And thus, by self-reform, begin
The freedom of mankind,

And in "Life's battle" ye shall win,
When tyrants fall behind.

The future slumb'ring in the womb,
That gave birth to the past,
Shall fling o'er man a glorious doom,
And Love supreme at last,

Shall reign in majesty and might-
For men in moral worth

Will feed the glare of Freedom's light,

And walk erect the earth.

Hope on, ye strugglers in the cause

Of human liberty

Work on 'till wiser, juster laws,

Proclaim the "Slave is Free!" 'Tis coming, that long promis'd time, The pilgrim sons of old, With faith and energy sublime

For ages have foretold.

Come gather, brothers, one and all,
The sword of Reason bear,
The throne of Tyranny shall fall,
When we our rights declare-
Aye! even now, the Tyrant snakes,
That sting the nation's heart-
The gath'ring train of Freedom, makes
To tremble and to start!

LULLABY,

Flowing, flowing, softly flowing,
Swelling cadence, Lullaby!
Emblem of the soul's bestowing-
The mother's sweetest minstrelsy.
Flowing, flowing, softly flowing,
To the babe's affection growing,
Ever, ever, ever nigh,

Sweetest music, Lullaby!

Swelling, swelling, quickly swelling,
Melody of rapt'rous Love!
Infant troubles ever quelling-
Music from the Heaven above;
Mother's balm in ev'ry trial,

Her soothing words, her self-denial,

Ever, ever, ever nigh,

Sweetest music, Lullaby!

Thrilling, thrilling, sweetly thrilling,

Feeling's happy mood express'd,

Domicile, with blessings filling,

Extatic love, in words express'd

The baby's smiles bedeck the view,

Those glistening gems, like sparkling dew,
Ever, ever, ever nigh,
Sweetest music, Lullaby!

Wafting, wafting, breeze-like, wafting
Music plaintive, music sweet-
O'er the babe's meek spirits, wafting
Ethereal joy, its Love to greet.
Watching, anxious-sympathetic-
Restless moments-then pathetic,
Ever, ever, ever, nigh,

Sweetly singing, Lullaby!

Smiling, smiling, sweetly smiling,
Joyous as the Summer's morn,
Infant thorns of edge beguiling—

A prayer to Heaven is borne,
Uttering deep a Mother's love

Towards her child-her nestling dove-
Ever, ever, ever nigh,

Sweetly singing, Lullaby!

PROLOGUE.

Composed for the occasion of a Soiree held at Blisworth Gardens, in connection with the Wolverton Mechanics' Institution.

We've met to celebrate, with social joy,
Our Institution's progress and its power,
To wield a mightier influence o'er the mind,
To speed the approaching jubilee of thought,
Set free from prejudice, and all

The powers that with deceptive dalliance blind
The soul's perception of the just and true.

The knowledge gained by persevering toil
Shall one day lift on high its magic wand,
And change the darkness of unletter'd night
Into the mental light of Wisdom's day;
Then worth, the best deserving of reward,
Too long usurp'd by craft, the People's foe,
Weded to gold, the nation's God supreme,
In regal majesty, enthron'd in love,
Shall sway its sceptre o'er the human heart.
'Tis ours, with earth's nobility at hand,
With bloodless instruments to wage a war
With ignorance, the monster scourge of life,
That shall not cease until mankind shall know,
The freest thought and action life can give.
'Tis ours, to move all barriers from the way,
That Progress may pursue, unstay'd its course,
And Science, Art, and Nature, in its car-
May yield developed wonders to the mind.

G

Noble the task! to guide our fellow man, To wisdom-by her own unwaning light— To lead him from the senseless and the vile Along the walks of virtue and of sense; That Liberty may find a home prepar'd In every heart, and with her smiles divine, May nurture love and goodness in the breast, Of each unfetter'd wand'rer through the maze Of life's pursuit-'till earth, so long the place Of war and tyrant wrong, shall be the 'bode Of genial Peace, Equality, and Right.

SONG.

Brightly freedom's star is shining,'
Sweetly gleams its mystic light,
Like an angel form reclining,

On the clouds of mental night.
Liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty,
On the clouds of mental night!
Listen! listen! to the sounding
Melody of freedom's bell,

O'er time's track-bent path resounding,
Slavery's funeral knell.

Slavery, slavery, slavery, slavery,

Slavery's funeral knell !

Freedom's mocking foes are weeping,
While slavery gasps for breath;
Like an aged mortal creeping,
To the tomb of endless death.
Slavery, slavery, slavery, slavery,
To the tomb of endless death!
Set the spirit chimes a ringing,
Throughout earth's extremity,
Every day is nearer bringing,
Freedom's golden jubilee.
Jubilee, jubilee, jubilee, jubilee,
Freedom's golden jubilee !

TO ISABELLA D, THE VICTIM OF SEDUCTION. (FROM HER SISTER. *)

The fields in summer pride and glittering beauty lay,
And morn in silver radiance foretold a lovely day;
The golden sun, emerging from the vap'ry-crested east,
Scatter'd his rays of brightness o'er the greatest and the least
Of all the teeming symbols of the power supreme that reigns,
Whose majesty shines forth in each of earth's divine domains.
The music of a thousand warbling choristers of sound,
In clear mellifluous delight pervaded all around;

'Twas such a day, so beautiful, that makes the heart expand, And drink Love's inspiration from the wonderful and grand, When you, my sister, ever dear, to her now far away,

Breathed out your soul and spoke of love when we were girls at play;

But fifteen summers, with their smiles, had dropp'd into the grave,

When first your young and trusting soul became Love's faithful slave,

I do remember well the time, the hours that passed in hope, When he who vowed undying love, of truth and virtue spoke; You trusted him, my sister dear, with all thy youth's conceit, His fondness and attention gave no signs of life's deceit.

He came to Redhill, where we lived-yea, four long years he

came

And in affection's gentle tones, spoke out his love the same.

*This Poem was composed at the request of one who knew the unfortunate Isabella D who was residing in Surrey. She was described as a young woman well connected in life, one possessed of the most affectionate and susceptable of natures, in whose mind the princi. ples of virtue shone forth in all their lustre. For eight years (four of which she resided at Redhill) she was engaged to a young man, who, up to that time betrayed the most passionate fondness for her. He was in an inferior station in life, but through the influence of the father of Isabella, acquired a trade, and by degrees, with the most villainous ingratitude, repaid the affection of the young lady and the kind consideration of her parent.