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fortitude of his admirable daughter; and by an almost supernatural exertion of his own constitutional firmness, he was able a little longer to sustain himself; and

"He stood up

Firm in his better strength, and like a tree
Rooted in Lebanon, his frame bent not.
His thin white hairs had yielded to the wind,
And left his brow uncovered; and his face,
Impressed with the stern majesty of grief,
Nerved to a solemn duty, now stood forth,
Like a rent rock, submissive, yet sublime."

Time was now pressing, and the hour nearly run within which the sacrifice was directed to be made.. The noble girl deliberately arranged her clothes, as the officers led her to the stake, and adjusted every thing as she would have it. One long, tender, and agonizing embrace was taken with her father; after which she looked round anxiously for another. But he was not there; and her eyes fell once more as with cruel disappointment. The officer now approached to bind a handkerchief upon her eyes. But she refused the precaution. "No," said she: "I will look my oppressors-would that the worst of them was here!-full in the face, until my eyeballs are seared."

Being bound to the stake, and while the executioners were arranging and piling the combustibles around her, she continued to address the multitude;"I am bound here," she said, "to suffer a cruel death, albeit I call God to witness I have

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never offended by word or deed against our sovereign lord the king, or the pious Protector that was, who winnowed the church and cast the chaff into the oven. Nor do I know aught of the matters laid to my charge. But through my short and weary pilgrimage, I know that I have grievously offended against Almighty God-for truly the apostle saith, in many things we offend all-for which things done in the flesh my heart begs forgiveness now, ere the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl broken. I own me that the flesh is weak, and sometimes shrinks and quivers at the thought of the fire withal; albeit the spirit is willing, and would fain depart with the holy courage of the godly Latimer, or the devout Anna Askew. I wot not, my friends, that some of ye will bear me witness that I die in the fear of God, and faith in his Son-though as for this matter of witchcraft, look ye to it, lest peradventure ye perceive not whereunto it will grow."

Pausing for a moment, she again looked about with great earnestness. It was evident her heart was struggling with emotions too powerful longer to be disguised. Her feelings gained the mastery, and the words passionately escaped—“ Where where is he? Could he desert me at a season, like this? I thought that he surely would have been here at this hour of my final trial, that he might have taken away a part of its bitterness. Assuredly it is very strange; for I should have had much comfort to see him, and speak a few words withal.

Maybe some evil Merodach has been sowing tares to choke his affection. But no-I will not be thus over unkind-I know he loved me, but he could not bear to look on mine

agony

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But the unhappy girl looked and called in vain. He was not there; and with a deeper and heavier sigh she folded her hands upon her bosom, and cast her eyes upon the ground. Then seizing a lock of her hair, she tore it from her head with convulsive energy, and placing it within the cover of her Bible which she yet held, she gave it into her father's hand, saying pensively, "he may look upon these when I am gone-give it to him." She then clasped her hands and repeated audibly a brief prayer of one of the Christian martyrs-" O merciful God, consider my misery, which is best. known unto thee, as also the hearts of these wicked Agagites, but so as to recompense them good for evil!"

But the stern visages of the greater number of the Puritan beholders, of the coarser sex, were unmoved during the whole of this heart-stirring scene, and the last preparations were now making for lighting the torch-the prisoner having again so far composed herself as to exhibit no change of countenance, trouble, or even fear, but complying with every requisite in the adjustment of the combustible materials. Indeed, such was the firmness. -the lofty bearing of this obscure but high-souled pilgrim-daughter at the stake,-placed there a martyr to the ignorance and the prejudice of the

times in which it was her misfortune to live,-as afforded a signal illustration of the beautiful sentiment of the poet,

"Faith is the flame that lifts the soul to heaven!"

CHAPTER X.

To my unfolding lend a gracious ear.-SHAKSPEARE.
In a moment, look to see

The blind and bloody soldier.-Ibid.

THE executioner now approached with the fatal brand. Mercy, with closed though upraised eyes, was breathing forth a last prayer in the ear of Him who heareth the stillest sigh of penitence. Only the last words were heard" with joy unspeakable and full of glory!" The father, finding it impossible to endure any longer, had averted his head, and retired from the view, overwhelmed with emotions of grief and agony, no longer to be suppressed, and beneath which he sunk prostrate upon the ground. Every eye was now fixed with intense interest upon the object. The air of stillness and solemnity which prevailed was awfully impressive. Every heart beat tremblingly as the torch approached the pile. Of a sudden a noise as of a gathering storm was heard in the air, and the sound as of a multitude trampling upon the earth. The

dogs at a distance had been barking for some time -when, just as the torchman was stooping to perform his sad office, the whole assemblage was startled by the loud, piercing, and terrible warwhoop of the savage! The brand fell at the distance of a few feet from the pile. Every man sprang upon his feet, and on looking in the direction of the appalling sound, the smoke of houses in flames began already to ascend in pillowy wreaths towards the heavens, while the wild and tumultuous yells of the exulting savages, increasing in numbers, carried terror to the stoutest heart.

The pilgrims, however, being literally soldiers of the church militant, were seldom unprepared to resist the hostile incursions of the savages, which were so frequent and sudden as to render it necessary for them to go armed to conventicle, and often to their fields when engaged in their customary occupations. Of course, on the present occasion, the whole military array of Menunkatuck, known as the Bethel Minute-men, were under arms-the corps having been put in requisition not merely as a guard, but to invest the proceedings with importance, if not to add splendour to the spectacle. There were no cowards in those days; and the Bethel volunteers ran back to the protection of their firesides, their families, and their domestic altars, as impetuously as the savages had rushed upon them from the wilderness in their absence. More quickly, by far, than we can tell the tale, did they come in contact with their crafty foe, whose

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