Closer, closer let us knit MONTGOMERY. 90. THE HOMES OF ENGLAND. THE stately homes of England, The deer across their greensward bound The merry homes of England! What gladsome looks of household love There woman's voice flows forth in song Or childhood's tale is told; Or lips move tunefully along The blessed homes of England ! Is laid the holy quietness That breathes from Sabbath hours! Solemn, yet sweet, the church bell's chime Floats through their woods at morn, All other sounds in that still time Of breeze and leaf are born. The cottage homes of England. By thousands on her plains, Through glowing orchards forth they peep, And fearless there the lowly sleep, The free fair homes of England! And bright their flowery sod, Where first the child's glad spirit loves Its country and its God. HEMANS. 91.-EXTRACT FROM RODERICK, THE LAST OF THE GOTHS. A CHRISTIAN Woman spinning at her door Took bread, and following after, call'd him back, She said, Christ Jesus, for his mother's sake, Have mercy on thee! With a look that seem'd And shedding o'er that unaccustomed food He breathed thanksgiving forth; then made his bed SOUTHEY. 92. THE AFRICAN CHIEF. CHAIN'D in the market-place he stood, That shrunk to hear his name― Vainly, but well, that chief had fought, Yet pride, that fortune humbles not, The scars his dark broad bosom wore, Then to his conqueror he spake- 66 My brother is a king; Undo this necklace from my neck, And take this bracelet ring And send me where my brother reigns, With store of ivory from the plains, And gold-dust from the sands." "Not for thy ivory nor thy gold A price thy nation never gave, Shall yet be paid for thee; For thou shalt be the Christian's slave, In lands beyond the sea." Then wept the warrior chief, and bade To shred his locks away; And, one by one, each heavy braid Before the victor lay. Thick were the platted locks, and long, And deftly hidden there Shone many a wedge of gold among The dark and crisped hair. 'Look, feast thy greedy eye with gold Take it-thou askest sums untold, Take it-my wife, the long, long day And my young children leave their play, "I take thy gold-but I have made His heart was broken-crazed his brain : They drew him forth upon the sands, BRYANT. 93. THE GREEK PARTISAN. OUR free flag is dancing In the free mountain air, And burnish'd arms are glancing, Whose gallant bosoms shield it, That blood that warms their hearts shall stain And brief each solemn greeting; There is no look nor sound of mirth, Where those stern men are meeting. They go to the slaughter, To strike the sudden blow, To rush on them from rock and height, Not till from her fetters We raise up Greece again, And write in bloody letters, That tyranny is slain, O, not till then the smile shall steal Like autumn sheaves are lying. BRYANT. 94.-SPEECH OF JOHN C. CALHOUN, IN THE HOUSE OE REPRESENTATIVES Of the united states, decEMBER, 12, 1811, On the second resolution reported by the committee of foreign relations, "That an additional force of ten thousand regular troops ought to be immediately raised, to serve for three years; and that a bounty in lands ought to be given to encourage enlistment." MR. SPEAKER,-I understood the opinion of the committee of foreign relations differently from what the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Randolph) has stated to be his impression. I certainly understood that committee as recommending the measures now before the house, as a preparation for war; and such, in fact, was its express resolve, agreed to, I believe, by every member except that gentleman. I do not attribute any wilful misstatement to him, but consider |