Exulting, trembling, raging, fainting,(1)
Possest, beyond the Muses' painting.
By turns they felt the glowing mind
Disturb'd, delighted, rais'd, refin'd. (2)
Till once, tis said, when all were fir'd,
Fill'd with fury, rapt, inspir'd,(3)
From the sporting myrt les round
They snatch'd her instruments of sound,
And as they oft bad heard apart,(4)
Sweet lessons of her forceful art,
Each, for madness rul'd the hour,
Would prove his own expressive power;
(5) First Fear its hand, his skill to try,
Amid the chords bewilder'd laid,
(6) And back recoil'd, he knew not why,
E'en at the sound himself had made.
(7) Next Anger rush'd, his eyes on fire,
In lightning own'd his secret stiugs,
In one rude clash he struck the lyre,
And swept with hurry'd hand the strings.
With woeful measures wan Despair,
Low, sullen sounds his grief beguil d
A solemn, strange and mingled air,
'Twas sad by fits, by starts 'twas wild (8)
But thou, O Hope, with eyes so fair,
What was thy delighted measure?
Still it whisper'd promis'd pleasure,
And bade the lovely scenes at distance hail!
Still would her touch the scene prolong,
And from the rocks, the woods, the vale,
She call'd on echo still through all the song;
And where her sweetest theme she chose,

A soft responsive voice was heard at every close,

And hope enchanted smil'd, and wav'd her golden hair.(9)
And longer had she sung-but with a frown

Revenge impatient rose,

He threw his blood stain'd sword in thunder down(10)
And with a withering look,

(11) The war denouncing trumpet took,

And blew a blast so loud and dread,

The

(1) The words in this line to be read as conveying a kind of echo to the sense. first in a high voice, expressive of exultation. The second in a tone of fear and trem. bling; the third expressive of rage; the last in a weak voice, low and fainting, with a pause at each word.

(2) Read this line as recommended in the reading of the first line.

(3) With force and energy.

(4) Read the two lines marked in a soft, tender manner.

(5) Pause after the word First, and by your manner and look, express the passion of Fear. As you read the next line, put out your hand gently, in rather a slow, fearful way, as if to lay it upon the chords of an instrument.

(6) Withdraw your hand suddenly.

(7) This verse, if read well, forms a fine contrasted effect with the other.

(8) Read this verse in a peculiar low, plaintive tone, expressive of the passion deseribed. (9) The beauty of these lines depends so much upon such a nicety of expression, as cannot be taught on paper. Let the last line but one be uttered in a softer, gentler tone than the preceding.

(10) With great boldness and energy.

(11) Be very energetic in the whole of this personification of Revenge.

Were ne'er prophetic sounds so full of woe;
And ever and anon he beat

The doubling drum with furious heat;

And though sometimes each dreary pause between, (1) Dejected Pity at his side

Her soul subduing voice applied,

Yet still he kept his wild, unalter'd mein,

(2) While each strain'd ball of sight seem'd bursting from his head

Thy numbers, Jealousy, to nought were fix'd,

Sad proof of thy distressful state.(3)

Of differing themes the veering song was mix'd,

And now it courted love, now raving call'd on hate.(4)
With eyes uprais'd, as one inspir'd,

Pale Melancholy(5) sat retir'd,

And from her wild, sequester'd seat,

In notès more distant made more sweet,

Pour'd through the mellow horn her pensive soul;(6)
(7) And dashing soft from rocks around,

Bubbling runnels join'd the sound;

Through glades and glooms the mingled measure stole,
Or o'er some haunted streams with fond delay,
Round an holy calm diffusing,

Love of peace and lonely musing,

In hollow murmurs died away.

(8)But O, how alter'd was its sprightlier tone!

When cheerfulness, a nymph of healthiest bue,
Her bow across ber shoulders flung,

Her buskins gem'd with morning dew,(9)

Blew an inspiring air that dale and thicket rung

The hunters call to faun and dryad known;

The oak-crown'd sisters, and their chaste-cy'd queen,

Satyrs and sylvan boys were seen,

Peeping forth from alleys green?

Brown Exercise rejoic'd to hear,

And Sport leapt up and seiz'd the beachen spear.(10)
Last came Joy's extatic trial,

He with viny crown advancing,

First to the lively pipe his hand address'd,

But soon he saw the brisk awaking viol,

Whose sweet advancing voice he lov'd the best,

They would have thought who heard the strain

They saw in Tempe's vale her native maids

Amid the festal sounding shades

(1) The two lines marked in a soft and gentle voice, which alter when you read the next line.

(2) This line with peculiar force and energy.

(3) F I this line pathetically.

(4) The first of this line soft and tender; the latter part bold and forcible.

(5) Read Melancholy' with a heavy, drawling tone.

(6) This line slow, expressive of pensiveness and melancholy.

(7) The whole of these lines must be read so as to display, in tone, look and munner, a kind of languid melancholy; the last line speak slowly, and let the words fail, dying from your lips, which method forms a fine contrast to the next verse which follows.

(8) Here alter your look, tone, manner, and whole appearance.

(9) The lines marked to be read as it enclosed in parenthesis.

(10) Let your manner keep pace with this beautiful personification of cheerfulness. Let your expression be sprightly, with unabated spirit to the end of the verse.

To some unwearied minstrel dancing,
While as his flying fingers kiss'd the strings,
Love fram'd with mirth a gay fantastic round,
Loose were her tresses seen, her zone unbound,
And he amid his frolic play,

As if he would the charming air repay,
Shook thousand odours from his dewy wings. (1)

CHAPTER CXVII.

HOW TO READ DR. COTTON'S FIRE SIDE.

The reader who has a mind sufficiently strong to see the various beauties it contains, and possesses a taste for the art of reading, will exercise his own judgment in discriminating the nicety of expression and manner, though omitted in our occasional remarks.

Let the two first words be spoken in a tender, affectionate manner, and all the words marked with emphasis.

DEAR Chloe, while the busy crowd,
The vain, the wealthy and the proud,
In folly's maze advance;

Though singularity and pride

Be call'd our choice, we'll step aside,
Nor join the giddy dance.

From the gay world we'll oft retire
To our own family and fire,
Where love our hours employ ;
No noisy neighbour enters here,
No intermeddling stranger near,
To spoil our heart felt joys.
For solid happiness we prize;
Within our breast this jewel lies;
And they are fools who roam;
The world has nothing to bestow,
From our ownselves our joys must flow,
And that dear but, our home.

Of rest was Noah's dove bereft,

When with impatient wings she left

That safe retreat, the ark:

Giving her vain excursion o'er,

The disappointed bird, once more,

Explor'd the sacred bark.

Though fools spurn Hymen's gentle powers,

We, who improve his golden hours,

By sweet experience know,

(1) Keep yourself in unison with the passion described, and let a joyful expression glow throughout the whole.

The remainder of the poem is omitted, as affording no further opportunities in which a reader can exercise bis talents.

(2)Our babes shall richest comforts bring;
If tutor'd right, they'll prove a spring,
Whence pleasures ever rise;

We'll form their minds with studious care,
To all that's manly, good, and fair,

And train them for the skies (3)

While they our wisest hours

engage,

They'll joy our youth, support our age,
And crown our hoary hairs;

They'll grow in virtue every day,
And thus our fondest loves repay,

And recompense our cares.

No borrowed joys! they're all our own,
While to the world we live unknown,
Or by the world forgot;

Monarchs! we envy not your state,
We look with pity on the great,

And bless our bumble lot.(4)

Our portion is not large, indeed!
But then, how little do we need!
For nature's calls are few';

In this the art of living lies,

To want no more than may suffice,
And make that little do.

We'll, therefore, relish with content
Whate'er kind Providence has sent,
Nor aim beyond our power;
For if our stock be very small,
'Tis prudence to enjoy it all,
Nor lose the present hour.
To be resign'd when ills betide,(5)
Patient, when favours are deny'd,
And pleas'd with favours given;
Dear Chloe, this is wisdom's part,
This is that incense of the heart,
Whose fragrance smells to heaven.(6)
We'll ask no long pretracted treat,
(Since winter's life is seldom sweet;)
But when cur feast is o'er,

Grateful from table we'll arise,

Nor grudge our sons with envious eyes,
The relics of our store.

Thus hand in hand through life we'll go;
Its chequer'd paths of joy and woe
With cautious steps we'll tread;

(1) Read this line with a glow of expression.

(2) Read Our babes, in an affectionate, impressive manner.

(3) This line in a respectful, solemn tone, with a look above as you repeat it.

(4) The words marked in a manner expressive of the greatest satisfaction.

(5) Read this line in a serious, composed manner.

(6) In reading this line, if you cast a respectful look above, it will give great beauty

to it,

Quit its vain scenes without a tear,
Without a trouble or a fear,
And mingle with the dead. (1)

While conscience, like a faithful friend,
Shall through the gloomy vale attend,
And cheer our dying breath;

Shall, when all other comforts cease,
Like a kind angel whisper peace,
And smooth the bed of death,(2)

CHAPTER CXVIII.

ORDER OF NATURE AND SUBMISSION TO PROVIDENCE.

FAR as creation's ample range extends,
The scale of sensual, mental powers ascends;
Mark how it mounts, to Man's imperial race,
From the green myriads in the peopled grass:
What modes of sight betwixt each wide extreme,
The mole's dim curtain, and the lynx's beam:
Of smell, the headlong lioness between,
And hound sagacious on the tainted green;
Of hearing from the life that fills the flood,
To that which warbles through the vernal wood.
The spider's touch, how exquisitely fine!
Feels at each thread, and lives along the line:
In the nice bee, what sense so subtly true,
From pois'nous herbs extracts the healing dew;
How instinct varies in the groveling swine,
Compar'd, half-reas'ning elephant with thine!
'Twixt that and reason, what a nice barrier?
Forever sep'rate, yet for ever near

Remembrance and reflection how ally'd;
What thin partitions sense from thought divide!
And middle natures, how they long to join,
Yet never pass th' insuperable line!
Without this just gradation, could they be
Subjected, these to those, or all to thee?
The powers of all subdu'd by thee alone,
Is not thy reason all these powers in one?
See, through this air, this ocean, and this earth,
All matter quick, and bursting into birth.
Above, how high, progressive life may go!
Around, how wide! how deep extend below!
Vast chain of being! which from God began,
Nature's æthereal, human, angel, man,
Beast, bird, fish, insect, what no eye can see,
No glass can reach; from infinite to thee;

(1).In a solemn manner.

(2) The whole of the last verse to be read in a very serious, solemn manner.