Thus man devotes his brother, and destroys; Then what is man? And what man, seeing this, And tremble when I wake, for all the wealth I had much rather be myself the slave, And wear the bonds, than fasten them on him. Slaves cannot breathe in England; if their lungs Of all your empire; that where Britain's power XXXVII. CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE. TENNYSON. [ALFRED TENNYSON, a living poet of England, was born at Somersby, Lincolnshire, in 1810. He has published two volumes of miscellaneous poetry; also, "The Princess," a narrative, in blank verse; a volume called "In Memoriam ;""Maud,” in which an unhappy love story is told in a broken and frag. mentary way; and "Idyls of the King," comprising four poems founded on the legends of King Arthur. He is a man of rare and fine genius, whose poetry is addressed to refined and cultivated minds. The music of his verse and his skill in the use of language are alike excellent. He is a poet of poets; and, in general, is only fully appreciated by those who have something of the poetical faculty themselves. He is more valued by women than by men, and by young men than by old. He is evidently a man of the finest organization, and his poetry is of the most exquisite and ethereal cast. He has an uncommon power of presenting pictures to the eye, and often in a very few words. His pages are crowded with subjects for the artist. A portion of what he has written is rather remote from the beaten track of human sympathies and feelings; but that he can write popular poetry is shown by his well-known " May Queen." His volume called "In Memoriam," is a very remarkable book. It is a collection of one hundred and twenty-nine short poems, written in a peculiar and uniform metre, which were called forth by the early death of Arthur Henry Hallam, the eldest son of the historian, a young man of rare excellence of mind and character, the intimate friend of Tennyson, and betrothed to his sister. Such a book will not be welcome to all minds, nor to any mind at all periods and in all moods; but it contains some of the most exquisite poetry which has been written in our times, and some of the deepest and sweetest effusions of feeling to be found any where. The following spirited poem commemorates a gallant and desperate charge made by a brigade of English light-horse at the battle of Balaklava, in the Crimea, October 25, 1854, under circumstances that seemed to insure the destruction of the whole body. The order to charge was supposed to have been given under a mistake; but nothing was ever distinctly known about it, as Captain Nolan, who delivered it, was the first man who fell. Of six hundred and thirty who started on the charge only a hundred and fifty returned.] Inte the valley of death 3 Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them Volleyed and thundered: Stormed at with shot and shell, Boldly they rode and well; Into the mouth of hell, Rode the six hundred. 4 Flashed all their sabres bare, All the world wondered: Plunged in the battery smoke, Cossack and Russian Reeled from the sabre-stroke, Shattered and sundered. Then they rode back, but not, Not the six hundred. 5 Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Volleyed and thundered: While horse and hero fell, They that had fought so well, Came through the jaws of death, Back from the mouth of hell, All that was left of them, Left of six hundred. 6 When can their glory fade? XXXVIII.-UNION AND LIBERTY. O. W. HOLMES. 1 FLAG of the heroes who left us their glory, Up with our banner bright, Sprinkled with starry light, Spread its fair emblems from mountain to shore; Loud rings the nation's cry, Union and Liberty !—one evermore! 2 Light of our firmament, guide of our nation, 3 Empire unsceptred! what foe shall assail thee, 4 Yet, if by madness and treachery blighted, Dawns the dark hour when the sword thou must draw, Then, with the arms of thy millions united, Smite the bold traitors to Freedom and Law! 5 Lord of the Universe! shield us and guide us, Sprinkled with starry light, Spread its fair emblems from mountain to shore; Loud rings the nation's cry, Union and Liberty !—one evermore! XXXIX. - DIALOGUE FROM IVANHOE. SIR WALTER SCOTT. [The following scene is taken from "Ivanhoe," a novel, the scene of which is laid in England, in the twelfth century. Ivanhoe, an English knight, is lying wounded and a captive in the Castle of Front-de-Bœuf, a Norman knight, while it is undergoing an assault from a party of outlawed forest rangers, aided by an unknown knight in black armor, hence called the Black Knight, who afterwards turns out to be Richard, King of England. Rebecca is a young Jewish maiden.] FOLLOWING with wonderful promptitude the directions of Ivanhoe, and availing herself of the protection of the large ancient shield, which she placed against the lower part of the window, Rebecca, with tolerable security to 5 herself, could witness part of what was passing without the castle, and report to Ivanhoe the preparations which the assailants were making for the storm. 10 The skirts of the wood seem lined with archers, although only a few are advanced from its dark shadow." "Under what banner?" asked Ivanhoe. “Under no ensign of war which I can observe,” answered Rebecca. |