, For there henceforth shall sit, for household gods, Shapes hot from Tartarus !—all shames and crimes ;— Wan Treachery, with his thirsty dagger drawn; LESSON CLXXXIX. Dialogue between HAMLET and HORATIO.-SHAKSPEARE. Horatio. HAIL to your lordship! Hamlet. I am glad to see you well : Horatio or I do forget myself. Hor. The same, my lord, and your poor servant ever. Ham. Sir, my good friend; I'll change that name with you. And what make you from Wittenberg, Horatio? Hor. A truant disposition, good my lord. Ham. I would not hear your enemies say so; Nor shall you do mine ear that violence. We'll teach you to drink deep ere you depart. Hor. My lord, I came to see your father's funeral. I think it was to see my mother's wedding. Hor. Indeed, my lord, it followed hard upon. Ham. Thrift, thrift, Horatio; the funeral baked meats My father-methinks I see my father- Ham. In my mind's eye, Horatio. Hor. I saw him once; he was a goodly king. I shall not look upon his like again. Hor. My lord, I think I saw him yesternight. Hor. My lord, the king, your father. Ham. The king, my father! Hor. Season your admiration for a while, With an attent ear; till I may deliver Ham. For heaven's love let me hear. Hor. Two nights together had those gentlemen, Marcellus and Bernardo, on their watch, In the dead waist and middle of the night, Been thus encountered: a figure, like your father, Appears before them, and, with solemn march, Stand dumb, and speak not to him. This to me, And I with them, the third night, kept the watch: Form of the thing, each word made true and good, Ham. But where was this? Hor. My lord, upon the platform where we watched. Ham. Did you not speak to it? Hor. My lord, I did; But answer made it none. Yet once, methought, It lifted up its head, and did address Itself to motion, like as it would speak: But, even then, the morning cock crew loud; Ham. 'Tis very strange. Hor. As I do live, my honored lord, 'tis true; Ham. Indeed, indeed, Sir, but this troubles me, Hold you the watch to-night? Hor. We do, my lord. Ham. Armed, say you? Hor. Armed, my lord. Hor. My lord, from head to foot. Ham. Then saw you not his face. Hor. O, yes, my lord; he wore his beaver up. Ham. What, looked he frowningly? |