Thou from this tower defend the important post;
There Agamem'non points his dreadful host:
Thrice our bold foes the fierce attack have given,
Or led by hopes, or dictated from Heaven.
Let others in the field their arms employ;
But stay my Hector here, and guard his Troy.

Hec. How would the sons of Troy, in arms renowned, And Troy's proud dames, whose garments sweep the ground, Attaint the luster of my former name,

Should Hector basely quit the field of fame!

No more

but hasten to thy tasks at home;

There guide the spindle, and direct the loom.

HOMER, TRANSLATED BY POPE.

THE BUTTERFLY'S BALL.

COME, take up your hats, and away let us haste
To the Butterfly's ball and the Grasshopper's feast;
The trumpeter Gadfly has summoned the crew,
And the revels are now only waiting for you.

On the smooth-shaven grass by the side of the wood,
Beneath a broad oak that for ages has stood,
See the children of earth and the tenants of air
For an evening's amusement together repair.

And there came the Beetle, so blind and so black,
Who carried the Emmet, his friend, on his back;
And there was the Gnat, and the Dragonfly too,
With all their relations, green, orange, and blue.

And there came the Moth in his plumage of down,
And Hornet with jacket of yellow and brown,
Who with him the Wasp, his companion, did bring;
But they promised that evening to lay by their sting.

And the sly little Dormouse crept out of his hole,
And led to the feast his blind brother, the Mole;

And the Snail, with his horns peeping out from his shell,
Came from a great distance, the length of an ell.

A mushroom their table, and on it was laid
A water-dock leaf, which a table-cloth made;
The viands were various, to suit each one's taste,
And the Bee brought his honey to crown the repast.

There, close on his haunches, so solemn and wise,
The Frog from a corner looked up to the skies;
And the Squirrel, well pleased such diversion to see,
Sat cracking his nuts overhead in a tree.

Then out came the Spider, with fingers so fine,
To show his dexterity on the tight line;

From one branch to another his cobwebs he slung,
Then as quick as an arrow he darted along.

But just in the middle,

O! shocking to tell!

From his rope in an instant poor Harlequin fell;

Yet he touched not the ground, but with talons outspread Hung suspended in air at the end of a thread.

Then a Grasshopper came with a jerk and a spring, Very long was his leg, though but short was his wing: He took but three leaps and was soon out of sight, Then chirped his own praises the rest of the night.

With step so majestic the Snail did advance,
And promised the gazers a minuet to dance;

But they all laughed so loud that he pulled in his head,
And went to his own little chamber to bed.

Then, as evening gave way to the shadows of night,
Their watchman, the Glowworm, came out with his light;
Then home let us hasten while yet we can see,
For no watchman is waiting for you or for me.

ROSCOE.

SPARTACUS TO HIS FELLOW-GLADIATORS.

FELLOW-GLAD ́IATORS! Why droop we thus, and chafe in sullen desperation? We have strong limbs; we have sharp swords. Let us turn them no longer against one another, for Rome's inhuman pastime: let us turn them against our tyrants! What though they are many, and we are few? Is not one of us a match for a dozen of these effeminate lords? What though they are rich, and we are poor? Have we not an inheritance of wrongs too vast, almost, to be reckoned?

Listen, brothers! The city is wrapt in sleep. The guards that would oppose us may be easily overpowered, and their weapons seized. Thus doubly armed, we may make our way into the open country, and by sunrise be able to defy our masters. - Masters, did I say? Are we not grown men, and, by the law of nature, our own masters only?

O Liberty! blessing which they only who have lost can duly prize — do we indeed behold thee in the distance, beckoning us to thy embrace? Yes, it is she, my brethren! And what must we do to reach her? This merely — dare ! dare! In that one word lies the secret

dare!

Rise, then, ye victims of Roman cruelty and pride! Resolve to be slaves no longer! Are we not armed? At least, we can die like men, fighting for our freedom, hewing down our oppressors, selling our lives at a dear price, not cheaply on the shambles of the a-re'na. Up, then, and on! Victory is to the brave. Adventures are to the adventurous. me. The first step, remember, is dare!

Follow

OSBORNE.

அ

THE WAR-HORSE.

HAST thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?

Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? The glory of his nostrils is terrible.

He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.

He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.

The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.

He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.

He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha! and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

JOB.

THE CHILD'S FIRST GRIEF.

"O! CALL my brother back to me !
I can not play alone!

The summer comes with flower and bee –
Where is my brother gone?

"The butterfly is glancing bright

Across the sunbeam's track :

I care not now to chase its flight
O, call my brother back!

"The flowers run wild the flowers we sowed

Around our garden tree;

Our vine is drooping with its load

O, call him back to me!

"He would not hear my voice, fair child!
He may not come to thee;

The face that once like spring-time smiled.
On earth no more thou 'lt see.

"The rose's brief, bright life of joy,

Such unto him was given :

Go, thou must play alone, my boy!

Thy brother is in heaven.”

"And has he left his birds and flowers?

And must I call in vain ?

And through the long, long summer hours,
Will he not come again?

"And by the brook, and in the glade,
Are all our wanderings o'er?

O! while my brother with me played,

Would I had loved him more !'

MRS. HEMANS.