Page images
PDF
EPUB

48

47. COURAGE.- Barry Cornwall.

COURAGE! Nothing can withstand
Long a wronged, undaunted land,
If the hearts within her be
True unto themselves and thee
Thou freed giant, Liberty!
O, no mountain-nymph art thou,
When the helm is on thy brow,
And the sword is in thy hand,
Fighting for thy own good land.
Courage! Nothing e'er withstood
Freemen fighting for their good;
Armed with all their father's fame,
They will win and wear a name,
That shall go to endless glory,
Like the Gods of old Greek story,
Raised to Heaven and heavenly worth,
For the good they gave to earth.

[blocks in formation]

THE MOOR'S REVENGE.- Original Paraphrase from the Polish of Mickiewies

BEYORE Grenada's fated walls, encamped in proud array,
And flushed with many a victory, the Spanish army lay.
Of all Grenada's fortresses but one defies their might:
On Alphuara's minarets the crescent still is bright.
Almanzor! King Almanzor! all vainly you resist :
Your little band is fading fast away like morning mist,
A direr foe than ever yet they met on battle-plain
Assaults life's inmost citadel, and heaps the ground with slain.

One onset more of Spanish ranks, and soon it will be made, And Alphuara's towers must reel, and in the dust be laid. "And shall the haughty infidel pollute this sacred land?” Almanzor said, as mournfully he marked his dwindling band. “Upon our glorious crescent shall the Spaniard set his heel? And is there not one lingering hope? Can Heaven no aid reveal? Ay, by our holy Prophet, now, one ally still remains!

And I will bind him close to me, for better death than chains!"

The victors at the banquet sat, and music lent its cheer, When suddenly a sentry's voice announced a stranger near. From Alphuara had he come, with fierce, unwonted speed, And much it would import to Spain the news he bore to heed. "Admit him!" cry the revellers; and in the pilgrim strode, And, throwing off his mantle loose, a Moorish habit showed! "Almanzor! King Almanzor!" they cried, with one acclaim: "Almanzor!" said the Moslem caief'; "Almanzor is my name. "To serve your prophet and your king, O Spaniards, I am here: Believe, reject me, if you will, this breast has outlived fear!

No longer in his creed or cause Almanzor can confide;
For all the Powers above, 't is clear, are fighting on your side."
"Now, welcome, welcome, gallant Moor!" the Spanish chieftain said:
"Grenada's last intrenchment now we speedily shall tread.
Approach, embrace; our waning feast thy coming shall renew;
And in this cup of foaming wine we'll drink to yours and you.”
Right eagerly, to grasp the hands outstretched on every side,
Almanzor rushed, and greeted each as bridegroom might his bride:
He glued his fevered lips to theirs, he kissed them on the cheek,
And breathed on all as if his heart would all its passion wreak.
But suddenly his limbs relax, a flush comes o'er his face,
He reels, as, with a pressure faint, he gives a last embrace;
And livid, purple grows his skin, and wild his eyeballs roll,
And some great torture seems to heave the life-roots of his soul.
"Look, Giaours!* miscreants in race, and infidels in creed!
Look on this pale, distorted face, and tell me what ye read!
These limbs convulsed, these fiery pangs, these eyeballs hot and blear
Ha! know ye not what they portend? The plague, the plague, is
here!

And it has sealed you for its own; ay, every

Judas kiss

I gave shall bring anon to you an agony like this!

All art is vain your poisoned blood all leechcraft will defy, Like me ye shall in anguish writhe like me in torture die "

Once more he stepped their chief to reach, and blast him with his breath;

But sank, as if Revenge itself were striving hard with Death.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

And through the group a horrid thrill his words and aspect wok
When, with a proud, undaunted mien, their chief Alphonzo spok
“And deem'st thou, treacherous renegade, whatever may befall,
These warriors true, these hearts of proof, Death ever can appall
Ay, writhe and toss, no taint of fear the sight to them can bring;
Their souls are shrived, and Death himself for them has lost his sting.
"Then let him come as gory War, with life-wounds deep and red,
Or let him strike as fell Disease, with racking pains instead,
Still in these spirits he shall find a power that shall defy
All woe and pain that can but make the mortal body die.
So, brethren, leave this carrion here, -

[ocr errors]

nay, choke not with thy

gall! And through our camps a note of cheer let every bugle call. We'll tear yon crescent from its tower ere stars are out to-night: And let Death come, we 'll heed him not! -so, forward! to the fight!"

A groan

of rage upon his lips, Almanzor hid his head Beneath his mantle's ample fold, and soon was with the dead. But, roused by those intrepid words to death-defying zeal,

The chieftains armed as if they longed to hear the clash of steel.
The trumpets sounded merrily, while, dazzlingly arrayed,
On Alphuara's walls they rushed, and low the crescent laid.
And of the gallant, gallant hearts who thus grim Death defied,
'Mid pestilence and carnage, none of plague or battle died.

CHARADE ON THE NAME OF CAMPBELL, THE POET.-W. M. Praed. Born, 1807; died, 1845.

COME from my First,

ay, come! the battle dawn is nigh, And the screaming trump and thundering drum are calling thee to die! Fight as thy father fought, fall as thy father fell;

Thy task is taught, thy shroud is wrought,

so forward, and farewell!

Toll ye my Second, toll! Fill high the flambeau's light,

And sing the hymn of a parted soul, beneath the silent night.
The wreath upon his head, the cross upon his breast,

Let the prayer be said, and the tear be shed, — so, take him to his

rest!

Call ye my, Whole, - ay, call the lord of lute and lay,
And let him greet the sable pall with a noble song to-day!
Go, call him by his name!-no fitter hand may crave

To light the flame of a soldier's fame, on the turf of a soldier's

grave

PART SEVENTH.

SCRIPTURAL AND DEVOTIONAL.

1. BALAAM'S PROPHECY IN BEHALF OF ISRAEL.-Numbers.

AND Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him. And he took up his parable, and said:

[ocr errors]

Balaam, the son of Beor, hath said, and the man whose eyes are open, hath said; he hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, - falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar-trees beside the waters. His king shall

be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.

God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent. Hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or, hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good? Behold, I have received commar.dment to bless; and He hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? Or, how shall

I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied? He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them. God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath, as it were, the strength of an unicorn he shall eat up the nations, his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows. Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought! Behold, the People shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

For, from the top of the rocks I see him; and from the hills I behold him lo, the People shall dwell alone, and shall not be reck. oned among the nations. Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!

2. PAUL'S DEFENCE BEFORE FESTUS AND AGRIPPA.

I THINK myself happy, King Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee, touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews; especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews; wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own Nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee. And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers; unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am

a cused of the Jews.

Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth; which thing I also did in Jerusalem; and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even untc strange cities.

Whereupon, as I went to Damascus, with authority and commission from the chief priests, at mid-day, O King! I saw in the way a light from Heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me, and them which journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying, in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the goads." And I said, "Who art thou, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest; but rise, and stand upon thy feet; for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness, both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the People, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God; that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."

Whereupon, O King Agrippa! I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision; but showed first unto them of Damascus and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judæa, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. Having, therefore, obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say

« PreviousContinue »