Piled o'er some honoured Chieftain's narrow house.
His praise the song had ceas'd to celebrate,
And many an unknown age had the long grass
Waved o'er the nameless mound, tho' barren now
Beneath the frequent tread of multitudes.
There elevate, the Martial Maiden stood,
Her brow unhelmed, and floating on the wind
Her long dark locks. The silent troops around
Stood thickly throng'd, as o'er the fertile field
Billows the ripen'd corn. The passing breeze
Bore not a murmur from the numerous host,
Such deep attention held them. She began.

Glory to those who in their country's cause "Fall in the field of battle! Citizens,

"I stand not here to mourn these gallant men, "Qur comrades, nor with vain and idle phrase

"Of pity and compassion, to console

"The friends who loved them. They, indeed, who fall

«Beneath Oppression's banner, merit well

"Our pity; may the GOD OF PEACE AND LOVE "Be merciful to those blood-guilty men

"Who came to desolate the realm of France, "To make us bow the knee, and crouch like slaves,

"Before a tyrant's footstool! Give to these,

"And to their wives and orphan little-ones

"That on their distant father vainly cry

"For bread, give these your pity. Wretched men, "Forced or inveigled from their homes, or driven "By Need and Hunger to the trade of blood; "Or, if with free and willing mind they came, "Most wretched-for before the eternal throne

་་

They stand, as hireling murderers arraign'd.

"But our dead comrades for their freedom fought; "No arts they needed, nor the specious bribes "Of promise, to allure them to this fight,

"This holy warfare! them their parents sent, "And as they raised their streaming eyes to Heaven, "Bade them go forth, and from the ruffian's sword "Save their grey hairs: these men their wives sent forth,

"Fix'd their last kisses on their * armed hands,

And bade them in the battle think they fought

"For them and for their babes. Thus rous'd to rage "By every milder feeling, they rush'd 'forth,

"They fought, they conquer'd. To this high-rear'd mound "The men of Orleans shall in after days

Bring their young boys, and tell them of the deeds "Our gallant friends atchieved, and bid them learn

"Like them to love their country, and like them,
"Should wild Oppression pour again it's tide
"Of desolation, to step forth and stem

"Fearless, the furious torrent. Men of France!
"Mourn not for these our comrades; boldly they
"Fought the good fight, and that Eternal One,

* Sed contra Enotria pubes

Non ullus voces ducis aut præcepta requirit.
Sat matres stimulant, natique, et cara supinas
Tendentum palmas lacrimantiaque ora parentum.
Ostentant parvos, vagituque incita pulsant
Corda virum, armatis infigunt oscula dextris.

Silius Italicus. xii. 587.

"Who bade the angels harbinger his word "With "Peace on Earth," rewards them. We survive, "Honouring their memories to avenge their fall

"On England's ruffian hordes; in vain her chiefs

Madly will drain her wealth and waste her blood "To conquer this vast realm! for, easier were it "To hurl the rooted mountain from it's base, "Than force the yoke of slavery upon men "Determin'd to be free: yes-let them rage,

"And drain their country's wealth, and waste her blood, "And pour their hireling thousands on our coasts, "Sublime amid the storm shall France arise, "And like the rock amid surrounding waves, r Repel the rushing ocean-she shall wield "The thunder-she shall blast her despot foes.

The Tenth Book.