From honor's dangerous summit, warriors all!

Say, might ye choose a chief

Speak, name the man,

Who then should meet your wish?

Siv. Forbear the theme.

Why wouldst thou seek to sink us with the weight

Of grievous recollection! Oh, Gustavus!

Could the dead awake, thou wert the man.

Gust. Didst thou know Gustavus ?

Siv. Know him! Oh, heaven! what else, who else was worth

The knowledge of a soldier? That great day,

When Christiern, in his third attempt on Sweden,
Had summed his powers, and weighed the scale of fight,
On the bold brink, the very push of conquest,
Gustavus rushed, and bore the battle down;
In his full sway of prowess, like leviathan
That scoops his foaming progress on the main
And drives the shoals along-forward I sprung,
All emulous, and laboring to attend him;
Fear fled before, behind him rout grew loud,
And distant wonder gazed. At length he turned,
And having e ed me with a wondrous look

Of sweetness mixed with glory-grace inestimable!
He plucked this bracelet from his conquering arm,
And bound it here. My wrist seemed trebly nerved;
My heart spoke to him, and I did such deeds

As best might thank him. But from that blessed day
I never saw him more-yet still to this,

I bow, as to the relics of my saint:
Each morn I drop a tear on every bead,
Count all the glories of Gustavus o'er,
And think I still behold him.

Gust. Rightly thought,

For so thou dost, my soldier,

Behold your general,

Gustavus! Come once more to lead you on

To laureled victory, to fame, to freedom!

Siv. Strike me, ye powers! It is illusion all!

It cannot-It is, it is! (Falls and embraces his knees.)
Gust. Oh, speechless eloquence!

Rise to my arms, my friend.

Siv. Friend! say you, friend?

Oh, my heart's lord! my conqueror' my——

Gust. Approach, my fellow-soldiers, your Gustavus Claims no precedence here.

Haste brave men!

Collect your friends, to join us on the instant;

Summon our brethren to their share of conquest,
And let loud echo, from her circling hills,
Sound freedom, till the undulation shake
The bounds of utmost Sweden.

SELECTION XIX.

DURAZZO-GARCIA-PEREZ.-Haynes.

Durazzo. Now Perez, give your happy master joy, And change the title of your reverence

To suit his new condition. I am come,

Ennobled by the king, to mate with greatness.

Perez. Thank heaven, I live to call you lord; therefore,

My lord, I give you joy.

Dur. Proclaim it far,

That those who mocked my humble state may gnaw
Their lips with envy. "Tis not that I prize

The empty title for its empty sake;

"Tis but a phrase; yet, as the world is caught
With syllables, the phrase hath value i'nt,
And I would give it swelling currency
Throughout the realm.

Per. It shall not lack my voice.

Dur. I met a noble as I came, who thought

To look me out of favor with myself,

As he was wont to do. My soul was nigh
To burst its mortal bound as I rebuked him.
Per. But yonder look, where comes

Don Garcia through the vestibule.

Dur. Depart. (Exit Perez.)

And let us be alone. What! would he break
On my retirement rudely thus uncalled-

No leave obtained-no question asked; but in,
As if I kept a tavern for his highness?

(Enter Garcia.)

Gar. How, my lord?

Dur. My lord

Again, or Garcia, as you choose to speak,
Addressing me.

Gar. "Tis bold, sir,-nay, methinks
You look but slightingly upon your patron.
Dur. My patron!

Gar. I was so this morning.

Dur. True—

But see, 'tis mid-day now. Thinkest thou yon orb,
Who, on his glorious round, keeps half our earth
For ever in his beam, beholds no changes
In this diurnal planet, but the lapse

Of growing hours and seasons?—think again;
Trust me, there are more strange vicissitudes
Than one man standing by another's side,
Who never was above him, but in fortune.

Gar. I would keep down this swelling of my heart To reason calmly with your haughtiness.

Dur. My haughtiness!

Gar. Ay, haughtiness; what else

Could breed this lofty tone? Those trappings, too,
But ill become the state of yesterday.

Dur. By your favor, sir,

"Tis sometimes prudent to adorn our limbs,

That fools, who look no deeper, thence may see

We mean to be respected.

Gar. But to change,

As you have done, in dress, in manner, word,
And action, from the lowly thing you have been,
So suddenly, as if the flash of fortune

Had set your soul and body in a flame,

Is matter more for mirth than deference.

Dur.

Gar.

Indeed!

The world will laugh.

Dur. Advise the world

It laugh not out too loud.

Gar. You would not make

So huge a sacrifice as all mankind

To your voracious anger.

Dur. I might chance

To know some voices in the jubilee,

And make amusement danger to the sharers.
Erewhile my pride was like an idle blade
That rusted in the scabbard; now 'tis drawn,
And flourished o'er your heads-beware of it.

Gar. Have you not crawled your way to this?

Dur. "Twas fate

Ordained it so; but I have broke her spells,
And here stand up for my prerogative,
Enlarged, and free to act. What I have done
And suffered was necessity: what more

I do, shall be from choice, and speak the mind
Within me noble.-

So, having won my place, I will assume

Its usage, honors, titles, and respects,

And in the teeth of scorn be dignified.

Gar. Yet hear me patiently.-Your tale this morning Hath wrought a purpose useful to the state.

Provoke not inquisition, by the spurns

You cast on others, lest yourself be found

No purer than you should, and what you've done
Be, by your rashness, undone.

Dur. Have you aught

Το urge besides?

Gar. But to apply the rule.

Let no vindictive spirit against Benducar
Betray your passion to an act of rash

Revenge.-Bethink you, I have passed my word
That in due time he shall submit to you:
Bethink, and pause.

Dur. Oh! as the insult fell

On me, I know how calmly you can bear it;
Nor have I yet forgot, how light you made
This morning of the blow; as if it were

A gnat that stung my flesh.-The hand which strikes
Down from the clouds, may execute unquestioned

The purposes of its omnipotence :—

But that whose force a mortal shoulder wields,
Strikes at its peril, and is answerable

To God and man.

Gar. I came not here to listen to this rudeness.

Dur. Nay, I've some notion of the cause that brough you

Was it to try the terror of your frown?

Gar. Did I not raise you-make you what you are?

Dur With the king's help.

Gar. You sneer, but it was so.

Dur. Went your intention with it, when you knew not My object, nor my claim?

Gar. No matter now;

"Tis now enough to wonder at your fortunes.

Dur. You see in what a changeful world we live : The beggar of to-day is rich to-morrow;

The rich man poor-despised.

Gar.

I'll hear no more.

Dur. Go home, and ponder on't.

SELECTION XX.

PENRUDDOCK-HENRY.-Cumberland.

Penruddock. Here then was the residence of my once loved Arabella; here then she reigned and reveled; a sympathetic gloom comes over me. Woodville is in my power. (Enter Henry.)

Henry. Where am I! What has happened? Why is this house so changed in its appearance?

Pen. Whom do you seek?

Henry. A father and a mother who dwelt here. If you have heard the name of Woodville and can ease my anxious mind, tell me they survive.

Pen. Be satisfied-they live.

Henry. Devoutly I return heaven thanks, and bless you for the tidings. Long absent and debarred all correspondence with my family, I came with trembling heart, uncertain of their fate, and I confess the ominous appearance of a deserted house struck me with alarm; but I may hope they have some other residence at hand. If you know where, direct me.

Pen. If I knew where, I would; but

Henry. But what? Why do you pause?

Pen. Because I can't proceed.

Henry. Why not proceed? You know they live, can you at tell me where?

Pen. I cannot.

Henry. What is your business here?

Pen. None.

Henry. Do you not live in London ?

Pen. No.

Henry. What is your name, occupation? Where do you inhabit? How comes it to pass that you know so well to answer me one question, and are dumb to all the rest?

Pen. I am not used to interrogatories, nor quite so patient as may suit with your impetuosity.

Henry. I stand corrected; I am too quick.-You will excuse the feelings of a son.