The gates of honour on me,-turning out The Roman from his birthright; and for what?— To fling your offices to every slave; (-Looking round him.) And having wound their loathsome track to the top Come, consecrated lictors! from your thrones; (To the Senate.) Fling down your sceptres ;-take the rod and axe, LESSON CLXXXVI. The Battle Hymn of the Berlin Landstrum.* One deeper prayer, 'twas that no cloud might lower God! thou art merciful.-The' wintry storm, The cloud that pours the thunder from its womb, The lightnings, glancing through the midnight gloom, As splendours of the autumnal evening star, God! thou art mighty!-At thy footstool bound, Nor in the million worlds that blaze beneath, Is one that can withstand thy wrath's hot breath. • The Landstrum (German) is the military force of the country, as distinguished from the regular standing army :-the whole mass of the undisciplined militia, called out in some sudden exigency of the state. Wo in thy frown-in thy smile victory! Hear my last prayer!-I ask no mortal wreath; Then take my spirit, All Omnipotent, to thee. Now for the fight-now for the cannon-pealForward-through blood, and toil, and cloud, and fire! Glorious the shout, the shock, the crash of steel, The volley's roll, the rocket's blasting spire; They shake-like broken waves their squares retire,— On them, hussars !-Now give them rein and heel; Think of the orphaned child, the murdered sire:Earth cries for blood,-in thunder on them wheel! This hour to Europe's fate shall set the triumph-seal! LESSON CLXXXVII. Extract from "Heaven and Earth,—A Mystery.”—By RAPHAEL, the Archangel.-NOAH.-JAPHET. Scene near the Ark, just before the beginning of the Deluge. Father! and thou, Archangel, thou! Celestial mercy lurks below 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? Can we in desolation's peace have rest? Oh God! be thou a God, and Renew not Adam's fall: spare But they are numerous now as are the waves, Whose drops shall be less thick than would their graves, 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, And a black circle, bound His glaring disk around, Proclaims Earth's last 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. With them. Noah. Then die How dar'st thou look on that prophetick 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? Noah. Blasphemer! dar'st thou murmur, even now ? Raph. Patriarch! be still a father, smooth thy brow: Thy son, despite his folly, shall not sink; He knows not what he says, yet shall not drink With sobs the salt foam of the swelling waters; But be, when passion passeth, good as thou, Nor perish, like heaven's children, with man's daughters, · LESSON CLXXXVIII. Speech of Catiline before the Roman senate, on hearing his sentence of banishment.-CROLY's Catiline. BANISHED from Rome! what's banished, but set free 'Tried and convicted traitor! Who says this? But here I stand and scoff you :-here I fling Your Consul's merciful. For this all thanks. Or make the infant's sinew strong as steel. This day's the birth of sorrows!-This hour's work 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 enemy 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 Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables. Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven, Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio! 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" nce. W vin. |