Prodigious power had shown, and met in arms
No equal, ranging through the dire attack
Of fighting Seraphim confused, at length,

Saw where the sword of Michael smote, and felled
Squadrons at once; with huge two-handed sway,
Brandished aloft, the horrid edge came down
Wide wasting; such destruction to withstand
He hasted, and opposed the rocky orb
Of tenfold adamant, his ample shield
Of vast circumference. At his approach
The great Archangel from his warlike toil
Surceased, and glad, as hoping here to end
Intestine war in heaven, th' arch-foe subdued.
5. Now waved their fiery swords, and in the air
Made horrid circles; two broad suns their shields
Blazed opposite, while expectation stood

In horror; from each hand with speed retired,
Where erst was thickest fight, the angelic throng,
And left large fields, unsafe within the wind
Of such commotion; such as, to set forth
Great things by small, if, nature's concord broke,
Among the constellations war were sprung,
Two planets rushing from aspect* malign
Of fiercest opposition, in mid-sky

Should combat, and their jarring spheres confound.

MILTON.

LESSON XXXIX. Í

[This should be read in a medium tone, between high and low.]

PAUL'S DEFENSE BEFORE KING AGRIPPA.

1. THEN said Agrippa unto Paul: "Thou art permitted to speak for thyself." Then Paul stretched forth his hand and answered for himself.

2. I think myself happy, king Agrippa', because I shall answer for myself, this day, before thee, touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews'; especially, because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently. My manner of life from my youth', which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem', know all the Jews; who knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee.

*Observe the improper pronunciation of the word "aspect," required by the poetic accent. In this case an equal degree of force may be given to each syllable.

3. And now, I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers'; unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa', I am accused of the Jews. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which things I also did' in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief-priests, and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.

4. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them, even unto strange cities. Whereupon, as I went to Damascus, with authority and commission from the chief-priests, at mid-day, O King', I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue', Saul', Saul', why persecutest thou me'? it is hard for thee to kick against the goads. And I said', Who art' thou, Lord' ?

5. And he said', I am Jesus', whom thou persecutest. But rise and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear' unto thee; delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God; that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified, by faith that is in me.

6. Whereupon, O king Agrippa', I was not disobedient' unto the heavenly vision; but showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. Having, therefore, obtained help of God', I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small' and great', saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come; that Christ should suffer', and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead', and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

7. And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, thou art beside' thyself, much learning hath made

thee mad." But he said, "I am not mad', most noble Festus', but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. For the king knoweth of these things, before whom I speak freely'; for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner'. King Agrippa', believest thou the prophets'? I know' that thou believest."

8. Then Agrippa said unto Paul'; "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." And Paul said, "I would to God that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost', and altogether' such as I' am, except these bonds." And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor and Bernice, and they that sat with them. And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying; "This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds." Then said Agrippa unto Festus; "This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Cesar."

BIBLE.

LESSON XL.0

HENRY V. TO HIS TROOPS.

(This lesson requires a high key.)

1. ONCE more unto the breach, dear friends', once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead.
In peace', there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility;

But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then', imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews`, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favored rage:
Then', lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let it pry through the portage of the head,
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it,
As fearfully as doth a galled rock

O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swilled with the wild and wasteful ocean.

2. Now set the teeth, and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath, and bend up every spirit
To its full hight! On, on, you noble English!
Whose blood is set from fathers of war-proof;
Fathers, that, like so many Alexanders,
Have, in these parts, from morn till even, fought,
And sheathed their swords for lack of argument;
Be copy now to men of grosser blood,

And teach them how to war!

3.

And you, good yeomen',

Whose limbs were made in England, show us here
The mettle of your pasture; let us swear

That you are worth your breeding, which I doubt not;
For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble luster in your eyes.
I see you start like grayhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot`;
Follow your spirit: and, upon this charge',
Cry-God for Harry! England! and St. George!

LESSON XLI. G

SHAKSPEARE.

RIENZI'S ADDRESS TO THE ROMANS.
1. I COME not here to talk. You know too well
The story of our thralldom. We are-slaves!
The bright sun rises to his course and lights
A race of slaves! He sets, and his last beams
Fall on a-slave; not such as swept along
By the full tide of power, the conqueror led
To crimson glory and undying fame':
But-base-ignoble-slaves; slaves to a horde
Of petty tyrants, feudal despots, lords,
Rich' in some dozen paltry villages`;

2.

3.

Strong' in some hundred spearmen`; only great'
In that strange spell;-a NAME.

Each hour, dark fraud,

Or open rapine, or protected murder,

Cry out against them. (h) But this very day`,
An honest man, my neighbor,-there he stands',—
Was struck,-struck' like a dog`, by one who wore
The badge of Ursin; because, forsooth,

He tossed not high his ready cap in air,

Nor lifted up his voice in servile shouts,

At sight of that great ruffian! (hh) Be we men',

And suffer such' dishonor? men', and wash not

The stain away in blood"? (1) Such shames are common,

I have known deeper wrongs; I`, that speak to ye,
I had a brother once-a gracious boy,

Full of gentleness, of calmest hope,

Of sweet and quiet joy,-there was the look
Of heaven upon his face, which limners give
To the beloved disciple.

How I loved,

That gracious boy! Younger by fifteen years,
Brother at once, and son! He left my side,
A summer bloom on his fair cheek; a smile
Parting his innocent lips. In one short hour,
The pretty, harmless boy was slain! I saw

4.

The cōrse, the mangled corse, and then (h) I cried
For vengeance! (hh) ROUSE ye, ROMANS! ROUSE ye, SLAVES!
Have ye brave sons'? Look in the next fierce brawl
To see them die. Have ye fair daughters'? Look
To see them live, torn from your arms, distained`,
Dishonored; and if ye dare call for justice',
Be answered by the lash`.

(1) Yet this-is Rôme,

That sat on her seven hills, and, from her throne Of beauty, ruled the world! Yet we are Romans! (h) Why, in that elder day, to be a Rõman,

5.

Was greater than a king!

And once again,

Ι

(hh) Hear me, ye walls, that echoed to the tread
Of either Brutus ! Once again, I swear,
The eternal city shall be free.

MISS MITFORD.

MISCELLANEOUS EXERCISES.

The remaining exercises of Part II. are promiscuously arranged, and are intended to illustrate all the principles which have been explained.

LESSON XLII. 42

THE FORTUNE TELLER.

1. HARLEY sat down on a large stone, by the way-side, to take a pebble from his shoe, when he saw, at some distance, a beggar' approaching him. He had on a loose sort of coat mended with different-colored rags, among which the blue and russet were predominant. He had a short, knotty stick in his hand; and on the top of it was stuck a ram's horn; he wore no shoes, and his stockings had entirely lost that part of them which would have covered his feet and ancles; in his face, however, was the plump appearance of good humor; he walked a good round pace, and a crook-legged dog trotted at his heels.

2. "Our delicacies," said Harley to himself, "are fantastic; they are not in nature! That beggar' walks over the sharpest of these stones barefooted, whilst I have lost the most delightful dream in the world, from the smallest of them happening to get into my shoe." The beggar had by this time come up, and pulling off a piece of a hat, asked charity' of Harley. The dog began to beg too. It was impossible to resist both; and, in truth, the want