LESSON CLXII.POLISH WAR SONG.-JAMES G. PERCIVAL. Freedom calls you! Quick, be ready, Rouse ye in the name of God,- Rise, and spurn the name of slave. Grasp the sword!—its edge is keen, By the souls of patriots gone, Sobieski cries awake! Rise, and front the despot czar, Freedom calls you! Quick, be ready,- On, and let the watchwords be, LESSON CLXIII.-BELSHAZZAR. -Geo. Croly. Hour of an Empire's overthrow! The princes from the feast were gone; That night the feast was wild and high; The last deep cup of wrath was drained. 'Mid jewelled roof and silken pall, Belshazzar on his couch was flung; He heard, but 't was no mortal tongue : 5 10 15 20 25 30 "King of the East! the trumpet calls, That never filled its bed before; A torrent of the Median car; The rushing of a mighty plume. He listened; all again was still; The breeze that through the roses sang. He slept; in sleep wild murmurs came; "Sleep, Sultan! 't is thy final sleep, He started; 'mid the battle's yell, He saw the flames around him swell; LESSON CLXIV.-ELIJAH'S INTERVIEW.- -Thomas Campbell. On Horeb's rock the prophet stood, The Lord before him passed; A hurricane in angry mood 5 10 15 20 25 30 The forest fell before its force, 'T was but the whirlwind of his breath, It ceased. The air grew mute,-a cloud When, through the mountain, deep and loud, The frighted eagle sprang in air, 'T was but the rolling of his car, 'Twas still again,-and Nature stood Down to the depth the ocean fled,- At last, a voice all still and small, That bade the trembling heart rejoice. LESSON CLXV.-DAME NATURE'S CHARMS.-WM. C. LODGE. I love to pause, in life's cold rugged way, And muse on Nature in her various forms; array, And thus expose to view her fairest charms: 5 For she is ever beautiful and bright, When rightly seen, in wild or calmer mood, In sunny day, or sable garb of night, Oh! my delight has ever been to roam, A feather, tossed on fortune's fickle wave, 5 Away from friends, from kindred, and from home, The cold repulses of the world to brave. And when by life's attending ills oppressed, Dear Nature, I would ever turn to thee, For in thy smiles the troubled find a rest, A soothing cordial in thy harmony. I've danced upon the trackless ocean wave, When wild winds held unfettered revelry, And heaven's loud peals the thundering chorus gave To the rude tempest's dirge-like minstrelsy. 15 Then wings the soul its airy flight along, 10 20 Like lightning glancing o'er the jewelled spray, And cast the thoughts and things of earth away. 25 And shows proud man that all his art is nought, 30 The sunny south, the clime of fruits and flowers, Where laughing streamlets leap 'midst shady bowers, To cheer life's path, and drive its cares away. 35 Man often clouds with vain or fancied ills, 40 His narrow span, when Nature's stainless light The world with things so beautiful and bright; LESSON CLXVI.-NIGHT IN EDEN.-MRS. E. H. EVANS. 'Twas moonlight in Eden! Such moonlight, I ween, 5 How bright was the bower where the fair-fingered Eve, The blossoming garlands delighted to weave; While the rose caught its blush from her cheek's living dye, And the violet its hue from her love-lighted eye. There, lulled by the murmurs of musical streams, 10 And charmed by the rainbow-winged spirit of dreams,— The eyes softly closed that so soon were to weep,— Our parents reposed in a bliss-haunted sleep. But other forms gazed on the grandeur of night, And beings celestial grew glad at the sight; 15 All warm from the glow of their amber-hued skies, How strange seemed the shadows of earth to their eyes! There, azure-robed beauty, with rapture-lit smile, Her golden wings folded, reclined for a while; And the Seraph of Melody breathed but a word, 20 Then listened entranced at the echoes she heard: From mountain and forest an organ-like tone, Stream, fountain, and fall, whispered low to the sod, 25 With blushes like Eden's own rose in its bloom, Then first on the ears of the angels of light, Each form of creation with joy was surveyed, |