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compared to nothing but a fhip at fea, deprived of fails, rudder, compafs, and expofed to the billows and hurricanes of the boisterous deep.

9. With it, we have a moft fubftantial foundation laid, on which we can erect a fuperb building, for public and private utility: with it, we can conduct the thip of fate, and regale ourselves under the tree of liberty; and unfhackle ourfelves from ignorance, which is the origin of feuds and animofities in free ftates.

10. Do not the arts and fciences, in every kingdom, participate to a great degree the fate of its language? rife and flourish, or fink into difrepute, as the latter is cultivated or neglected? How dear then ought the honor of the English language to be to every American!

11.

And as grammar is the folid foundation on which all other science refts, and as all human inquiry is divided into science and language; and further, as under the lat ter, fall the ideas and fubjects of the didactic ftyle, oratory, poetry, painting, and fculpture, judge ye, if it ought to be left to young gentlemen to form their ftyle by chance, or to begin the ftudy of their mother tongue, at a time of life which calls them forth to action.

12. You, who are entrusted with the education of our youth, and you, who fuperintend our fchools, have a glori ous and joyful profpect before you, a noble opportunity in-." deed of doing much good to mankind; of conftituting read merit, and fecuring the warmest returns of gratitude, by perfecting the flower of our youth, in fpeaking and writing. that language, in which alone they must act the part of their fathers, ferve their country, and become the mouths of the people.

13. You will not fail, my beloved countrymen, to afford your children this diftinguishing, this neceffary, this all im-, portant education, by which you will, in a fhort time, nurse up a race of freemen, to the honor and never fading glory of our country.

14. America will then increase in wealth, in commerce, agriculture and manufactures; will as far furpafs all other nations on the globe, in virtue, learning and abilities; and will as much diftinguifh herself for humanity, nobleness of gentment, attachment to government, and love of liberty,

as

as the towering cedar among the trees of the wood, or the fan in the prefence of the ftars.

15.

All nations will look up unto her, call her bleffed, and fay, "In her, the problem, which has been put for thoufands of years, has been truly verified; whether a na tion can be governed, and yet be free.'

THE HOTTENTOT AND THE LION.

AN elderly Hottentot in the fervice of a"

Christian, near the upper part of Sunday river on the Camb debo fide, perceived a lion following him at a great diftance for two hours together. Thence he naturally concluded, that the lion only waited for the approach of darknefs, in order to make him a prey; and in the mean time, could not expect any other than to ferve for this fierce animal's fupper; inafmuch as he had no other weapon of defence than a stick, and knew that he could not get home before it was dark.

2. But as he was well acquainted with the nature of the lion, and the manner of its feizing upon its prey; and at the fame time had leifure to ruminate on the ways and means in which it was most likely that his existence would Be terminated, he at length hit on a method of faving his life.

3. For this purpofe, instead of making the best of his way home, he looked out for a precipice; and, fetting himfelf down on the edge of it, found to his great joy, that the lion likewife made a halt, and kept at the fame distance as before.

4 As foon as it grew dark, the Hottentot fliding a lit the forwards, let himfelf down below the upper edge of the precipice upon fome projecting part or cleft of the rock, where he could just keep himfelf from falling. But in order to cheat the lion still more, he fet his hat and cloak on the stick, making with it a gentle motion just over his head, a little way from the edge of the precipice.

5. This crafty expedient had the defired fuccefs. He did not stay long in that fituation, before the lion came

creeping.

creeping foftly towards him like a cat, and, miftaking the fkin-coat for the Hottentot himfelf, took his leap with fuch exactness and precifion, as to fall headlong down the pre-. cipice, and was dafhed in pieces.

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SCENE BETWEEN GUSTAVUS VAŠA AND. CRISTIERN.

Crit. TELL me, Guftavas, tell me why is this,

That, as a fream diverted from the banks
Of fmooth obedience, thou haft drawn those men
Upon a dry unchannell❜d enterprize,

To turn their inundation? Are the lives
Of my mifguided people held fo light,

. That thus thou'dft push them on the keen rebuke
Of guarded majefty; where juftice waits

All awful and refiftlefs, to affert

Th' impervious rights, the fanctitude of kings;
And blaft rebellion?

Guft. Juftice, fanctitude,

And rights! O, patience! Rights! what rights, thou tyrant?
Yes, if perdition be the rule of power,

If wrongs give right, O then, fupreme in mifchief,
Thou wert the lord, the monarch of the world!
Too narrow for thy claim. But if thou think'st
That crowns are vilely propertied, like coin,
To be the means, the fpecialty of lust,
And fenfual attribution; if thou think'st
That empire is of titled birth or blood;
That nature, in the proud behalf of one,
Shall difenfranchise all her lordly race,
And bow her general iffue to the yoke
Of private domination; then, thou proud one,
Here know me for thy king. Howe'er, be told,
Not claim hereditary, not the truft

Of frank election,

Not ev'n the high anointing hand of Heaven,

Can author fe oppreflion, give a law

For lawlefs pow'r, wed faith to violation,

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On reafon build mifrule, or justly bind
Allegiance to injuftice. Tyranny

Abfolves all faith; and who invades our rights,
Howe'er his own commence, can never be
But an ufurper. But for thee, for thee
There is no name. Thou haft abjur'd mankind,
Dafh'd fafety from thy bleak, unfocial fide,
And wag'd wild war with univerfal nature..

Crift. Licentious traitor thou canft talk it largely
Who made thee umpire of the rights of kings,
And pow'r, prime attribute; as on thy tongue
The poife of battle lay, and arms of force,
To throw defiance in the front of duty?
Look round, unruly boy! thy battle comes
Like raw, disjointed, muft'ring, feeble wrath,
A war of waters, borne against a rock

Of our firm continent, to fume, and chafe,
And shiver in the toil.

Guft.

Miftaken man e

I come empower'd and ftrengthen'd in thy weaknefs;
For though the ftructure of a tyrant's throne.
Kife on the necks of half the fuff'ring world,
Fear trembles in the cement; pray'rs, and tears,
And fecret curfes, fap its mould'ring bafe,
And teal the pillars of allegiance from it;
Then let a fingle arm but dare the fway,
Headlong it turns, and drives upon destruction.

Crift. Profane, and alien to the love of Heaven!
Art thou still harden'd to the wrath divine,

That hangs o'er thy rebellion? Know'st thou not
Thou art at enmity with grace, caft out,
Made an anathema, a curfe enroll'd

Among the faithful, thou and thy adherents,
Shorn from our holy church, and offer'd up
As facred to perdition?

Guft. Yes, I know,.

When fuch as thou, with facrilegious hand,
Seize on the apoftolic key of heaven,
It then becomes a tool for crafty knaves.
To fhut our virtue, and unfold those gates
That. Heaven itself had barr'd against the lusts

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OF

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Of avarice and ambition. Soft and fweet,
As looks of charity, or voice of lambs
That bleat upon the mountain, are the words
Of chriftian meeknefs! miffion all divine!
The law of love, fole mandate. But your gall,.
Ye Swedish prelacy, your gall hath turn'd
The words of fweet but undigefted peace,
To wrath and bitternefs. Ye hallow'd men,
In whom vice fanctifies, whofe precepts teach
Zeal without truth, religion without virtue.

Sack'd towns and midnight howlings, through the realm,
Receive your fanction. O, 'tis glorious mifchief!
When vice turns holy, puts religion on,

Affumes the robe pontifical, the eyes

Of faintly elevation, bleffeth fin,

And makes the feal of fweet offended Heaven

A fign of blood.

Crift. No more of this.

Guftavus, would't thou yet return to grace,
And hold thy motions in the fphere of duty,,
Acceptance might be found..

Guft. Imperial fpoiler!

Give me my father, give me back my kindred,
Give me the fathers of ten thousand orphans,.
Give me the fons in whom thy ruthlefs fword
Has left our widows childlefs. Mine they were,
Both mine and every Swede's, whofe patriot breaft
Bleeds in his country's woundings. O, tho cant not!
Thou haft outfinn'd all reckoning! Give me then
My all that's left, my gentle mother there,

And fpare yon little trembler.

Crift. Yes, on terms.

Of compact and fubmiffion.

Guft. Ha! with thee!

my country,

Compact with thee! and mean'ft thon for
For Sweden? No, fo hold my heart but firm,
Although it wring for't, though blood drop for tears,..
And at the fight my ftraining eyes ftart forth-
They both fhall perish first.

NARRATIVE

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