Alon. Urge me not thus, my friend-I am prepared to die in peace. Rolla. To die in peace! devoting her you have sworn to live for, to madness, misery, and death! Alon. Merciful heavens! Rolla. If thou art yet irresolute, Alonzo- -now mark me well. Thou knowest that Rolla never pledged his word and shrunk from its fulfilment. Know then, if thou art proudly obstinate, thou shalt have the desperate triumph of seeing Rolla perish by thy side. Alon. O Rolla! you distract me! Wear you the robe, and though dreadful the necessity, we will strike down the guard, and force our passage. Rolla. What, the soldier on duty here? Alon. Yes, else seeing two, the alarm will be instant death. I Rolla. For my nation's safety, I would not harm him. That soldier, mark me, is a man! All are not men that wear the human form. He refused my prayers, refused my gold, denying to admit-till his own feelings bribed him. will not risk a hair of that man's head, to save my heartstrings from consuming fire. But haste! A moment's further pause and all is lost. Alon. Rolla, I fear thy friendship drives me from honour and from right. Rolla. Did Rolla ever counsel dishonour to his friend? [Throwing the friar's garment over his shoulders.] There! conceal thy face-Now God be with thee. EXERCISE 124. God.-Translated from a Russian Ode by DerZHANIR. Whom none can comprehend, and none explore, 2 A million torches lighted by thy hand, 3 Yes! as a drop of water in the sea, What are ten thousand worlds compared to Thee? 4 Nought? But the effluence of thy light divine, Pervading worlds, hath reached my bosom too; Yes, in my spirit doth thy spirit shine, As shines the sun-beam in a drop of dew. I live, and breathe, and dwell; aspiring high, I am, O God, and surely thou must be! 5 Thou art! directing, guiding, all. Thou art! Close to the realm where angels have their birth EXERCISE 125. The Dead Sea.-CROLY. 1 The wind blows chill across those gloomy waves;- 2 Yes, on that plain, by wild waves covered now, 3 Lovely and splendid all,-but Sodom's soul Was stained with blood, and pride, and perjury; Long warned, long spared, till her whole heart was foul, And fiery vengeance on its clouds came nigh. 4 And still she mocked, and danced, and, taunting spoke Her sportive blasphemies against the Throne; It came!-the thunder on her slumber broke: God spake the word of wrath!-Her dream was done. 5 Yet, in her final night, amid her stood Immortal messengers; and pausing Heaven, Pleaded with man, but she was quite imbued, Her last hour waned, she scorned to be forgiven! 6 "T was done!--Down pour'd at once the sulph'rous show'r, Down stooped, in flame, the heaven's red canopy. Oh! for the arm of God, in that fierce hour!— 'T was vain, nor help of God or man was nigh. 7 They rush, they bound, they howl, the men of sin;— Still stooped the cloud, still burst the thicker blaze; The earthquake heaved!-Then sank the hideous din! Yon wave of darkness o'er their ashes strays. 8 PARIS! thy soul is deeper dyed with blood, And long, and blasphemous, has been thy day; EXERCISE 126. New Missionary Hymn. S. F. SMITH. Theological Student, Andover. 1 Yes, my native land, I love thee, Far in heathen lands to dwell? 2 Home! thy joys are passing lovely; Far in heathen lands to dwell? 3 Scenes of sacred peace and pleasure, Can I leave you— Far in heathen lands to dwell? 4 Yes! I hasten from you gladly, From the scenes I loved so well! Far in heathen lands to dwell. 5 In the deserts let me labor, On the mountains let me tell, How he died-the blessed Saviour- Far in heathen lands to dwell. 6 Bear me on, thou restless ocean; Let the winds the canvass swellHeaves my heart with warm emotion, While I go far hence to dwell. Glad I bid thee, Native land!-FAREWELL-FAREWELL! APPENDIX. THE reader, that he may understand the design of this Appendix, is requested to turn back to page 52, and review with care all the remarks that are made under the head of Quantity. Few persons are aware to what extent the power of any tolerable voice may be increased, by the habit of a slow, clear, distinct enunciation. To acquire this habit, the pupil must accustom himself, by efforts often repeated, to fill, and swell, and prolong the open vowels. This may be done by uttering the simple elementary sounds, a, e, &c., with great stress. But as vocal sounds are intended to convey thoughts, and these single elements signify nothing, of themselves, the pupil is reluctant to exert his voice upon them, with sufficient strength to answer the purpose. The different sounds of a, as heard in fate, far, war, he can utter, but to do it with his voice at full stretch is unnatural; it seems to him more like barking, or bleating, than like elocution. Whereas, let the sound to be made, be part of a word, and that word part of a sentence,—meaning something that ought to be uttered in a loud, full note, and the difficulty is surmounted with comparative ease. To accomplish this, is the purpose of the following examples. In pronouncing them, the reader will remember that they are generally taken from the language of military command; and from other cases in which the persons addressed are supposed to be at some distance from the speaker. The words printed in Italic, contain the vowel sounds on which the stress and quantity are to be laid. Imagine yourself to be speaking these words to those who are five or ten rods from you, and you will unavoidably acquire the habit of dwelling on the vowel with a slow, strong note. The sounds most favorable to the object of this exercise are those of The selections are arranged promiscuously, several of the vowel sounds sometimes occurring in the same example. |