rejects it! In vain you tell me of laws that sanction such a claim! There is a law, above all the enactments of human codes the same, throughout the world-the same, in all times: such as it was, before the daring genius of Columbus pierced the night of ages, and opened to one world the sources of power, wealth, and knowledge; to another, all utterable woes,—such is it at this day: it is the law written by the finger of God on the heart of man; and by that law, unchangeable and eternal-while men despise fraud, and loathe repine, and hate blood—they shall reject, with indignation, the wild and guilty fantasy, that man can hold property in man!

In vain you appeal to treaties to covenants between nations. The covenants of the Almighty, whether the old covenant or the new, denounce such unholy pretensions. To these laws did they of old refer, who maintained the African trade. Such treaties did they cite-and not untruly; for, by one shameful compact, you bartered the glories of Blenheim for the traffic in blood. Yet, in despite of law and of treaty, that infernal traffic is now destroyed, and its votaries put to death like other pirates. How came this change to pass? Not, assuredly, by parliament leading the way: but the country at length awoke; the indignation of the people was kindled; it descended in thunder, and smote the traffic, and scattered its guilty profits to the winds. Now, then, let the planters beware-let their assemblies bewarelet the government at home beware-let the parliament beware! The same country is once more awake-awake to the condition of negro slavery; the same indignation kindles in the bosom of the same people; the same cloud is gathering, that annihilated the slave trade; and if it shall descend again. they on whom its crash may fall, will not be destroyed before I have warned them; but I pray, that their destruction may turn away from us the more terrible judgments of God!

SPEECHES AND DIALOGUES FROM SHAKSPEARE.

I. HAMLET'S INSTRUCTIONS TO THE PLAYERS.

of

SPEAK the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue. But if you mouth it, as many our players do, I had as lief the town-crier had spoke my lines. And do not saw the air too much with your hand thus; but use all gently; for in the very torrent, tempest, and as I may say, whirlwind of your passion, you must ac quire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness. Oh! it offends me to the soul, to hear a robustious periwig. pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings; who (for the most part) are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb show and noise: I would have such a fellow whipped for o'erdoing Termagant; it out-herods Herod. Pray you, avoid it.

Be not too tame neither; but let your own discretion be our tutor. Suit the action to the word, the word to the action, with this special observance, that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature; for any thing so overdone is from the purpose of playing; whose end, both at the first and now, was and is, to hold, as 'twere, the mirror up to nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure. Now this overdone or come tardy off, though it make the unskilful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve; the censure of one of which must, in your allowance, o'erweigh a whole theatre of others. Oh! there be players that I have seen play, and heard others praise, and that highly (not to speak it profanely), that nei ther having the accent of Christian, nor the gait of Christian, Pagan, nor man, have so strutted and bellowed, that I have thought some of Nature's journeymen had made men, and not made them well, they imitated humanity so abominably. And let those that play your clowns, speak no more than is set down for them: for there be of them that will them

selves laugh, to set on some quantity of barren spectators to laugh too; though, in the meantime, some necessary question of the play be then to be considered:-that's villanous; and shows a most pitiful ambition in the fool that uses it.

II. CASSIUS INCITING BRUTUS TO CONSPIRE AGAINST CESAR.

Bru.-What means this shouting?-I do fear the people Choose Cæsar for their king.

Cas.-Ay, do you fear it?

Then must I think you would not have it so.

Bru.—I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well :-
But wherefore do you hold me here so long?
What is it that you would impart to me?
If it be aught toward the general good,
Set honour in one eye, and death i' the other,
And I will look on both indifferently:
For, let the gods so speed me, as I love
The name of honour more than I fear death.
Cas. I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus,
As well as I do know your outward favour.-
Well, honour is the subject of my story.

I cannot tell what you and other men
Think of this life; but, for my single self,
I had as lief not be, as live to be

In awe of such a thing as I myself.

I was born free as Cæsar; so were you:
We both have fed as well; and we can both
Endure the winter's cold as well as he:
For once, upon a raw and gusty day,
The troubled Tyber chafing with his shores,
Cæsar said to me, "Dar'st thou, Cassius, now,
Leap in with me into this angry flood,
And swim to yonder point?"-Upon the word,
Accoutred as I was, I plunged in,

And bade him follow: so indeed he did.

The torrent roar'd; and we did buffet it
With lusty sinews, throwing it aside,
And stemming it with hearts of controversy
But ere we could arrive the point proposed,
Cæsar cried, "Help me, Cassius, or I sink.”
I, as Æneas, our great ancestor,

Did from the flames of Troy, upon his shoulder,

The old Anchises bear, so, from the waves of Tiber,

Did I the tired Cæsar: and this man

Is now become a god; and Cassius is

A wretched creature, and must bend his body
If Cæsar carelessly but nod on him.
He had a fever when he was in Spain,

And when the fit was on him, I did mark

How he did shake: 'tis true this god did shake;
His coward lips did from their colour fly;

And that same eye, whose bend doth awe the world,
Did lose its lustre: I did hear him groan;

Ay, and that tongue of his, that bade the Romans
Mark him, and write his speeches in their books.
Alas! it cried, "Give me some drink, Titinius,"
As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me,
A man of such a feeble temper should
So get the start of the majestic world,
And bear the palm alone.

Bru.-Another general shout!

I do believe that these applauses are

For some new honours that are heap'd on Cæsar.
Cas.-Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world.
Like a Colossus; and we, petty men,

Walk under his huge legs, and peep about,
To find ourselves dishonourable graves.

Men at some time are masters of their fates:
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.

Brutus, and Cæsar: What should be in that Cæsar?

Why should that name be sounded more than yours?
Write them together, yours is as fair a name;
Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well;
Weigh them; it is as heavy; conjure with 'em,
Brutus will start a spirit, as well as Cæsar.
Now, in the names of all the gods at once,

Upon what meat doth this our Cæsar feed,

That he is grown so great? Age, thou art sham'd:
Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!
When went there by an age, since the great flood,
But it was fam'd with more than with one man?
When could they say, till now, that talked of Rome,
That her wide walls encompass'd but one man?
Oh! you and I have heard our fathers say,
There was a Brutus once, that would have brook'd
The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome,
As easily as a king.

Bru. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous;
What you would work me to, I have some aim:
How I have thought of this, and of these times,
I shall recount hereafter; for this present,

I would not-so with love I might entreat you—
Be any further moved. What you have said,
I will consider; what you have to say,

I will with patience hear; and find a time
Both meet to hear and answer such high things.

III.-BRUTUS ON THE DEATH OF CÆSAR.

ROMANS, Countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my cause; and be silent that you may hear. Believe me for mine honour; and have respect to mine honour that you may believe. Censure me in your wisdom; and awake your senses, that you may the better judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Cæsar's, to him I say, that Brutus's love to Cæsar was no less than his. If, then,