ページの画像
PDF
ePub

me admittance to your presence." "Cousin," said the king, "how shall I punish him? shall I send him to the Tower? "O no, my liege," replied Lord Stanley, "inflict a severer punishment; send him back to Scotland.”

66

Louis XIV. as he was reviewing his horse grenadier guards, said to lord Stanley, who was by his side, My lord, you see before you the most courageous soldiers in my army; I assure you there is not one among them who is not covered with wounds." "If they be so courageous," replied Lord Stanley, what must your majesty think of the courage of those who gave them these wounds."

SIR ROBERT SUTTON.

There is a species of retort so far superior to the common run of answers, that it may be very properly styled sublime. Of this kind is the following: Frederick the Great king of Prussia, asked sir Robert Sutton, at a review of his tall grenadiers, "If he thought an equal number of Englishmen could beat them?" "Sir," eplied sir Robert, "I do not venture to assert that; but I believe half the number would try."

DEAN SWIFT.

The dean was both fond of conversing with the Irish common people and of amusing himself with their credulity. One day he observed a great rabble assembled before the Deanery door, and was told they had met to see an eclipse. He sent for

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

the beadle of the town, and told him what to do.Away ran Davy for his bell; and, after ringing it some time, bawled out, "O yes, O yes, all manner of persons concerned, take notice that it is the dean's pleasure to put off the eclipse till this hour to morrow. So God save the king and the dean!" The mob, except a few, immediately dispersed ; but those few swore they would not lose another afternoon, for that the dean, who was a very comical man, might take it into his head to put off the eclipse again, and so make fools of them a second time.

Dean Swift travelling in Ireland, called at the house of a friend. The lady of the mansion rejoiced to have so distinguished a guest, ran up to him, and teased him with a number of questions, as to what he would like to have for dinner, "Will you have an apple-pie sir? will you have a gooseberry-pic, sir? will you have a cherry-pie, sir? will you have a pigeon-pie, sir?” "Any pie, madam," replied the fatigued dean, “but a magpie.”

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

O'ER the bosom o. Erie, in fanciful pride,
Did the fleet of Old England exultingly ride:
Till the flag of Columbia her Perry unfurl'd,
The boast of the west and the pride of the world.

And still should the foe dare the fight to sustain,
Gallant Perry shall lead on to conquest again.

The spirit of Lawrence his influence sheds,
To the van of the fight while the Lawrence he leads;
There death dealt around, tho' such numbers op-

pose,

And levelled the gun at fair liberty's foes.

And still should the foe, &c.

When cover'd with slain, from her deck he withdrew,

And led the Niagara the fight to renew;

Where, undaunted in danger, our sea-beaten tars, O'er the cross of St. George wav'd the stripes and the stars!

And still should the foe, &c.

Six ships, while our banners triumphantly flew, Submitted to tars who were born to subdue ; When they rush'd to the battle resolved to maintain, The freedom of trade, and our right to the main ! And still should the foe, &c.

G

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

With the glory of conquest our heroes are crown'd, Let their brows with the bright naval chaplet be bound;

For still should the foe dare the fight to sustain, Gallant Perry shall lead them to conquest again. For still should the foe, &c.

THE TRUMPET OF FAME.

O'ER the trident of Neptune Britannia had boasted, Her flag triumphantly few;

And her fleet, undisturb'd, round America coasted, Till Hull taught the foe what our seamen could do. Let the trumpet of Fame tell the story,

And our tars give to honour and glory;

Hark! hark! how the cannon like thunder does rattle,

See our heroes quite cool in the heat of the battle!

See the bold Constitution the Guerriere o'ertaking, While seas from her fury divide:

The all-conquering foe her thunder is raking-
Now her mizen-mast falls in the deep by her side.
Her hulk now our bullets are tearing;

The blood from her scuppers is pouring,
See! see! she's aboard. Shall we yield boys?

no, never,

We'll fight for our rights on the ocean for ever.

Brave Hull gives the order for boarding! but wonder,

By the board main and foremasts both go;

A lee gun now proclaims she submits to our thunder Which drown'd the vain boast of our now humbled

foe.

Huzza! now. the conquest proclaiming,
Now our tars see the Guerriere flaming:

See! see! as she burns, sink the battle's commo
tion;

She blows up! and scatters her hulk o'er the

ocean.

Equal force-let Britannia send out her whole navy,
Our heroes in bondage to drag,

And our sailors will send them express to old Davy,
Or forfeit their lives, in detence of our flag.
Let the Trumpet of Fame tell the story,
And our tars give to honour and glory,
Death! death they'll prefer ere from honour
they'll sever;

Then glory to Hull and our navy forever.

THE WOUNDED HUSSAR.

BY THOMAS CAMPBELL.

ALONE to the banks of the dark-rolling Danube,
Fair Adelade hied when the battle was o'er:
Oh! whither, she cried, hast thou wander'd, iny
lover,

Or here dost thou welter and bleed on the shore? What voice did I hear? 'twas my Hency that sigh'd, All mournful she hasten'd, nor wander'd she får, When bleeding, and low, on the heath she descry'd, By the light of the moon, her poor wounded Hus

sar.

From his bosom that heav'd, the last torrent was streaming,

And pale was his visage, deep mark'd with a scar; And dim was that eve, once expressively beming, That melted in love, and that kindled in war!

« 前へ次へ »