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Curling their monstrous heads, and hanging them
With deaf'ning clamours in the slippery shrouds,
That with the hurly death itself awakes-
Can'st thou, O partial sleep! give thy repose
To the wet sea-boy in an hour so rude;
And, in the calmest and the stillest night,
With all appliances and means to boot,
Deny it to a king? Then, happy, lowly clown!
Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

Section 2.

SPEECHES.

LESSON I.

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 honor: and have respect to mine honor, 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, that friend demand why Brutus rose against Cæsar, this is my answer; not that I loved Cæsar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Cæsar were living, and die all slaves; than that Cæsar were dead, to live all freemen? As Cæsar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honor him; but as he was ambitious, I slew him! There are tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honor for his valor, and death for his ambition! Who's here so base, that would be a bondman? if any, speak! for him have I offended! Who's here so rude that would not be a Roman ? if any, speak! for him have I offended! Who's here so vile that will not love his country? if any, speak! For him have I offended.-I pause for a reply.

None? then none have I offended! I have done no more to Cæsar, than you should do to Brutus. The question of his death is enrolled in the Capitol; his glory not extenuated wherein he was worthy; nor his offences enforced for which he suffered death. Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony; who, though he had no hand in his death, shall receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the commonwealth; as which of you shall not?-With this I depart-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.

Shakspeare.

LESSON II.

ROLLA TO THE PERUVIANS.

My brave associates!-partners of my toil, my feelings, and my fame! Can Rolla's words add vigour to the virtuous energies which inspire your hearts ?—No;—you have judged as I have, the foulness of the crafty plea by which these bold invaders would delude you. Your generous spirit has compared, as mine has, the motives which, in a war like this, can animate their minds and ours. They, by a strange frenzy driven, fight for power, for plunder, and extended rule;-we, for our country, our altars, and our homes. They follow an adventurer whom they fear, and obey a power which they hate; we serve a monarch whom we love,—a God whom we adore. Whene'er they move in anger, desolation tracks their progress!-Whene'er they pause in amity, affliction mourns their friendship. They boast they come but to improve our state, enlarge our thoughts, and free us from the yoke of error! Yes— they-they will give enlightened freedom to our minds, who are themselves the slaves of passion, avarice, and pride! They offer us their protection-Yes, such protection as vultures give to lambs-covering and devour

ing them!-They call on us to barter all of good we have inherited and proved, for the desperate chance of something better which they promise.-Be our plain answer this : The throne we honor is the people's

choice the laws we reverence are our brave fathers' legacy-the faith we follow teaches us to live in bonds of charity with all mankind, and die with hope of bliss beyond the grave. Tell your invaders this, and tell them too, we seek no change; and, least of all, such change as they would bring us.

Sheridan's Pizarro.

LESSON III.

SHYLOCK JUSTIFYING HIS MEDITATED REVENGE.

Ir it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and hindered me of half a million! laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated my enemies! And what's his reason? I am a Jew! Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands? organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Is he not fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same summer and winter, as a Christian is? If you stab us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that! If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, Revenge! The villany you teach me, I will execute; and it shall go hard, but I will better the instruction.

Shakspeare.

LESSON IV.

RICHMOND ENCOURAGING HIS SOLDIERS.

THUS far into the bowels of the land
Have we march'd on without impediment ;
Richard, the bloody and devouring boar,
Whose ravenous appetite has spoiled your fields,
Laid this rich country waste, and rudely cropp'd
Its ripen'd hopes of fair posterity,-

Is now even in the centre of the isle,
Thrice is he arm'd who hath his quarrel just,
And he but naked, tho' lock'd up in steel,
Whose conscience with injustice is corrupted:
The very weight of Richard's guilt shall crush him.
Then let us on, my friends, and boldly face him.
For me,
the ransom of my bold attempt,
Shall be this body on the earth's cold face;
But if we thrive, the glory of the action,
The meanest soldier here shall share his part of.
Advance your standards, draw your willing swords,
Sound drums and trumpets, boldly and cheerfully;
"God and St. George, Richmond, and Victory!"
Shakspeare.

LESSON V.

MARCELLUS' SPEECH TO THE MOB.

WHEREFORE rejoice that Cæsar comes in triumph?
What conquests brings he home?

What tributaries follow him to Rome,

To grace in captive bonds his chariot wheels?

You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things!
Oh you hard hearts! you cruel men of Rome!
Knew you not Pompey? many a time and oft
Have you climb'd up to walls and battlements,

To towers and windows, yea, to chimney tops,
Your infants in your arms, and there have sat
The live-long day, with patient expectation,
To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome :
And when you saw his chariot but appear,
Have you not made a universal shout,
That Tiber trembled underneath his banks
To hear the replication of your sounds
Made in his concave shores ?

And do you now put on your best attire?
And do you now call out, a holiday?
And do you now strew flowers in his way
That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood?
Begone!-

Run to your houses, fall upon your knees,
Pray to the gods to intermit the plagues
That needs must light on this ingratitude!

Shakspeare.

LESSON VI.

SPEECH OF HENRY V. TO HIS SOLDIERS, AT THE SIEGE OF HARFLEUR.

ONCE more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead!

In peace, there's nothing so becomes a man

As modest stillness and humility:

But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then, imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then, lend the eye a terrible aspect;

Let it pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon!

Now, set the teeth, and stretch the nostrils wide;
Hold hard the breath; and bend up every spirit

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