Page images
PDF
EPUB

its terrors, and pleasure its charms. They had their smiles and their tears, their raptures and their sorrows; but not for the things of the world. Enthusiasm had made them stoics, had cleared their minds from vulgar passion and prejudice, and raised them above the influence of danger and corruption. It sometimes might lead them to pursue unwise ends, but never to choose unwise We acknowledge that the tone of their minds was often injured by straining after things too high for mortal reach, and they too often fell into the vices of intolerance and extreme austerity. Yet, when all circumstances are taken into consideration, we do not hesitate to pronounce them a brave, a wise, an honest and useful people.

means.

MACAULAY.

9. FATHERLAND.

GOD, who gave iron, purposed neʼer,
That man should be a slave;
Therefore the sabre, sword, and spear
In his right hand he gave;
Therefore he gave his fiery mood,

Fierce speech, and free-born breath
That he might fearlessly the feud
Maintain through blood and death.

Therefore will we, what God did say,
With honest truth maintain,
And ne'er a fellow-creature slay,
A tyrant's pay to gain.

But he shall perish by stroke of brand

Who fighteth but for sin and shame,

And not inherit the German land,
With men of the German name.

O Germany, bright Fatherland,

O German love so true,

Thou sacred land, thou beauteous land,

We swear to thee anew!

Outlawed, each knave and coward shall

The crow and raven feed;

But we will to the battle all,
Revenge shall be our meed.

Flash forth! flash forth! whatever can,
To bright and flaming life:

Now all ye Germans, man for man,

Forth in the holy strife!

Your hands lift upward to the sky,

Your hearts shall upward soar;

And, "man for man,

Our slavery is o'er!

"let each one cry,

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

With hangman's and with coward's blood.

O glorious day of ire,

That to all Germans seemeth good,

Day of our great desire.

Let wave! let wave! whatever can,

Standard and banner wave!

Here will we purpose, 66 man for man,"
To grace a hero's grave.

Advance, ye brave ranks, hardily,
Your banners wave on high,

We'll gain us freedom's victory,
Or freedom's death we'll die.

ERNST MORITZ ARNDT.

10. THE FATHERLAND.

WHERE is the true man's fatherland?
Is it where he, by chance, was born?
Doth not the yearning spirit scorn
In such scant borders to be spanned?
Oh, yes, his fatherland must be
As the blue heaven, wide and free!

Is it alone where freedom is,

Where God is God, and man is man?
Doth he not claim a broader span
For the soul's love of home than this?
Oh, yes, his fatherland must be,
As the broad heaven, broad and free!

Where'er a human heart doth wear
Joy's myrtle wreath, or sorrow's gyves;
Where'er a human spirit strives

After a life more true and fair,

There is the true man's birthplace grand:
His is a world-wide fatherland!

-

Where'er a single slave doth pine,
Where'er one man may help another,
Thank God for such a birthplace, brother, -
That spot of earth is thine and mine;
There is the true man's birthright grand:
His is a world-wide fatherland!

JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL

11. WE WERE BOYS TOGETHER.

WE were boys together,

And never can forget

The school-house on the heather,

In childhood where we met;
The humble home to memory dear,
Its sorrows and its joys,
Where woke the transient smile or tear,
When you and I were boys.

We were youths together,

And castles built in air;

Your heart was like a feather,

And mine weighed down with care;
To you came wealth with manhood's prime,
To me it brought alloys
Foreshadowed in the primrose time,
When you and I were boys.

[blocks in formation]

Which led our thoughts from earth to heaven,
When you and I were boys.

GEORGE P. MORRIS.

THE Soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David,

and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

1. Samuel, xviii. 1.

12.

FATHER-LAND AND MOTHER

TONGUE.

OUR Father-land! And wouldst thou know
Why we should call it Father-land ?

It is, that Adam here below

Was made of earth by Nature's hand;
And he, our father, made of earth,
Hath peopled earth on every hand ;
And we, in memory of his birth,
Do call our country "Father-land.”

At first, in Eden's bowers, they say,
No sound of speech had Adam caught,
But whistled like a bird all day,

And maybe 't was for want of thought;
But Nature, with resistless laws,

Made Adam soon surpass the birds:
She gave him lovely Eve, because,
If he'd a wife, they must have words.

And so, the native land, I hold

By male descent, is proudly mine; The language, as the tale was told, Was given in the female line.

And thus, we see, on either hand

We name our blessings whence they 're sprung :

We call our country "Father-land,"

We call our language "Mother-tongue."

SAMUEL LOVER.

« PreviousContinue »