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Spring to prepare the soldier's festival;

While She best-loved, till then forsaken never,
Clings round his neck as she would cling for ever!

3. Such golden deeds lead on to golden days,

Days of domestic peace-by him who plays
On the great stage how uneventful thought,
Yet with a thousand busy projects fraught,
A thousand incidents that stir the mind
To pleasure, such as leaves no sting behind!
Such as the heart delights in-and records
Within how silently--in more than words!
4. A Holiday-the frugal banquet spread

On the fresh herbage near the fountain-head,
With quips and cranks—what time the wood-lark there
Scatters his loose notes on the sultry air,

What time the kingfisher sits perched below,
Where, silver bright, the water-lilies blow:-

5. A Wake--the booths whitening the village green,
Where Punch and Scaramouch aloft are seen;
Sign beyond sign in close array unfurled,
Picturing at large the wonders of the world;
And far and wide, over the vicar's pale,
Black hoods and scarlet crossing hill and dale,
All, all abroad, and music in the gale:—

6. A Wedding dance-a dance into the night
On the barn floor, where maiden feet are light;
When the young bride receives the promised dower,
And flowers are flung, "herself a fairer flower”:—
A morning visit to the poor man's shed,

(Who would be rich while one was wanting bread?) When all are emulous to bring relief,

And tears are falling fast-but not for grief.

II. THE FIGHT OF FREEDOM.

7. Like Hampden struggling in his Country's cause,
The first, the foremost to obey the laws,
The last to brook oppression. On he moves,
Careless of blame while his own heart approves,
Careless of ruin-("For the general good

'Tis not the first time I shall shed my blood")

On through that gate misnamed, through which before Went Sidney, Russell, Raleigh, Cranmer, More!

8. On into twilight within walls of stone,

9

Then to the place of trial; and alone,
Alone before his judges in array

Stands for his life: there, on that awful day,
Counsel of friends—all human help denied—
All but from her who sits the pen to guide,
Like that sweet saint who sat by Russell's side
Under the Judgment seat!

But guilty men
Triumph not always. To his hearth again,
Again with honour to his hearth restored,

Lo, in the accustomed chair and at the board, Thrice greeting those that most withdraw their claim (The lowliest servant calling by his name),

He reads thanksgiving in the eyes of all,

All met as at a holy festival!

-On the day destined for his funeral!

10 Lo, there the Friend, who, entering where he lay,
Breathed in his drowsy ear "Away, away!

Take thou my cloak-Nay, start not but obey—
Take it and leave me." And the blushing Maid
Who through the streets as through a desert strayed;

And, when her dear, dear father passed along,
Would not be held-but, bursting through the throng,
Halberd and battle-axe-kissed him o'er and o'er;
Then turned and went-then sought him as before,
Believing she should see his face no more!

-Samuel Rogers (1763–1855).

quips and cranks. See Milton's l'Allegro, line 27.
"herself a fairer flower." See Paradise Lost, iv. 270.

Not that fair field

Of Enna, where Proserpin gathering flow'rs

Herself a fairer flow'r by gloomy Dis

Was gathered.

Scaramouch.

The word is applied to a braggart, one valiant in words but a coward. Here, it stands for a comedy in which a character of this name was introduced. He was attired in black, with a square black cap, a black mantle, and a mask on his face. His part consisted of loud boasting followed by cowardice.

that sweet saint. Lord Jeffrey says, "We know of nothing at once so pathetic and so sublime as the few simple sentences here alluded to in the account of Lord Russell's trial.

Lord Russell.-May I have somebody write to help my memory? Mr. Attorney General.-Yes, a servant.

Lord Chief Justice.-Any of your servants shall assist you in writing anything you please for you.

Lord Russell. My wife is here, my Lord, to do it!-When we recollect who Russell and his wife were, and what a destiny was then impending, this one trait makes the heart swell almost to bursting." that gate misnamed.—The Traitor's Gate in the Tower.

Sydney and Russell were convicted on an alleged charge of sharing in the Rye-house Plot and beheaded in 1683.

Raleigh was confined in the Tower for thirteen years on a charge of high treason. He was executed in 1618.

Cranmer (Archbishop) was sent to the Tower on the accession of Mary. He was charged with treason, and afterwards with heresy. For the latter he was condemned to die, but recanted at the stake. He afterwards withdrew his recantation and was burnt in 1555. More (Sir Thomas) was imprisoned in the Tower for thirteen

.

months for refusing to acknowledge the religious validity of Henry VIII.'s divorce from Catherine. He was executed July 2, 1535.

the blushing Maid. The incident here referred to is a most touching one. When More was at the Tower Wharf, on his return from trial at Westminster, four days before his execution, he was met by his daughter, Margaret Roper, who desired to see her father and receive his last blessing. As soon as she saw him she ran hastily to him and, "passing through the midst of the throng and guard of men, who with bills and halberts compassed him round," she openly embraced him and took him about the neck and kissed him, not able to say any word but "Oh, my father! oh, my father!" She had scarcely gone ten steps when she again suddenly turned back and again took him about the neck and repeatedly kissed him. Few even of the guard could refrain their tears.

PALMYRA IN ITS GLORY.

[Palmyra is situated in a great oasis of the desert near the southeastern frontier of Syria. It was built by Solomon, who called it Tadmor, a name which, like Palmyra, means "The City of Palms.” In A.D. 266 Zenobia became its queen. She endeavoured to make herself mistress of a great empire, but in 273 the city was taken by the Roman Emperor, and Zenobia became a prisoner. It was subsequently restored, but was finally destroyed by Tamerlane. Since that time it has been entirely deserted. Its remains occupy a space

of three miles square, and still attest its former splendour.

The following passage and that on page 53 are taken from Zenobia; or, the Fall of Palmyra, an Historical Romance, by William Ware (1797-1852), and are intended to depict the city as it was before its destruction.]

1. I was still buried in reflection when I was aroused by the shout of those who led the caravan, and who had attained the summit of a little rising ground, saying, "Palmyra! Palmyra!" I urged forward my steed, and in a moment the most wonderful prospect I ever beheldno, I cannot except even Rome-burst upon my sight.

2. Flanked by hills of considerable elevation on the east, the city filled the whole plain below as far as the eye could reach, both toward the north and toward the south. This immense plain was all one vast and boundless city. It seemed to me to be larger than Rome. Yet I knew very well that it could not be,-that it was not.

And it was some

[graphic][merged small][merged small]

time before I understood the true character of the scene before me, so as to separate the city from the country, and the country from the city, which here wonderfully interpenetrate each other, and so confound and deceive the observer.

3. The city proper is so studded with groups of lofty

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