LESSON LII. 2 DOWNFALL OF POLAND. 1. OH! sacred Truth! thy triumph ceased awhile, Presaging wrath to Poland,—and to man! 2. Warsaw's last champion,‡ from her hights surveyed, (h) "Oh! heaven!" he cried, "my bleeding country save, "Is there no hand on high to shield the brave? “Yet, though destruction sweep these lovely plains, "Rise! fellow-men! our country yet remains! "By that dread name we wave the sword on high', "And swear for her to live—with her—to die!" 3. (1) He said, and on the rampart-hights arrayed His trusty warriors, few, but undismayed; Firm-paced and slow, a horrid front they form, Still as the breeze, but dreadful as the storm; Low murmuring sounds along their banners fly, Revenge, or death,-the watch-word' and reply`; (h) Then pealed the notes, omnipotent to charm, And the loud tocsin tolled their last alarm. 4. In vain, alas! in vain, ye gallant few! Dropped from her nerveless grasp the shattered spear, 5. The sun went down, nor ceased the carnage there`, *Pandoor, a Hungarian soldier. †Hussar, a Hungarian horseman. Kosciusko. Hark! as the smoldering piles with thunder fall, 6. (h) Oh righteous heaven! ere Freedom found a grave, Where was thine arm, O Vengeance! where thy ròd, That crushed proud Ammon, when his iron car 7. Departed spirits of the mighty dead'! Friends of the world'! restore your swords to man, The patriot TELL the BRUCE OF BANNOCKBURN"! CAMPBELL. LESSON LIII. SOUTH CAROLINA. 1. Ir there be one state in the Union, Mr. President, that may challenge comparison with any other, for a uniform, zealous, ardent, and uncalculating devotion to the Union', that state is South Carolina'. Sir', from the very commencement of the revolution', up to this hour', there is no sacrifice, however great, she has not cheerfully made'; no service she has ever hesitated to perform. 2. She has adhered to you in your prosperity'; but in your adversity', she has clung to you with more than filial affection'. No matter what was the condition of her domestic' affairs, though deprived of her resources', divided by parties', or surrounded by difficulties', the call of the country has been to her as the voice of God'. Domestic discord ceased at the sound'; every man became at once reconciled to his brethren', and the sons of Carolina were all seen, crowding together to the temple, bringing their gifts to the altar of their common country'. 3. What, sir, was the conduct of the South, during the revolu tion? Sir, I honor New England for her conduct in that glorious struggle. But great as is the praise which belongs to her, I think at least equal honor is due to the South. Never was there exhibited, in the history of the world', higher examples of noble daring', dreadful suffering', and heroic endurance', than by the whigs of Carolina, during the revolution'. The whole state, from the mountains to the sea, was overrun by an overwhelming force of the enemy. The fruits of industry perished on the spot where they were produced, or were consumed by the foe. 4. "The plains of Carolina" drank up the most precious blood of her citizens. Black, smoking ruins marked the places which had been the habitation of her children. Driven from their homes into the gloomy and almost impenetrable swamps, even there', the spirit of liberty survived', and South Carolina, sustained by the example of her Sumpters', and her Marions', proved, by her conduct, that though her soil' might be overrun, the spirit of her people' was invincible. MASSACHUSETTS AND SOUTH CAROLINA. 1. The eulogium pronounced on the character of the state of South Carolina, by the honorable gentleman, for her revolutionary and other merits, mects my hearty concurrence. I shall not acknowledge that the honorable member goes before me, in regard for whatever of distinguished talent or distinguished character, South Carolina has produced. I claim part of the honor'; I partake in the pride of her great names. I claim them for countrymen', one and all-the Laurenses', the Rutledges', the Pinckneys', the Sumpters', the Marions'-Americans all-whose fame is no more to be hemmed in by state lines, than their talents and patriotism were capable of being circumscribed within the same narrow limits. 2. In their day and generation, they served and honored the country, and the whole country, and their renown is of the treasures' of the whole country. Him', whose honored name the gentleman himself' bears,—does he suppose me less capable of gratitude for his patriotism, or sympathy for his' suffering, than if his eyes had first opened upon the light in Massachusetts, instead of South Carolina'! Sir, does he suppose it in his power to exhibit in Carolina a name so bright as to produce envy in my bosom? No', sir,-increased gratification and delight rather. Sir, I thank God', that, if I am gifted with little of the spirit which is said to be able to raise mortals' to the skies', I have yet none', as I trust, of that other' spirit, which would drag angels' down'. 3. When I shall be found, sir, in my place here in the senate, or elsewhere, to sneer at public merit, because it happened to spring up beyond the little limits of my own' state or neighborhood; when I refuse for any such cause, or for any cause, the homage due to American talent, to elevated patriotism, to sincere devotion to liberty and the country'; or if I see an uncommon endowment of Heaven'; if I see extraordinary capacity or virtue in any son of the South'; and if, moved by local prejudice', or gangrened by state jealousy', I get up here to abate a tithe of a hair from his just character and just fame', may my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. 4. Mr. President, I shall enter on no encomium upon Massachusetts. She needs' none. There she is'; behold her, and judge for yourselves. There is her history'; the world knows it by heart. The past', at least, is secure. There is Boston', and Concord', and Lexington', and Bunker-hill'; and there they will remain forever'. And, sir, where American liberty raised its first voice, and where its youth was nurtured and sustained', there it still lives', in the strength of its manhood, and full of its original spirit. If discord and disunion shall wound' it; if party strife and blind ambition shall hawk at and tear it; if folly and madness, if uncasiness under salutary restraint', shall succeed to separate it from that Union', by which alone its existence is made sure', it will stand, in the end, by the side of that cradle in which its infancy was rocked'; it will stretch forth its arm with whatever of vigor it may still retain, over the friends who gathered around' it; and it will fall at last, if fall it must', amid the proudest monuments of its glory, and on the very spot of its origin. WEBSTER. LESSON LV.) MODULATION. 1. 'Tis not enough the voice be sound and clear", But none emphatic can that speaker call, 2. Some o'er the tongue the labored measures roll, Point every stop`, mark every pause so strong, Their words like stage processions stalk along. 3. All affectation but creates disgust; And e'en in speaking, we may seem too just. 4. Some placid natures fill the allotted scene And darts its meaning from the speaking eyes: LLOYD. LESSON LVI. OTHELLO'S APOLOGY. (This should be read in a middle tone.) 1. Most potent, grave, and reverend seigniors, 2. Hath this extent`, no more`. Rude am I in speech, And little blessed with the set phrase of peace, |