A talisman unto thee shall they be, To give thy weak arm strength—to make thy dim eye see. Seek truth, that pure celestial truth-whose birth Was in the heaven of heavens, clear, sacred, shrined In reason's light: Not oft she visits earth, But her majestic port, the willing mind, Through faith, may sometimes see. Give her thy soul, Be free. Not chiefly from the iron chain, Be free. The rule o'er chance, sense, circumstance. Trample thy proud lusts proudly 'neath thy feet, And stand erect, as for a heaven-born one is meet. Seek virtue. Wear her armor to the fight; Then, as a wrestler gathers strength from strife, Shalt thou be nerved to a more vigorous might By each contending turbulent ill of life. Seek virtue. She alone is all divine; And having found, be strong, in God's own strength and thine Truth-freedom-virtue-these, dear child, have power, Neglect them-thy celestial gifts are vain- 17. "THERE'S DEATH IN THE POT."—Anonymous. Hark! hark! the alarum has sped, Dire pestilence stalks in the breeze, Its pathway is strewed o'er with millions of dead- The Cossack and Turk to the ground it has brought, From Asia's dark morass it springs, In vain to arrest it are edicts of kings, The command to "destroy" has been given,Its victims are marked.-To the vile, to the sot, Then haste with the tidings, "there's death in the pot." Full oft have they sung of the bowl, A feast from the wine-cup may borrow: Tis the voice of a syren-'tis false-heed it not! Intemperance! dread tyrant! too long Thy reign has prevailed o'er the earth; Thy vassals, the children of song, Have owned thee the source of their mirth. Thy throne is now falling-thy song is forgotThy worshipers tremble," there's death in the pot " Who now tarries long at the wine Who looks on the cup when 'tis red— To-day may be found at thy shrine : To-morrow, may lie with the dead. 'Tis decreed-though the victim of rum heeds it not, Now die or reform :-"there is death in the pot." 18. THE FAMILY BIBLE.—Anonymous. How painfully pleasing the fond recollection The seats of their offspring as ranged on each hand, And that richest of books, which excelled every other— That family bible that lay on the stand; The old-fashioned bible, the dear, blessed bible, That bible, the volume of God's inspiration, At morn and at evening, could yield us delight, And the prayer of our sire was a sweet invocation, For mercy by day, and for safety through night, Our hymns of thanksgiving, with harmony swelling, Ye scenes of tranquillity, long have we parted; And wander unknown on a far-distant shore. 19. THE PATRIOT'S ELYSIUM.-Montgomery. There is a land, of every land the pride, Beloved by heaven o'er all the world beside; Where brighter suns dispense serener light, And milder moons imparadise the night; A land of beauty, virtue, valor, truth, Time-tutored age, and love-exalted youth. The wandering mariner, whose eye explores The wealthiest isles, the most enchanting shores, Views not a realm so bountiful and fair, Nor breathes the spirit of a purer air; In every clime, the magnet of his soul, Touched by remembrance, trembles to that pole : Here woman reigns; the mother, daughter, wife Strews with fresh flowers the narrow way of life; lie; In the clear heaven of her delightful eye, I asked an aged man, a man of cares, Of life had left his veins: "Time!" he replied, : I asked a spirit lost; but oh, the shriek One foot on sea, and one on solid land; ; "By heavens," he cried, "I swear the mystery's o'er, Time was," he cried, "but time shall be no more!" 21. MACBETH'S SOLILOQUY.-Shakspeare. Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.— I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling, as to sight? or art thou but As this which now I draw. Thou marshalest me the way that I was going; Mine eyes are made the fools of the other senses, Thus to mine eyes.-Now o'er one half the world Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace, Which now suits with it.-While I threat, he lives— I Hear it not, Duncan! for it is a knell That summons thee to heaven or to hell. 22. THE BATTLE OF BANNOCKBURN.-Campbell Wide o'er Bannock's heathy wold, Scotland's deathful banners roll'd, And spread their wings of sprinkled gold Freedom beamed in every eye; |