Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

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

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 Platea, 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 (6) 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 press'd 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;

(၀၀) "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

Greece nurtured in her glory's time,
Rest thee-there is no prouder grave,
Even in her own proud clime.
We tell thy good 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. (0) 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 s cour,
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 flying, and in mid air aloud thus cried; (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 orbed shield,
Borne ev'n or high; for this day will pour down,
If I conjecture aught, no drizzling shower,
But rattling storm of arrows barb'd with fire.'

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

25 In order, quit of all impediment;

Instant, without disturb, they took the 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 enginery, 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

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 this 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 thy 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.

leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.-23 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.-24 And it came to pass, when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.-25 And our father said, Go again and buy us a little food.-26 And we said, We cannot go down if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down; for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us.-27 And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bear me two sons:-28 And the one went out from me, and I said, surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:- -29 And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to the grave.--30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; (seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life ;)—-31 It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the grey heirs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.-32 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father forever.-33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad, a bond-man to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.-34 For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.

2. GENESIS XLV. Joseph discloses himself.

1. Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.-2 And he wept aloud and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.-3 And Joseph said unto his brethren,

« AnteriorContinuar »