A blameless joy afford; and their good works, Whilst in the grave they sleep, shall still survive. These great men however passed away, and the succeeding race was not worthy the immortality of glory which their progenitors had attained. Luxury with its torpedo touch prevented the exertion of reason. Bigotry paralyzed all human effort, and superstition waved in triumph her unholy banner. Darkness covered the earth, and gross darkness the people. At length the Morning Star of Truth diffused a cheering brilliancy over the nations, those who had hitherto sat in darkness perceived its exhilarating beams, and the Sun of Christian knowledge commenced its majestic circuit through the heavens. Warmed and enlightened by its rays, numbers bowed themselves before the only Lord God Almighty, and thousands of hearts glowed with benevolence to their fellow men. The Gospel went forth conquering and to conquer, uniting all hearts, invigorating every mind. But it was speedily corrupted. False philosophy mingled its abstruse speculations with its simple and pure directions. Power raised it into an engine to curse where it was meant to bless, to destroy where it was intended to save, to pollute the affections its native simplicity would have purified, and to drive to gloom and to despair, instead of lighting up the eye with rapture and filling the heart with gladness. Then followed the sleep of the human intellect, a sleep so profound, an appearance so like unto death, that many an individual of whom the world was not worthy, almost doubted of its power to awaken again even to sensation, much more to activity. But "how great a matter a little fire kindleth!" "There was seen a cloud, in appearance no bigger than a man's hand," and its diminutive size secured it from the attacks of the priests and tyrants of the earth. Its security was their destruction. From that moment their doom was fixed and irrevocable. A single corner of the earth in which it might freely exert its power would be abundantly sufficient to secure the salvation of man. "That palladium of liberty, that giant foe of oppression, the thought of which blanches the cheek of the tyrant, and brightens the eye of the patriot and the philanthropist❞—the Press, that, my friends, is in my judgment, the all in all. Such it has already proved itself to be, and such will continue to be the manifestations of its might. Roused by its voice, the human mind burst its searments, the charnel-house of despotism has been laid open to the view and the contempt of man, the secrets of the prison of superstition have been disclosed, man again walks erect in all the dignity and majesty of his nature. Knowledge on almost every subject has diffused itself with astonishing celerity, the prophetic language of Scripture has literally been fulfilled, "The Gentiles have come to the light, and even kings to the brightness of its rising." THE BATTLE OF BLENHEIM. It was a summer's evening, She saw her brother Peterkin Roll something large and round, In playing there had found; He came to ask what he had found, That was so large, and smooth, and round. Old Kaspar took it from the boy, Who stood expectant by; And then the old man shook his head, "Tis some poor fellow's scull," said he, "Who fell in the great victory! "I find them in the garden, For there's many here about, And often when I go to plough, The ploughshare turns them out; For many thousand men," said he, "Were slain in that great victory!" "Now tell us what 'twas all about," And what they kill'd each other for ?" 'It was the English," Kaspar cried, "Who put the French to rout; But what they kill'd each other for, I could not well make out: But every body said," quoth he, "That 'twas a famous victory! · My father lived at Blenheim then, Yon little stream hard by; They burn'd his dwelling to the ground, And he was forced to fly: So with his wife and child he fled, Nor had he where to rest his head! "With fire and sword the country round Was wasted far and wide; And many a childing mother then, But things like that, you know, must be For many thousand bodies here Lay rotting in the sun!— But things like that, you know, must be After a famous victory! "Great praise the Duke of Marlbro' won, And our good Prince Eugene." Said little Wilhelmine. "Nay, nay, my little girl," quoth he, "And every body praised the Duke, THE waters slept. Night's silvery veil hung low Their glassy rings beneath it, like the still The reeds bent down the stream, the willow leaves With a soft cheek upon the lulling tide, Forgot the lifting winds, and the long stems, Whose flowers the waters like a gentle nurse They gather'd round him on the fresh green bank, For his estranged, misguided Absalom The proud, bright being who had burst away In all his princely beauty, to defy The heart that cherish'd him,-for him he pour'd, In agony that would not be controll'd, Strong supplication, and forgave him there Before his God, for his deep sinfulness. The pall was settled. He who slept beneath |