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7.

8.

As if the sight had wither'd him. She threw
Her arms about his neck; he heeded not.

She call'd him "Father," but he answer'd not.
She stood and gazed upon him. Was he wroth"?
There was no anger in that blood-shot eye.
Had sickness seiz'd him? She unclasp'd his helm,
And laid her white hand gently on his brow.
The touch arous'd him. He rais'd up his hands,
And spoke the name of Gōd in agony.

She knew that he was stricken then, and rush'd Again into his arms, and with a flood

Of tears she could not stay, she sobb'd a prayer
That he would tell her of his wretchedness.
He told her, and a momentary flush

Shot o'er her countenance: and then, the soul
Of Jephthah's daughter waken'd, and she stood
Calmly and nobly up, and said, ""T is well;
And I will die!"

And when the sun had sēt,

Then she was dead-but not by violence.

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1. WHAT hid'st thou in thy treasure-caves and cells,
Thou hollow-sounding and mysterious main ́?
Pale glistening pearls, and rainbow-color'd shells,
Bright things, which gleam unreck'd of and in vain.
Keep, keep thy riches, melancholy sea!

We ask not such from thee`.

2. Yet more, thy depths have more!-What wealth untold, Far down, and shining through their stillness, lies? Thou hast the starry gems, the burning gold,

Won from ten thousand royal argosies.

Sweep o'er thy spoils, thou wild and wrathful main"!

Earth claims not these again!

3 Yet more, thy depths have more!

Thy waves have rolled

Above the cities of a world gone by.

Sand hath fill'd up the palaces of old:
Sea-weed o'ergrown the halls of revelry:
Dash o'er them, ocean, in thy scornful play!

Man yields thêm to decay.

4. Yet more! thy billows and thy depths have more^!
High hearts and brave are gather'd to thy breast!
They hear not now the booming waters roar,

The battle-thunders will not break their rest;
Keep thy red gold and gêms, thou stormy grave^!
Give back the true and brave.

5. Give back the lost and lovely! Those, for whom
The place was kept at board and hearth so long,
The prayer went up through midnight's breathless gloom,
And the vain yearning woke 'mid festal song!
Hold fast thy buried isles`, thy towers o'erthrown,
But all is not thine own!

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JOHN MILTON, the acknowledged prince of British poets, was born in London, in 1608. In early life he was a diligent student, and before he attained the age of seventeen, knew six languages almost as familiarly as his own. His immortal poem, the Paradise Lost, was written after he was stricken with blindness. In the latter part of his life he lived in retirement, and died in 1674.

This lesson is adapted to the cultivation of a low tone.
1. To whom, in brief, thus Abdiel stern replied:
Reign thou in hell, thy kingdom; let me serve,
In heaven, God ever blest, and his divine,
Behests obey, worthiest to be obey'd;

Yet chains in hell, not realms ́, expect`: meanwhile,
From me, (return'd, as erst thou saidst, from flight,)
This greeting on thy impious crest receive.

2. So saying, a noble stroke he lifted high,
Which hung not, but so swift with tempest fell
On the proud crest of Satan, that no sight,
Nor motion of swift thought, less could his shield,
Such ruin intercept. Ter. paces huge
He back recoil'd; the tenth, on bended knee
His massy spear upstay'd`; as if on earth
Winds under ground, or waters forcing way
Sidelong, had push'd a mountain from his seat,
Half sunk with all his pines.

3.

Now storming fury rose,

And clamor such as heard in heaven till now
Was never`; arms on armor clashing, bray'd
Horrible discord, and the maddening wheels

4.

Of brazen chariots raged; dire was the noise
Of conflict; over head the dismal hiss
Of fiery darts in flaming volleys flew,
And flying, vaulted either host with fire.
So, under fiery cope together rush'd
Both battles main, with ruinous assault
And inextinguishable rage. All heaven
Resounded; and had earth been then, all earth
Had to her center shook. What wonder? where
Millions of fierce encountering angels fought
On either side, the least of whom could wield
These elements, and arm him with the force
Of all their regions.

Long time in even scale

The battle hung; till Satan, who that day
Prodigious power had shown, and met in arms
No equal, ranging through the dire attack
Of fighting Seraphim confused, at length,
Saw where the sword of Michael smote, and fell'd
Squadrons at once; with huge two-handed sway,
Brandish'd aloft, the horrid edge came down
Wide wasting; such destruction to withstand,
He hasted and opposed the rocky orb
Of tenfold adamant, his ample shield
Of vast circumference. At his approach
The great Archangel from his warlike toil
Surceas'd, and glad, as hoping here to end
Intestine war in heaven, th' arch-foe subdued.
5. Now waved their fiery swords, and in the air
Made horrid circles; two broad suns their shields
Blazed opposite, while expectation stood

In horror; from each hand with speed retired,
Where erst was thickest fight, the angelic throng,
And left large fields, unsafe within the wind

Of such commotion; such as, to set forth
Great things by small, if, nature's concord broke,
Among the constellations war were sprung,
Two planets rushing from aspect* malign
Of fiercest opposition, in mid-sky

Should combat, and their jarring spheres confound.

*Observe the improper pronunciation of the word "aspect," required by the poetic accent. In this case an equal degree of force may be given to each syllable.

XLII. PAUL'S DEFENSE BEFORE KING AGRIPPA.

FROM THE BIBLE.

[THIS should be read in a medium tone, between high and low.]

1. THEN said Agrippa unto Paul: Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand and answered for himself.

2. 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; who knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the straitest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee.

3. 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 accused 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 things I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chiefpriests, and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.

4. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them, even unto 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 1 said, Who art thou, Lord?

5. 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.

6. 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 Judea, 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 should come; that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people and to the Gentiles.

7. And as he thus spake, for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself, much learning hath made thee mad. But he said, I am not mad', most noble Festus, but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. For the king knoweth of these things, before whom I speak freely; for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

8. Then Agrippa said unto Paul'; Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost and altogether such as I am, except these bonds. And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor and Bernice, and they that sat with them.

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