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And the stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad. 12 Now a thing was secretly brought to mé, And my ear received a small sound of it. 13. In thoughts from the visions of the night', When deep sleep falleth on men', 14 Fear came upon me', and trembling', Which made all my bones to shake. 15 Then a spirit passed before my face; The hair of my flesh stood up;

16 It stood still, but I could not discern its form`; An image was before my eyes;

There was silencè,—and I heard a voice saying, 17 Shall mōrtal mān bē mōre jūst thān Gōd'? Shall ā man` bē mōre pūre than hịs Maker'? 18 Behold', he put no trust in his servants`; And his angels he charged with folly`;

19 How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay', Whose foundation is in the dust', who are crushed before the moth^ ?

20 They are destroyed from morning to evening`; They perish for ever without any regarding it. 21 Doth their excellence which is in them depart? They die, even without wisdom.

LESSON LIX.

SINAI AT THE GIVING OF THE LAW.-Exodus xix. 16-25. 16 AND it came to pass on the third day in the morning',

that

there were thunders and lightnings', and a thick cloud upon the mount', and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud'; so 17 that all the people that were in the camp trembled. And

Moses brought forth the people out of the camp' to meet with 18 God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether in a smoke^, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke of it ascended as the smoke of a furnace', and the whole mount trembled 19 greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and grew louder and lōudēr', Moses spokè, and God an20 swered him by a voicè. And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount; and the Lord called 21 Moses to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. And the Lord said to Moses', Go down`, charge the people lest they break through to the Lord to gaze^, and many of them

22 perish. And let the priests also who come near to the Lord' sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth upon them. 23 And Moses said to the Lord', The people cannot come up

to mount Sinaí; for thou chargest us saying', Set bounds 24 about the mount', and sanctify it`. And the Lord said to him', Away`, go down`, and thou shalt come up', thōu, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people' break through', to come up to the Lord', lest he break forth 25 upon them. So Moses went down to the people', and spoke to them.

LESSON LX.

THE SOUL'S DEFIANCE.

Iambic verse. Eight lines in a stanza, alternating with lines of four and three feet, except the last line, which has but two;-but the last line of the last stanza has three feet.

1. I SAID to Sorrow's awful storm',
That beat against my breast',

Ragè on-thou may'st destroy this form',
And lay it low at rest',

But still the spirit', that now brooks'

Thy tempest raging high',

Undaunted on its fury looks'

With steadfast eye.

2. I said to Penury's meager train',
Come on your threats I bravè;
My last poor life-drop you may drain',
And crush me to the grave^,

Yet still the spirit, that endures',

Shall mock your force the while^,
And meet each cold, cold grasp of yours'
With bitter smile.

3. I said to cold Neglect and Scorn',
Pâss on-I heed you not^;

Yè may pursue^ me till my form'
And being are forgot',

Yet still the spirit', which you see
Undaunted by your wiles',

Draws from its own nobility'
Its high-born smiles.

4. I said to Friendship's men'aced blow',
Strikè deèp-my heart shall bear^;
Thou canst but add one bitter woé
To those already there;
Yet still the spirit that sustains'
This last severe distress',

Shall smile upon its keenest pains^,
And scorn redress.

5. I said to Death's uplifted dart',
Aim sure-0, why delay'?
Thou wilt not find a fearful heart'
A weak reluctant prey^;
For still the spirit', firm and free',
Triumphant in the last dismay',
Wrapt in its own eternity',
Shall smiling pass away.

LESSON LXI.

FABLE OF THE WOOD ROSE AND THE LAUREL.

Iambic measure.

The lines of various lengths, containing four, three, and two feet.

1 IN these deep shades a flowret blows',
Whose leaves a thousand sweets disclose;
With modest air it hides its charms',
And every breeze its leaves alarms`;
5 Turns on the ground its bashful eyes',
And oft unknown', neglected', dies.
This flower', as late I careless strayed',
I saw in all its charms arrayed'.
Fast by the spot where low it grew',
10 A proud and flaunting Wood Rose blew'.
With haughty air her head she raised',
Ana on the beauteous plant she gazed.
While struggling passion swelled her breast,
She thus her kindling rage expressed':

15

"Thou worthless flower',

Go leave my bower',

And hide in humbler scenes thy head';

How dost thou dare',

Where roses are',

Thy scents to shed'?

Gò, leave my bower', and live unknown;
I'll rule the field of flowers alone."

"And dost thou think""-the Laurel cried', And raised its head with modest pride', 25 While on its little trembling tongue' A drop of dew incumbent hung'"And dost thou think I'll leave this bower', The seat of many a friendly flower^, The scene where first I grew' ?

30 Thy haughty reign will soon be o'er', And thy frail form will bloom no more'; My flower will perish too'.

35

But know', proud rose',

When winter's snows'

Shall fall where once thy beauties stood',
My pointed leaf of shining green'
Will still amid the gloom be seen',
To cheer the leafless wood."

"Presuming fool!" the Wood Rose cried', 40 And strove in vain her shame to hide; But ah! no more the flower could say'; For', while she spoke', a transient breeze' Came rustling through the neighboring trees, And bore her boasted charms away`.

45 And such, said I', is beauty's power!
Like thee she falls, poor trifling flower`;
And if she lives her little day^,
Life's winter comes with rapid pace',
And robs her form of every grace',
And steals her bloom away'.

50 But in thy form', thou Laurel green',
Fair Virtue's semblance soon is seen.

In life she cheers each different stage,
Spring's transient reign', and Summer's glow,
And Autumn mild', advancing slow',
And lights the eye of agè.

18

LESSON LXII.

THE SOAP-BUBBLE.

Iambic. Four feet in each line.

1. BRIGHT globe, upon the sunbeam tost',
Pure', sparkling', then forever lost;
No crested wave that glittering breaks',
Nor pearl that Wealth admiring takes',
Nor diamond from Golconda's coast',
Can half thy changeful brilliance boast.
2. Hast thou a voice to bid us see'
An emblem of our infancy',

Our reckless youth', our manhood's strife',
And all the painted gauds* of life' ?
3. Hope spreads her wing of plumage fair',
Rebuilds her castle based on air`;

Its turrets crowned with frost-work bright',
Its portals filled with rosy light`;

A breath of summer stirs the tree`;-
Where is that gorgeous dome^?—with thee`.

4. Behold, arrayed in robes of light',
Young Beauty charms the gazer's sight`;
Fast in her steps the graces tread,
The roseate chaplet decks her head`;
But the brief garland fades away',
The bubble bursts^,-and she is clay.

5. Dilate once more thy proudest size',
And deck thee in the rainbow's' dies;
Thy boldest flight aspiring dare^,
Then vanish to thy native air`;

Love dazzles thus with borrowed rays^,
And thus the trusting heart betrays.

6. Again it swells`; that crystal round'

Soars', shines', expands', and seeks the ground';
Save, save' that frail and tinsel shell!
Where fled its fragments' ?-who can tell' ?
Thus, when the soul from dust is free',
Thus shall it gaze', O Earth', on thee`.

* Gaud is now obsolete; something showy.

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