Page images
PDF
EPUB

Fleecy locks and black complexion

Cannot forfeit Nature's claim;
Skins may differ, but affection

Dwells in white and black the same.

3 Why did all-creating nature

Make the plant for which we toil?
Sighs must fan it, tears must water,
Sweat of ours must dress the soil.
Think, ye masters iron-hearted,
Lolling at your jovial boards;
Think how many backs have smarted
For the sweets your cane affords.

4 (°)Is there, as ye sometimes tell us,
Is there one who reigns on high?
Has he bid you buy and sell us,
Speaking from his throne the sky?
Ask him, if your knotted scourges,
Matches, blood-extorting screws,
Are the means that duty urges
Agents of his will to use?

5 (oo) Hark! he answers,—wild tornadoes,
Strewing yonder sea with wrecks;
Wasting towns, plantations, meadows,
Are the voice with which he speaks.
He, forseeing what vexations

Afric's sons should undergo,
Fixed their tyrants' habitation

Where his WHIRLWINDS answer--NO.

6 By our blood in Afric wasted,

Ere our necks received the chain;
By the miseries that we tasted,
Crossing in your barks the main ;
By our sufferings since ye brought us
To the man-degrading mart;
All, sustained by patience, taught us
Only by a broken heart.

7 Deem our nation brutes no longer,
Till some reason ye shall find
Worthier of regard, and stronger
Than the colour of our kind.
Slaves of gold, whose sordid dealings
Tarnish all your boasted powers,
Prove that you have human feelings,
Ere you proudly question ours!

Cowper.

6. Marco Bozzaris, The Epaminondas of Modern

Greece.

[He fell in an attack upon the Turkish Camp, at Laspi, the site of the ancient Platæa, August 20, 1823, and expired in the moment of victory. His last words were" To die for liberty is a pleasure, and not a pain."]

1 At midnight, in his guarded tent,

The Turk was dreaming of the hour,

When Greece, her knee in suppliance bent,
Should tremble at his power;

In dreams, through camp and court, he bore
The trophies of a conqueror ;

In dreams his song of triumph heard. ;
Then wore his monarch's signet ring,--
Then pressed that monarch's throne,—a king;
As wild his thoughts, and gay of wing,

As Eden's garden bird.

2 An hour passed on-the Turk awoke ; That bright dream was his last;

He woke to hear his sentry's shriek,

(°) "To arms! they come ! the Greek! the Greek !"
He woke to die midst flame and smoke,

And shout, and groan, and sabre stroke,
And death shots falling thick and fast
As lightnings from the mountain cloud;
And heard, with voice as trumpet loud,
Bozzaris cheer his band;

A

(0°) "Strike-till the last armed foe expires,
Strike-for your altars and your fires,
Strike for the green graves of your sires,
God-and your native land!"

3 They fought-like brave men, long and well,
They piled that ground with Moslem slain,
They conquered--but Bozzaris fell,
Bleeding at every vein.

His few surviving comrades saw
His smile, when rang their proud hurrah,
And the red field was won;
Then saw in death his eyelids close
Calmly, as to a night's repose,

Like flowers at set of sun.

4 *Come to the bridal chamber, Death!
Come to the mother, when she feels,
For the first time, her first-born's breath;-
Come when the blessed seals

Which close the pestilence are broke,
And crowded cities wail its stroke;
Come in consumption's ghastly form,
The earthquake shock, the ocean storm ;-
Come when the heart beats high and warm,
With banquet-song, and dance, and wine,
And thou art terrible: the tear,

The groan, the knell, the pall, the bier,
And all we know, or dream, or fear
Of agony, are thine.

5 But to the hero, when his sword

Has won the battle for the free,
Thy voice sounds like a prophet's word,
And in its hollow tones are heard

The thanks of millions yet to be.
Bozzaris! with the storied brave

Plaintive.

[ocr errors]

Greece nurtured in her glory's time,
Rest thee--there is no prouder grave,
Even in her own proud clime.
We tell thy doom without a sigh;

For thou art Freedom's now, and Fame's-
One of the few, the immortal names,

That were not born to die.

Halleck.

7. (。)Now when fair morn orient in Heaven appear'd,

Up rose the victor Angels, and to arms

The matin trumpet sung: in arms they stood
Of golden panoply, refulgent host,

5 Soon banded; others from the dawning hills

Look'd round, and scouts each coast light armed scour, Each quarter, to descry the distant foe, Where lodg'd, or whither fled, or if for fight, In motion or in halt: him soon they met 10 Under spread ensigns moving nigh, in slow But firm battalion; back with speediest sail Zophiel, of Cherubim the swiftest wing, Came fly'ing, and in mid air aloud thus cry'd. (0°) ARM, Warriors, arm for fight--the foe at hand, 15 Whom fled we thought, will save us long pursuit This day; fear not his flight: so thick a cloud He comes, and settled in his face I see

Sad resolution and secure; let each

His adamantine coat gird well,--and each
20 Fit well his helm,-gripe fast his orbid shield,
Borne ev'n or high; for this day will pour down,
If I conjecture ought, no drizzling shower,
But rattling storm of arrows barb'd with fire.'

(6) So warn'd he them, aware themselves, and soon

25 In order, quit of all impediment;

Instant, without disturb, they took alarm,

And onward move, embattled: when behold,
Not distant far, with heavy pace the foe

Approaching, gross and huge, in hollow cube, 30 Training his devilish enginry, impal'd

On every side with shadowing squadrons deep,
To hide the fraud. At interview both stood

A while; but suddenly at head appear'd

[ocr errors]

Satan, and thus was heard commanding loud. 35 (0°) VANGUARD, to right and left the front unfold; That all may see who hate us, how we seek Peace and composure, and with open breast Stand ready to receive them, if they like Our overture, and turn not back perverse.'

26] Page 125. Expression.

Milton.

The Exercises arranged in this class belong to the general head of the pathetic and delicate. As this has been partly anticipated under another head of the Exercises, and as the manner of execution in the case depends wholly on emotion, there can be little assistance rendered by a notation. Before reading the pieces in this class, the remarks of the Analysis p. 125-128 should be reviewed; and the mind should be prepared to feel the spirit of each piece, by entering fully into the circumstances of the case.

1. GENESIS XLIV. Judah's speech to Joseph.

18 *Then Judah came near unto him, and said, O my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant for thou art even as Pharaoh.-19 My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?-20 And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one: and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.-21 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.-22 And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot

*The reader is again desired to bear in mind that in extracts from the Bible, as well as other books, Italic words denote emphasis.

« PreviousContinue »