Why else have you, and your renowned forefathers,
From the proud summit of their glittering thrones,
Cast down the mightiest of your lawful kings,
That dared the bold infringement? What but liberty,
Through the famed course of thirteen hundred years,
Aloof hath held invasion from your hills,

And sanctified their shade?-And will ye, will ye
Shrink from the hopes of the expecting world;
Bid your high honors stoop to foreign insult,
And in one hour give up to infamy

The harvest of a thousand years of glory?
First Dale.

No.

Second Dale.

Never, never.

Leave not a limb o'er which a Dane may triumph.
Now from my soul I joy, I joy, my friends,
To see ye feared; to see, that even your foes
Do justice to your valor!-There they be,
The powers of kingdoms, summed in yonder host,
Yet kept aloof, yet trembling to assail ye.
And oh, when I look round and see you here,
Of number short, but prevalent in virtue,
My heart swells high, and burns for the encounter.
True courage but from opposition grows,
And what are fifty, what a thousand slaves,
Matched to the sinew of a single arm
That strikes for liberty, that strikes to save
His fields from fire, his infants from the sword,
And his large honors from eternal infamy?
What doubt we then?

Shall we, shall we stand here,

Till motives that might warm an ague's frost,
And nerve the coward's arm, shall poorly serve
To wake us to resistance?Let us on!
O, yes, I read your lovely, fierce impatience;
You shall not be withheld, we will rush on them-
This is indeed to triumph, where we hold
Three kingdoms in our toil! is it not glorious,
Thus to appall the bold, meet force with fury,
And push yon torrent back, till every wave
Flee to its fountain?

And. On, lead us on, Gustavus; one word more Is but delay of conquest.

Take your wish.

Gust.
He, who wants arms, may grapple with the foe,
And so be furnished. You, most noble Anderson,
Divide our powers, and with the famed Olaus
Take the left route.-You, Eric, great in arms!
With the renowned Nederbi, hold the right,
And skirt the forest down; then wheel at once,
Confessed to view, and close upon the vale:
Myself, and my most valiant cousin here,
The invincible Arvida, gallant Sivard,
Arnoldus, and these hundred hardy veterans,
Will pour directly forth, and lead the onset.
Joy, joy, I see confessed from every eye,

Your limbs tread vigorous, and your breasts beat high!
Thin though our ranks, though scanty be our bands,
Bold are our hearts, and nervous are our hands.
With us, truth, justice, fame, and freedom close,
Each singly equal to a host of foes.

XI.-FROM DOUGLAS.-Home.

LORD RANDOLPH GLENALVON-NORVAL.

Glenalvon. His port I love he's in a

proper mood To chide the thunder, if at him it roared. (Aside.) Has Norval seen the troops?

Norval.

The setting sun,
With yellow radiance lightened all the vale,
And as the warriors moved, each polished helm,
Corslet, or spear, glanced back his gilded beams.
The hill they climbed, and, halting at its top,
Of more than mortal size, towering they seemed
A host angelic, clad in burning arms.

Glen.

Thou talkest it well; no leader of our host In sounds more lofty talks of glorious war. Norv. If I should e'er acquire a leader's name, My speech will be less ardent. Novelty

Now

prompts my tongue, and youthful admiration

Vents itself freely, since no part is mine

Of praise pertaining to the great in arms.

Glen. You wrong yourself, brave sir; your martial deeds Have ranked you with the great. But, mark me, Norval, Lord Randolph's favor now exalts your youth

Above his veteran's of famous service.

Let me, who know these soldiers, counsel you.
Give them all honor; seem not to command,

Else they will hardly brook your late-sprung power,
Which nor alliance props nor birth adorns.

Norv. Sir, I have been accustomed all my days
To hear and speak the plain and simple truth;
And though I have been told that there are men
Who borrow friendship's tongue to speak their scorn,
Yet in such language I am little skilled :

Therefore I thank Glenalvon for his counsel,
Although it sounded harshly. Why remind
Me of my birth obscure? Why slur my power
With such contemptuous terms?

Glen. I did not mean

To gall your pride, which now I see is great.
Norv. My pride!

Glen. Suppress it, as you wish to prosper.
Your pride's excessive. Yet, for Randolph's sake,
I will not leave you to its rash direction.

If thus you swell, and frown at high-born men,
Will high-born men endure a shepherd's scorn?
Norv. A shepherd's scorn!

Glen. Yes; if you presume

To bend on soldiers these disdainful eyes,
As if you took the measure of their minds,
And said in secret, you're no match for me,
What will become of you?

Norv. If this were told!

(Aside.)

Hast thou no fears for thy presumptuous self?

Glen. Ha! dost thou threaten me?

Norv. Didst thou not hear?

Glen. Unwillingly I did; a nobler foe

Had not been questioned thus; but such as thee

Norv.

Glen.

Norv.

Whom dost thou think me?

And who is Norval in Glenalvon's eyes?

Glen. A peasant's son, a wandering beggar boy; At best no more, even if he speaks the truth.

Norv. False as thou art, dost thou suspect my truth? Glen. Thy truth! thou'rt all a lie; and false as hell Is the vainglorious tale thou toldest to Randolph.

Norv. If I were chained, unarmed, or bedrid old,
Perhaps I should revile; but as I am,

I have no tongue to rail. The humble Norval
Is of a race who strive not but with deeds.

Did I not fear to freeze thy shallow valor,

And make thee sink too soon beneath my sword,

I'd tell thee-what thou art. I know thee well.

Glen. Dost thou not know Glenalvon, born to command Ten thousand slaves like thee?

Draw and defend thy life. I did design

To have defied thee in another cause;

But heaven accelerates its vengeance on thee.

Now for my own and Lady Randolph's wrongs.

Lord Randolph. (Enters.) Hold! I command you both! the man that stirs

Makes me his foe.

Norv. Another voice than thine,

That threat had vainly sounded, noble Randolph.

Glen. Hear him, my lord; he's wondrous condescending!

Mark the humility of Shepherd Norval!

Norv. Now you may scoff in safety.
Lord Ran. Speak not thus,

Taunting each other, but unfold to me

(Sheathes his sword.)

The cause of quarrel; then I judge betwixt you.

Norv. Nay, my good lord, though I revere you much, My cause I plead not, nor demand your judgment.

I blush to speak; I will not, cannot speak

The opprobrious words that I from him have borne.
To the liege lord of my dear native land
I owe a subject's homage; but even him
And his high arbitration I'd reject.
Within my bosom reigns another lord;
Honor, sole judge and umpire of itself.
If my free speech offend you, noble Randolph,
Revoke your favors, and let Norval go

Hence as he came, but not dishonored!

Lord Ran. Thus far I'll mediate with impartial voice;

The ancient foe of Caledonia's land

Now waves his banner o'er her frighted fields;
Suspend your purpose till your country's arms.
Repel the bold invader; then decide

The private quarrel.

Glen. I agree to this.

Norv.

Glen.

And I.

(Exit Randolph.)

Norval,

Let not our variance mar the social hour,
Nor wrong the hospitality of Randolph.
Nor frowning anger, nor yet wrinkled hate,

Shall stain my countenance. Smooth thou thy brow;
Nor let our strife disturb the gentle dame.

Norv. Think not so lightly, sir, of my resentment;
When we contend again, our strife is mortal.

XII.-FROM HALIDON HILL.-Scott.

DE VIPONT, A KNIGHT TEMPLAR-SWINTON AND GORDON, SCOTTISH CHIEFS.

Swinton. De Vipont, thou lookest sad?

Vipont. It is because I hold a Templar's sword, Wet to the crossed hilt with Christian blood.

Swinton. The blood of English archers-what can gild A Scottish blade more bravely?

Vipont. Even therefore grieve I for those gallant yeomen, England's peculiar and appropriate sons,

Known in no other land. Each boasts his hearth

And field as free as the best lord his barony,

Owing subjection to no human vassalage,

Save to their King and law. Hence are they resolute,

Leading the van on every day of battle,

As men who know the blessings they defend.-
Hence are they frank and generous in peace,
As men who have their portion in its plenty.
No other kingdom shows such worth and happiness
Veiled in such low estate-therefore I mourn them.

Swinton. I'll keep my sorrow for our native Scots,
Who, spite of hardship, poverty, oppression,