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upon scaffolds, is crying for vengeance; the bones of saints, which lie whitening in the highways, are pleading for retribution; the groans of innocent captives from desolate isles of the sea, and from the dungeons of the tyrants' high places, cry for deliverance; the prayers of persecuted Christians, sheltering themselves in dens and deserts from the sword of their persecutors, famished with hunger, starving with cold, lacking fire, food, shelter, and clothing, because they serve God rather than man-all are with you, pleading, watching, knocking, storming the gates of heaven in your behalf.

Heaven itself shall fight for you, as the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. Then, whoso will deserve immortal fame in this world, and eternal happiness in that which is to come, let them enter into God's service, and take arles at the hand of the servant,- -a blessing, namely, upon him and his household, and his children, to the ninth generation, even the blessing of the promise, forever and ever!

SPECIMEN OF ELOQUENCE OF JAMES OTIS EXTRACTED FROM · THE REBELS.'- -Miss Francis.

ENGLAND may as well dam up the waters of the Nile with bulrushes, as to fetter the step of freedom, more proud and firm in this youthful land, than where she treads the sequestered glens of Scotland, or couches herself among the magnificent mountains of Switzerland. Arbitrary principles, like those, against which we now contend, have cost one king of England his life, another his crown-and they may yet cost a third his most flourishing colonies. We are two millions-one fifth fighting men. We are bold and vigorous,—and we call no man master. To the nation, from whom we are proud to derive our origin, we ever were, and we ever will be, ready to yield unforced assistance; but it must not, and it never can be extorted.

Some have sneeringly asked, 'Are the Americans too poor to pay a few pounds on stamped paper?' No! America, thanks to God and herself, is rich. But the right to take ten pounds implies the right to take a thousand; and what must be the wealth, that avarice, aided by power, cannot exhaust? True the spectre is now small; but the

shadow he casts before him, is huge enough to darken all this fair land.

Others, in sentimental style, talk of the immense debt of gratitude, which we owe to England. And what is the amount of this debt? Why, truly, it is the same that the young lion owes to the dam, which has brought it forth on the solitude of the mountain, or left it amid the winds and storms of the desert.

us.

We plunged into the wave, with the great charter of freedom in our teeth, because the faggot and torch were behind We have waked this new world from its savage lethargy; forests have been prostrated in our path; towns and cities have grown up suddenly as the flowers of the tropics, and the fires in our autumnal woods are scarcely more rapid, than the increase of our wealth and population.

And do we owe all this to the kind succour of the mother country? No! we owe it to the tyranny that drove us from her, to the pelting storms, which invigorated our helpless infancy.

ty?

But perhaps others will say, 'We ask no money from your gratitude,—we only demand that you should pay your own expenses.' And who, I pray, is to judge of their necessiWhy, the King-(and with all due reverence to his sacred majesty, he understands the real wants of his distant subjects, as little as he does the language of the Choctaws.) Who is to judge concerning the frequency of these demands? The ministry. Who is to judge whether the money is properly expended? The cabinet behind the throne.

In every instance, those who take, are to judge for those who pay. If this system is suffered to go into operation, we shall have reason to esteem it a great privilege, that rain and dew do not depend upon parliament; otherwise they would soon be taxed and dried.

But thanks to God, there is freedom enough left upon earth to resist such monstrous injustice. The flame of liberty is extinguished in Greece and Rome; but the light of its glowing embers is still bright and strong on the shores of America. Actuated by its sacred influence, we will resist unto death. But we will not countenance anarchy and that a desperato

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THE ACADEMICAL SPEAKER.

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SPECTACLES.—Byrom.

A CERTAIN artist, I've forgot his name,

Had got for making Spectacles a fame,

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Or Helps to Read '—as, when they first were sold,
Was writ upon his glaring sign in gold;
And, for all uses to be had from glass,
His were allowed, by readers, to surpa s.
There came a man into his shop one day—
Are you the spectacle Contriver, pray?
Yes, Sir, said he, I can in that affair
Contrive to please you, if you want a pair.
Can you? pray do then.-So, at first, he chose
To place a youngish pair upon his nose;
And book produced, to see how they would fit :
Asked how he liked 'em?-Like 'em-Not a bit-
Then, Sir, I fancy, if you please to try,
These in my hand will better suit your eye-
No, but they don't-Well, come, Sir, if you please,
Here is another sort, we 'll e'en try these;
Still somewhat more they magnify the letter:
Now, Sir?-Why now-I'm not a bit the better-
No! here, take these that magnify still more ;
How do they fit ?-Like all the rest before.
In short, they tried a whole assortment through,
But all in vain, for none of 'em would do.
The Operator, much surprised to find
So odd a case, thought, sure the man is blind:
What sort of eyes can you have got? said he.
Why, very good ones, friend, as you may see;
Yes, I perceive the clearness of the ball-
Pray, let me ask you-Can you read at all?
No, you great Blockhead; if I could, what need
Of paying you for any Helps to Read?
And so he left the maker, in a heat,
Resolved to post him for an arrant cheat.

Et

d

DIALOGUE.-Sheridan.

SIR FRETFUL, PLAGIARY, DAngle and Sneer.

Dan. SIR Fretful, have you sent your play to the managers yet? or can I be of any service to you?

Sir F. No, no, I thank you; I believe the piece had sufficient recommendation with it.-I thank you, though— I sent it to the manager of Covent-Garden theatre this morning.

Sneer. I should have thought that it might have been cast (as the actors call it) better at Drury Lane.

Sir F. O! no-never send a play there, while I live— hark 'ee! [Whispers Sneer.

Sneer. Writes himself!—I know he does

Sir F. I say nothing-I take away from no man's merit -am hurt at no man's good fortune-I say nothing.—But this I will say, through all my knowledge of life I have observed, that there is not a passion so strongly rooted in the human heart as envy!

Sneer. I believe you have reason for what you say, in

deed.

Sir F. Besides, I can tell you it is not always so safe to leave a play in the hands of those who write themselves. Sneer. What, they may steal from them, hey, my dear Plagiary?

Sir F. Steal! to be sure they may; and, serve your best thoughts as gypsies do stolen children, disfigure them to make 'em pass for their own.

Sneer. But your present work is a sacrifice to Melpomene, and he you know never

Sir F. That's no security. A dexterous plagiarist may do anything. Why, sir, for aught I know, he might take out some of the best things in my tragedy, and put them into his own comedy.

Sneer. That might be done, I dare be sworn.

Sir F. And then, if such a person gives you the last hint or assistance, he is apt to take the merit of the whole

Dan. If it succeeds.

Sir F. Ay: but with regard to this place, I think I can hit that gentleman, for I can safely aver he never read it. Sneer. I'll tell you how you may hurt him more.

Sir F. How?

Sneer. Declare he wrote it.

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THE ACADEMICAL SPEAKER.

273

Sir F. Plague on 't now, Sneer, I shall take it ill.-I believe you want to take away my character as an author. Sneer. Then I am sure you ought to be very much obliged to me.

Sir F. Hey! sir!

Dan. O you know he never means what he says.

Sir F. Sincerely then-you do like the piece?
Sneer. Wonderfully!

Sir F. But come now, there must be something that you think might be mended, hey ?-Mr Dangle, has nothing struck you?

Dan. Why, faith, it is but an ungracious thing, for the most part, to

Sir F. With most authors it is just so indeed; they are in general strangely tenacious! But, for my part I am never so well pleased as when a judicious critic points out any defect to me; for what is the purpose of showing a work to a friend, if you don't mean to profit by his opinion? Sneer. Very true. Why, then, hough I seriously admire the piece upon the whole, yet there is one small objection; which, if you'll give me leave, I'll mention. Sir F. Sir, you can't oblige me more.

Sneer. I think it wants incident.

Sir F. You surprise me !-wants incident!

Sneer. Yes; I own I think the incidents are too few. Sir F. Believe me, Mr Sneer, there is no person for whose judgment I have a more implicit deference. But I protest to you, Mr Sneer, I am only apprehensive that the incidents are too crowded.-My dear Dangle, how does it strike you?

my

Dan. Really I can't with agree friend Sneer. I think the plot quite sufficient; and the first four acts by many degrees the best I ever read or saw in my life. If I might venture to suggest anything, it is that the interest rather falls off in the fifth.

Sir F. Rises, I believe you mean, sir.

Dan. No, I don't, upon my word.

Sir F. Yes, yes, you do, upon my soul; it certainly don't fall off, I assure you. No, no; it don't fall off.

Dan. Well, Sir Fretful, I wish you may be able to get rid as easily of the newspaper criticisms as you do of ours.

Sir F. The newspapers! Sir, they are the most villanous-licentious-abominable-infernal- -Not that I ever

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