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He call'd his children round his bed,
And with a feeble voice he said;
"Alas, alas, my children dear,
I well perceive my end is near;
I suffer much, but kiss the rod,
And bow me to the will of God.
Yet, ere from you I'm quite removed,
From you whom I have always loved,
I wish to give you all my blessing,
And leave you with a useful lesson ;
That when I've left this world of care,
Each may his testimony bear,
How much my latest thoughts inclined
To prove me tender, good, and kind!
Observe that faggot on the ground,
With twisted hazel firmly bound."
The children turn'd their eyes that
And view'd the faggot as it lay;
But wonder'd what their father meant,
Who thus expounded his intent ;-
"I wish that all of you would take it,
And try if any one can break it."

way,

Obedient to the good old man,
They all to try their strength began:
Now boy, now girl, now he, now she,
Applied the faggot to their knee;

They tugg'd they strain'd, and tried again,
But still they tugg'd, and tried in vain :
In vain their skill and strength exerted;

The faggot every effort thwarted;
And, when their labour vain they found,
They flung the faggot on the ground.

Again the good old man proceeded To give the instruction which they needed : "Untwist," said he, “the hazel bind, And let the faggot be disjoined." Then stick by stick, and twig by twig, The little children and the big, Following the words their father spoke,

Each sprig and spray they quickly broke;

66

There father!” all began to cry,

“I've broken mine!—and I! and I!”
Replied the sire: ""Twas my intent
My family to represent!

While you are join'd in friendship's throng,
My dearest children, you'll be strong :
But, if by quarrel and dispute,

You undermine affection's root,

And thus the strength'ning cord divide,
Then will my children ill betide;
E'en beasts of prey in bands unite,
And kindly for each other fight;
And shall not every Christian be
Join'd in sweet links of amity?
If separate, you'll each be weak;
Each, like a single stick, will break;
But, if you're firm, and true, and hearty,
The world and all its spite, can't part ye."

The father having clos'd his lesson,
Proceeded to pronounce his blessing:
Embraced them all, then pray'd and sigh'd,
Look'd up, and dropp'd his head—and died.

H. MORE.

JULIUS CÆSAR.

ACT III. SCENE 4.-The Forum.

Enter a throng of CITIZENS bawling "Silence!"BRUTUS, and another crowd of CITIZENS.

goes into the rostrum.

CITIZENS. Silence! silence!

2ND CITIZENS.

Silence!

BRUTUS

The noble Brutus is ascended:

BRUTUS. Be patient till the last.-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' love to Cæsar was no less than his. If then that friend demand, why Brutus rose against Cæsar, this is my answer:-Not that I loved

Had you

Cæsar less, but that I loved Rome more. rather Cæsar were living, and die all slaves, than that Cæsar were dead, to live all free men? As Cæsar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I slew him: There are tears for his love; joy for his fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his ambition. Who is here so base that would be a bond-man? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so rude, that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile that will not love his country? If any, speak; for him have I offended. I pause for a reply.

CITIZENS.
BRUTUS.

None, Brutus, none.

Then none have I offended. -I have done no more to Cæsar than you shall do to Brutus. The question of his death is enroll'd in the Capitol; his glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy; nor his offences enforced, for which he suffered death.

ALL THE CITIZENS. Brutus! Brutus! Brutus ! BRUTUS. Here comes Cæsar's body mourned by Mark Antony.

Enter four GUARDS bearing CÆSAR'S BODY on a hearse.
ANTONY, SERVIUS, STRATO, and CLITUS.

Good countrymen, let me withdraw alone;
And, for my sake, stay here with Antony,

Do grace to Cæsar's corpse; and grace his speech
Tending to Cæsar's glories, which Mark Antony,
By our permission, is allow'd to make.

I do entreat you, not a man depart

Save I alone, till Antony have spoke.

(BRUTUS descends from the rostrum) With this I leave-That, as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself, when it shall please my country to need my death.

Exit BRUTUS.

ALL THE CITIZENS. Live Brutus ! live! live!

1ST CITIZEN. Stay ho! and let us hear Mark Antony. ANTONY. For Brutus' sake, I am beholden to you.

(He goes into the rostrum)

He says, for Brutus' sake,

2ND CITIZEN. What does he say of Brutus?

1ST CITIZEN.

He finds himself beholden to us all.

2ND CITIZEN. 'Twere best to speak no harm of Brutus

here.

1ST CITIZEN. This Cæsar was a tyrant.

2ND CITIZEN.

Nay, that's certain :

We are bless'd that Rome is rid of him.

ANTONY. You gentle Romans

1ST CITIZEN.

Peace, oh! let us hear him.

ANTONY. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your

ears:

I come to bury Cæsar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interrèd with their bones;
So let it be with Cæsar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you, Cæsar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault;
And grievously hath Cæsar answer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus, and the rest—

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