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Oh, follow not the treacherous beam
By martial glory shed,-
Though bright may be its morning gleam,
It sets among the dead.

The crested helm and glittering spear
Shall be bathed in the hero's blood,
And the pennon by which he proudly stood
Shall droop o'er the soldier's bier!

"But the brave can every fear forget,
The coward from death may fly-
The battle charge is stoutly met
By him who dares to die."

Yes, death may be sweet in Virtue's cause;
But the soldier tramples on Virtue's laws:
The life of man is on his sword,
His soul the guilt of blood has known,
Justice severe demands his own,

For God has pass'd the awful word.*

"But his country claims the hero's life—
'Tis Duty obeys the call;

'Tis virtue to rush to the noble strife,
And there unblenching fall."
Few are the spirits thus engaged
By the patriot's holy vow;
Few are the righteous battles waged,
From War's first birth till now.
Thousands for lucre daily brave
The awful secrets of the grave;
Transgress the laws of God for pay;
Their tens of thousands coolly slay,
And send them to the judgment dread,
With all their sins upon their head!

By Pride, Ambition, Interest, led,
See nations whet the murderous steel;
To Justice, then, and Heaven appeal,
To sanctify the blood they shed!

Gen. ix. 6: "Whoso sheddeth man's blood," &c.-Matt. xxvi. "Put up again thy sword into his place; for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword."

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By Him whose name they thus profane
The impious prayer is heard in vain.*

To save a country's cherish'd soil,
Her freedom and her laws;

To shield her sons from death and spoil,
May be a righteous cause;
This, only this, can bless the hand
Of him who grasps the warrior's brand;
This, only this, can justly claim
The meed of glory for his name,
And gild the sword he wears;
But even he will mourn the fate
Which made his name by carnage great,
And bought his fame with tears.

"Yet, where does honour bloom so well
As on the soldier's crest?
Where pity better love to dwell
Than in his manly breast?"-
Ye sacred titles! thus misused,
Let ransack'd cities tell;

Let the ravaged field and smoking plain,
Where lately waved the golden grain;
Let innocence and age abused;
Let widows, mothers, orphans say,
How ye the soldier's actions sway!

No, War can never be the scene

Where Virtue holds her court;
To terror changed her look serene,
She shuns the horrid sport.
Far from the maddening earth she flies,
And seeks again her peaceful skies.

Religion there, her sister meet,

She sues from Heaven once more to speak,

And with the law of kindness bind

The headlong passions of mankind.

Souls of the generous and humane!
Let not her language plead in vain!

James iv. 1: "From whence come wars and fightings among you?" &c.

Oh, harbour not the guilty thought,
That honour may with blood be bought!
Will ye, whose hearts, of worth the seat,
With every soft affection beat;
Will ye the monster's trade profess,
And live by human wretchedness;
Can ye a mother's kiss receive,
Then rush a mother to bereave;
Dote on the lisping babe's caress,
Then make such cherubs fatherless?
Oh, if a sister's love ye prize,
Pity the sister's agonies!

And, when the wreath of victory
Is blasted by the virgin's sigh,

Oh, think of those, whose bosoms true,
Burst with the death-blows aim'd at you!

Too oft, alas! to woman's shame,
Her breath has fann'd the raging flame;
She, trait'ress to each tender tie,
And deaf to mercy's melting cry,
Applauds the savage game,
And in the tinsell'd garb of war,
Forgets its savage character!
Oh, if there be who dare disown
The folly which your sex hath shown,
Rise-in your sex's softness rise!
Be to your interest truly wise;
And urge, by every sacred plea,
By earth's best joys, by Heaven's decree,
That man no more in martial strife
Would quench the charities of life:
Those rays which in the realms above
Shall brighten to celestial love!
Does earth no path to glory yield,
Save o'er the corse-piled battle-field?
Does Youth-does Genius pant for fame,-
Oh, bid them seek some nobler aim!
Let Learning spread her classic store;
Let Art her peaceful triumphs bring;
And Science plume her eagle wing
For regions never view'd before.

Whilst some the Muses' gifts inspire,
Let others glow with patriot fire;-
Let these their country's counsels guide,
Whilst others o'er her laws preside.
Let Commerce watch the favouring gale,
And boldly hoist the distant sail,
The wealth of many a clime explore,
And bear it to her native shore.
Or let the daring spirit brave
The terrors of the mountain-wave,
Each fierce extreme of danger try,
Each hydra-form of death defy;
With PARK, at earth's remotest bound,
In search of knowledge still be found;
With HOWARD, borne on angels' wings,
To ease the wretches' sufferings;
Let some with sovereign skill appease
The lingering tortures of disease,
Delight with mercy's balm to heal
Each various woe our race can feel;
Or make it their divine employ
To swell the tide of human joy.
And, far beyond each meaner goal,
Let some the reign of vice control,
With floods of intellectual light
Dispel the gloom of mental night,
And back from ignorance and sin
The soul to truth and virtue win.
Let all with equal ardour strive
At fame's proud summit to arrive;
But be their energies combined
To bless, and not to curse mankind.

MONTHLY RECORD.

JULY 1, 1841.

M.

ABOLITION OF CHURCH RATES.-A meeting of the subscribers and other persons connected with the Old MeetingHouse, Birmingham, was held in the chapel, at the close of the morning service, on Sunday, May 23d. The chair having been taken by Mr. Samuel Brown, the senior warden,

the Rev. Hugh Hutton, the talented and much respected minister of the chapel, rose, and expressed his satisfaction that the petition for the entire abolition of Church Rates, which he had understood was about to be proposed to the meeting, had emanated solely from the congregation, without his previous knowledge; and he begged to assure the gentlemen with whom it originated, that it had his most hearty concurrence and approval. At the request of the Chairman, the Rev. Gentleman then read the petition to the meeting, after which its adoption was formally proposed by Mr. Martin, and seconded by Mr. Thomas Clark, Jun. Before it was put to the vote, Mr. T. Eyre Lee rose and said, that as he did not intend to sign the petition, he would briefly state, that he was not prepared to go the length of petitioning for the entire abolition of Church Rates, for he thought that the nation at large was bound to keep the parish churches in repair, since they were commonly used for parochial meetings unconnected with religion. Mr. G. E. Lee also followed on the same side, stating, that since it was the law of the land, we were in some measure bound to obey it; and besides, he thought the present time was ill chosen. The Rev. H. Hutton answered the two last speakers in his usual masterly style, and the resolution having been put to the vote, was carried unanimously. Mr. Thomas Clark, Jun. afterwards moved, and Mr. Tyndal seconded, a resolution to the effect, that the petition, after being handed round for signatures, should be forwarded to Joshua Scholefield, Esq. and G. F. Muntz, Esq. the two Honourable Members for the Borough, for presentation. A vote of thanks to the Committee was afterwards passed, for the trouble they had taken in preparing the petition, and for having brought the subject under the notice of the congregation; and a hope was expressed by Mr. Weston, that the same efforts would be renewed during every succeeding session of Parliament, until the Dissenters of Great Britain were freed from this obnoxious impost, and placed on the same footing with their brethren in Ireland, in respect of the Church Rate question.

BIRMINGHAM, May 27, 1841.

MONUMENT TO THE LATE DR. PRICE, IN NEWINGTONGREEN CHAPEL, LONDON.—We had the satisfaction to record, a few months back, that a monument had been erected in this very pleasingly restored chapel, to the memory of a distinguished lady, the wife of a former minister there, MRS. BARBAULD. We have now not less pleasure in communicating to our readers, that a companion monument has been placed

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