5 That be assured, without leave ask'd of thee: Retire, or taste thy folly; and learn by proof, Hell-born, not to contend with spirits of Heav'n." To whom the goblin full of wrath reply'd; (°) "Art thou that traitor Angel, art thou he, 10 Who first broke peace in Heav'n and faith, till then Unbroken, and in proud rebellious arms Drew after him the third part of Heav'n's sons, Conjur'd against the High'est, for which both thou And they, outcast from God, are here condemn'd 15 To waste eternal days in woe and pain? And reckon'st thou thyself with spi'rits of Heav'n, Thy ling'ring, or with one stroke of this dart, The Exercises of the foregoing head were designed to accustom the voice to exertion on the extreme notes of its compass, high and low. The following Exercises under this head are intended to accustom the voice to those sudden transitions which sentiment often requires, not only as to pitch, but also as to quantity. 1 HEARD ye those loud contending waves, And bid the raging tumult cease? With syren tongue, and speaking eyes, 2 Lo! from the regions of the North, Fastens on the Olynthian towers. 3 (0)"Where rests the sword?-where sleep the brave? Awake! Cecropia's ally save From the fury of the blast; Burst the storm on Phocis' walls; Rise! or Greece for ever falls, Up or Freedom breathes her last!" 4 (0) The jarring States, obsequious row, 5 Borne by the tide of words along, One voice, one mind, inspire the throng: (0°) "To arms! to arms! to arms!" they cry, "Grasp the shield, and draw the sword, Lead us to Philippi's lord, Let us conquer him—or die !” 6 (0) Ah Eloquence! thou wast undone; Wast from thy native country driven, When Tyranny eclips'd the sun, And blotted out the stars of heaven. 7 When Liberty from Greece withdrew, And o'er the Adriatic flew, To where the Tiber pours his urn, She struck the rude Tarpeian rock; Sparks were kindled by the shockAgain thy fires began to burn! 8 Now shining forth, thou mad'st compliant The Conscript Fathers to thy charms; Rous'd the world-bestriding giant, Sinking fast in Slavery's arms! 9 I see thee stand by Freedom's fane, 10 First-born of Liberty divine! Put on Religion's bright array; 11 Rise, kindling with the orient beam; And point the way to Heaven-to God. Cary. 2. Hohenlinden.... Description of a Battle with Firearms. 1 (On Linden, when the sun was low, 2 But Linden saw another sight, 3 By torch and trumpet fast arrayed, And furious every charger neighed, 4 Then shook the hills with thunder riven, 5 And redder yet those fires shall glow, 6 'Tis morn, but scarce yon lurid sun 7 The combat deepens. (°°) On, ye brave, 8 (0) Ah! few shall part where many meet !* 3. Hamlet's Soliloquy. Campbell. This is one of the most difficult things to read in the English language. No one should attempt it without entering into the sentiment, by recurring to the story of Hamlet. The notation which I have given, however imperfect, may at least furnish the reader with some guide in the management of his voice. Want of discrimination, has been the common fault in reading this soliloquy. To bé, or not to be? that is the question.— Whether 'tis nobler in the mind, to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, *Soft. Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, 5 And by opposing, end them?-To díe--to sleep— 10 To sleep! perchance, to dream :-Ay, there's the rùb; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause. There's the respect, 15 For who would bear the whips and scorns of tìme,* And makes us rather bear those ills we have, Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,- 30 Is sicklied o'er with the pàle cast of thought; 1 There was a sound of revelry by night, The indignant feeling awakened in Hamlet by this enumera tion of particulars, requires the voice gradually to rise on each, till it comes to the mark of transition. |