What matter, whether to or from the sun?

Tell. I'd have it at my back.-The sun should shine Upon the mark, and not on him that shoots.

I cannot see to shoot against the sun :-

I will not shoot against the sun!

Ges. Give him his way!-Thou hast cause to bless my mercy. Tell. I shall remember it. I'd like to see

The apple I'm about to shoot at.

Ges. Show me

The basket.—There! (Gives a very small apple.)

Tell. You've picked the smallest one.
Ges. I know I have.

Tell. Oh! do you?-But you see

The color of 't is dark-I'd have it light,

To see it better.

Ges. Take it as it is:

Thy skill will be the greater if thou hitt'st it.

Tell. True-true,-I didn't think of that:--I wonder

I did not not think of that.-Give me some chance

To save my boy! (Throws away the apple.) I will not murder him,

If I can help it,-for the honor of

The form thou wear'st, if all the heart is gone.

Ges. Well! choose thyself.

(Hands a basket of apples.-Tell takes one.)

Tell. Have I a friend among

The lookers on?

Verner. Here, Tell!

Tell. I thank thee, Verner !-Take the boy
And set him, Verner, with his back to me.—

Set him upon his knees;-and place this apple
Upon his head, so that the stem may front me—
Thus, Verner; charge him to keep steady,-tell him
I'll hit the apple !-Verner, do all this

More briefly than I tell it thee.

Ver. Come, Albert! (Leading him out.)
Alb. May I not speak with him before I go?
Ver. No-

Alb. I would only kiss his hand

Ver. You must not.

Alb. I must!--I cannot go from him without!

Ver. It is his will you should.

Alb. His will, is it?

I am content, then,-come.

Tell. My boy! (Holding out his arms to him.)
Alb. My father! (Running into Tell's arms.)
Tell. If thou canst bear it, should not I?—Go now,
My son and keep in mind that I can shoot.—
Go, boy-be thou but steady, I will hit

The apple. Go-God bless thee!-Go.
My bow! (Sarnem gives the bow.)

Thou wilt not fail thy master, wilt thou ?—Thou

Hast never failed him yet, old servant.—No,

I'm sure of thee--I know thy honesty ;

Thou'rt stanch-stanch :-I'd deserve to find thee treacherous,

Could I suspect thee so. Come, I will stake

My all upon thee! Let me see my quiver. (Retires.)
Ges. Give him a single arrow. (To an Attendant.)

Tell. Is't so you pick an arrow, friend?

The point, you see, is bent, the feather jagged ;
That's all the use 'tis fit for. (Breaks it.)

Ges. Let him have
Another. (Tell examines it.)

Tell. Why, 'tis better than the first, But yet not good enough for such an aim

As I'm to take. 'Tis heavy in the shaft:

I'll not shoot with it! (Throws it away.) Let me see my

quiver.

Bring it! 'tis not one arrow in a dozen

I'm but

I'd take to shoot with at a dove, much less
A dove like that!-What is't you fear?
A naked man, a wretched naked man!
Your helpless thrall, alone in the midst of you,
With every one of you a weapon in

His hand. What can I do in such a strait
With all the arrows in that quiver ?-Come,

Will you give it me or not?

Ges. It matters not.

Show him the quiver.

(Tell kneels and picks out an arrow then secretes one in his vest.)

Tell. See if the boy is ready.

Ver. He is.

Tell. I'm ready too!-Keep silence, for

Heaven's sake! and do not stir, and let me have

(To the people.)

Your prayers-your prayers :—and be my witnesses,
That if his life's in peril from my hand,

'Tis only for the chance of saving it.

Now, friends, for mercy's sake, keep motionless

And silent!

(Tell shoots; and a shout of exultation bursts from the crowd.)

Ver. (Rushing in with Albert.) Thy boy is safe; no hair of him is touched!

Alb. Father, I'm safe!-your Albert's safe! Dear father, Speak to me! speak to me!

Ver. He cannot, boy!

Open his vest,

And give him air.

(Albert opens his father's vest, and an arrow drops; Tell starts, fixes his eyes on Albert, and clasps him to his breast.)

Tell. My boy! my boy!

Ges. For what

Hid you that arrow in your breast? Speak, slave!
Tell. To kill thee, tyrant, had I slain my boy!
Liberty

Would at thy downfall shout from every peak!
My country then were free!

J. S. KNOWLES.

4. GOODY GRIM V. LAPSTONE.

(In representing this selection as a dialogue, the one who personates the Judge can deliver the introduction and conclusion.)

INTRODUCTION. (Delivered standing.) What a profound study is THE LAW! and how difficult to fathom! Well, let us consider the law, for our laws are very considerable, both in bulk and numbers, according as the statutes declare; considerandi, considerando, considerandum, and are not to be meddled with by those who don't understand them.

Law, always expressing itself with true grammatical precision, never confounding moods, cases, or genders, except, indeed, when a woman happens accidentally to be slain, there a verdict is always brought in manslaughter. The essence of the law is altercation, for the law can altercate, fulminate, deprecate, irritate, and go on at any rate. "Your son follows the law, I think, sir Thomas?" Yes, madam; but I am afraid he will never overtake it a man following the law is like two boys running round a table; he follows the law, and the law follows him. However, if you take away the whereofs, whereases, wherefores, and

:

notwithstandings, the whole mystery vanishes: it is then plair and simple." Now, the quintessence of the law has, according to its name, five parts. The first is the beginning, or incipiendum; the second, the uncertainty, or dubitandum; the third, delay, or puzzleendum; fourthly, replication without endum; and, fifthly, monstrum et hoverendum: all which is clearly exemplified in the following case-Goody Grim against Lapstone. This trial is as follows:-Goody Grim inhabits an almshouse, No. 2; Will Lapstone, a superannuated cobbler, inhabits No. 3; and a certain Jew peddler, who happened to pass through the town where those almshouses are situated, could only think of No. One. Goody Grim was in the act of killing one of her own proper pigs, but the animal, disliking the ceremony, burst from her hold, ran through the semicircular legs of the afore said Jew, knocked him in the mud, ran back to Will Lapstone's, the cobbler, upset a quart bottle full of gin, belonging to the said Lapstone, and took refuge in the cobbler's state-bed.

The parties being, of course, in the most opulent circumstances, consulted counsel learned in the law. The result was, that Goody Grim was determined to bring an action against Lapstone for the loss of her pig with a curly tail; and Lapstone to bring an action against Goody Grim, for the loss of a quart bottle full of Hollands gin; and Mordecai to bring an action against them both, for the loss of a tee-totum that fell out of his pocket in the rencontre. They all delivered their briefs to counsel, before it was considered they were all parties and no witnesses. But Goody Grim, like a wise old lady as she is, now changed her battery, and is determined to bring an action against Lapstone, and bind over Mordecai as an evidence.

The indictment sets forth (reads from a paper) "that he, Lapstone, not having the fear of the assizes before his eyes, but being moved by pig, and instigated by pruinsence, did, on the first day of April, a day sacred in the annals of the law, steal, pocket, hide, and crib divers, that is to say, five hundred hogs, sows, boars, pigs, and porkers, with curly tails, and did secrete the said five hundred hogs, sows, boars, pigs, and porkers, with curly tails, in said Lapstone's bed, against the peace of our Lord the King, his crown and dignity."

Mordecai will be examined by Counsellor Puzzle. (The Judge seats himself.)

Puz. Well, sir, what are you?

Mor. I sells old clos, and sealing-wax, and puckles.

Puz. I did not ask you what you sold: I ask you what you

are ?

Mor. I am about five and forty.

Puz. I did not ask your age: I ask you what you are?

Mor. I am a Jew.

Puz. Why couldn't

you tell me that at first? Well, then,

if you are a Jew, tell me what you know of this affair. Mor. As I vas a valking along—

Puz. Man, I didn't want to know where you were walking. Mor. Vel, as I vas a valking along—

Puz. So you will walk along in spite of all that can be said. Mor. Pless ma heart, you frighten me out of my vits-as I vas valking along, I seed de unclean animal coming towards me, and so says I-Oh! Father Abraham, says

Puz. Father Abraham is no evidence.

I

Mor. You must let me tell my story my own vay, or I cannot tell it at all. As I vas valking along, I seed de unclean animal coming towards me. Oh, Father Abraham, said I, here comes de unclean animal towards me, and he runn'd between my legs, and upset me in te mut.

Puz. Now, do you mean to say, upon your oath, that that little animal had the power to upset you in the mud?

Mor. I vill take my oath dat he upshet me in te mut.
Puz. And pray, sir, on what side did you fall?

Mor. On te mutty side.

Puz. I mean, on which of

Mor. I fell on my left side.

your own sides did

you fall?

Puz. Now, on your oath, was it your left side?

Mor. I vill take my oath it vas my left side.

Puz. And pray what did you do when you fell down?
Mor. I got up again as fast as I could.

Puz Perhaps you can tell me whether the pig had a curly tail?
Mor. I vill take ma oath his tail was so curly as my peerd.
Puz. And pray where was you going when this happened?
Mor. I vas going to the sign of de Cock and Pottle.

Puz. Now, on your oath, what had a cock to do with a bottle?

Mor. I don't know; only it vas the sign of de house. And all more vat I know was, dat I lose an ivory tee-totum out of ma pocket.

Puz. Oh, you lost a tee-totum, did you? I thought we should bring you to something at last. My Lord, I beg leave to take an exception to this man's evidence! he does not come into court with clean hands.

Mor. How te devil should I, when I have been polishing ma goods all morning.