LESSON XLI. MOUNT MONADNOCK." PEABODY. 1. UPON the far-off mountain's brow The angry storm had ceased to beat; In sullen reverence round his feet; In thunder on his breast descending; 2. I've seen him when the morning sun Burned like a bale-fire on the height; 3. And there, forever firm and clear, No sovereign but the King of kings. He rears in melancholy glory. 4. The proudest works of human hands Outlives the mightiest of them all. ■ Mount Mon-ad'nock; a mountain in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, 3450 feet above the level of the sea. And man himself, more frail by far Than e'en the works his hand is raising, That flashes, and expires in blazing. 5. And all the treasures of the heart, Its loves and sorrows, joys and fears, Unchanged, though years are passing o'er him; 6. So should it be; for no heart beats The soothing words that make us blest. LESSON XLII. THE SACKING OF PRAGUE. CAMPBELL. [The learner may note the transitions in the following piece. See Transition, p. 60, and rules 2, 4, 8, &c., for Expression, p. 51.] 1. O! SACRED truth! thy triumph ceased a while, a Falling star; a meteoric phenomenon supposed by some to be a collection of gaseous matter formed and ignited in the air. b Pandours; a kind of light infantry. Pealed her loud drum, and twanged her trumpet horn' Presaging wrath to Poland, and to man! 2. Warsaw's last champion" from the height surveyed, O! Heaven, he cried, my bleeding country save! 3. He said, and on the rampart heights arrayed 4. In vain, alas! in vain, ye gallant few! grasp Closed her bright eyes, and curbed her high career; 5. The sun went down, nor ceased the carnage there Tumultuous murder shook the midnight air. с a Kosciusko. b Sarmatia, (sär-ma-she-a, by the poet, in three syllables ;) an ancient country, of which Poland is a part. c Kosciusko, (kos-se-usʼko ;) a distinguished Polish general, and Washington's aid in the American Revolution. On Prague's proud arch the fires of ruin glow, 6. O! righteous Heaven! ere freedom found a grave, Where was thine arm, O vengeance, where thy rod, That smote the foes of Zion and of God; That crushed proud Ammon," when his iron car 7. Departed spirits of the mighty dead! Ye that at Marathon' and Leuctra bled! Yet for Sarmatia's tears of blood atone, And make her arm puissant as your own! 8. Yes! thy proud lords, unpitied land! shall see a Aminon; the son of Lot, and father of the Ammonites. b Marathon; a town in Greece, famous for the victory of Milti'ades over the Persians, B. C. 490. © Leuctra, (lük-tra;) a town in Greece, famous for the victory of Epaminon'das over the Spartans, B. C. 371. d Tell (William;) a Swiss peasant, distinguished for his resistance to the Austrian governor, Gesler. e Bruce (Robert;) a king of Scotland, and son of Robert Bruce who fought in the English army against William Wallace. f Ban'nock-burn'; a village in Scotland, renowned for the victory of the younger Bruce over Edward II. of England. The starless night of desolation reigns; LESSON XLIII. SIEGE OF CALAIS. BROOKE. 1. EDWARD III., after the battle of Crecy, laid siege tc Calais. He had fortified his camp in so impregnable a manner, that all the efforts of France proved ineffectual to raise the siege, or throw succors into the city. The citizens, under Count Vienne, their gallant governor, made an admirable defence. France had now put the sickle into her second harvest, since Edward, with his victorious army, sat down before the town. The eyes of all Europe were intent on the issue. 2. At length, famine did more for Edward than arms. After suffering unheard-of calamities, the French resolved to attempt the enemy's camp. They boldly sallied forth; the English joined battle; and after a long and desperate engagement, Count Vienne was taken prisoner, and the citizens who survived the slaughter retired within their gates. The command devolving upon Eustace St. Pierre, a man of mean birth, but of exalted virtue, he offered to capitulate with Edward, provided he permitted them to depart with life and liberty. 3. Edward, to avoid the imputation of cruelty, consented to spare the bulk of the plebians, provided they delivered up to him six of their principal citizens with halters about their a Prometheus (pro-me'the-us, by the poet, in three syllables;) a Titan, said to have brought fire from heaven to men. b Edward III.; a warlike king of England, born 1313. e Crecy; a town in France, celebrated for a battle between the English and French, in which 30,000 foot and 1200 horse were slain. d Calais (kal'is;) a seaport town in France. e Count Vienne (ve-enne';) a governor of the province of Vienne. f Pronounced Peer. |