Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

Mon.-And what can he unfold! only to repeat what we already know. I will not hear him—the evidence is perfect.

Alb. [Rising hastily.]-Hold! Montaldi, Ludovico must be heard; to the ear of justice, the slightest syllable of proof is precious.

Mon. [Confused.]—I stand rebuked. Well, Ludovico, depose your evidence!

Lud.-Mine was the fortunate arm appointed by Heaven to rescue the duke. I fought with the assassin, and drove him beyond the trees into the open lawn. I there distinctly marked his figure, and from the difference in the hight alone, I solemnly aver, Julian can not be the person.

Mon.-This is no proof,-the eye might easily be deceived. I can not withhold my sentence longer.

Lud.-I have further matter to advance. Just before the ruffian fled, he received a wound across his right hand; the moonlight directed my blow, and showed me that the cut was deep and dangerous. Julian's fingers bear no such mark. Mon.-[Manifesting great excitement, and involuntarily drawing his glove close over his hand.]-A wound!-mere fable.

Lud.-Nay, more,-the same blow struck from off one of the assassin's fingers, a jewel; it glittered as it fell; I snatched it from the ground,—thrust it within my bosom, and have ever since preserved it next my heart;-I now produce it— 'tis here a ring-an amethyst set with brilliants!

Alb. [Rising hastily.]-What say you? an amethyst set with brilliants! even such I gave Montaldi. Let me view it. [As Ludovico advances to present the ring to the duke, Montaldi rushes with frantic impetuosity between, and attempts to seize it.]

Mon.--Slave! resign the ring!

Lud. I will yield my life sooner!

Mon.-Wretch! I will rend thy frame to atoms! [They struggle with violence. Montaldi snatches at the ring-Ludovico catches his hand and tears off the glove--the wound appears.]

Lud.--O, Heavens! murder is unmasked-the bloody mark is here! Montaldi is the assassin! [All rush forward in astonishment.]

Mon.-Shame! madness!

Alb.-Eternal Providence! Montaldi a murderer!

Mon.-Aye! accuse and curse! idiots! dupes! I heed you not. I can but die! Triumph not, Alberti,-I trample on thee still! [Draws a poniard and attempts to destroy himself. The weapon is wrested from his hand by the guards.]

Alb.-Fiend! thy power to sin is past.

Mon. [Delirious with passion.]-Ha! ha! ha! my brain scorches, and my veins run with fire!—disgraced, dishonored! -O, madness! I can not bear it!-save me-oh! [Falls insensible into the arms of attendants.]

Alb.-Wretched man! bear him to his chamber,-his punishment be hereafter. [Montaldi is carried off]

Jul.-Oh! my joy is too full for words!

Ambrose. My noble boy!

Vincent.-Rosalie shall reward him.

Alb. Yes, they are children of virtue! their happiness shall be my future care. Let this day, through each returning year, become a festal on my domain. Heaven with peculiar favor, has marked it for its own, and taught us, by the simple moral of this hour, that howsoever in darkness guilt may vail its malefactions from the eye of man, an Omniscient Judge will penetrafe each hidden sin, and still, with neverfailing justice, confound the vicious, and protect the good!

LESSON XXXVI.

SEARCH AFTER WISDOM.

1. I ASKED the sage, when wandering afar
In search of wisdom's bright and shining star,
"What's wisdom?" He exclaimed, with tearful eyes,
"The fear of God's the wisdom of the wise."

2. I asked the rainbow's changing tints of light,-
The glorious harbinger of mercy bright;

""Twas wisdom robed me thus, the earth to span,
And bade me lull the fearful heart of man."

3. I asked the ocean-and its ceaseless tide,

In hollow murmurs, to my voice replied

66

"Behold my swelling waves, their ebb and flow,
The hand of wisdom marks how far to go."

4. Then I pursued the pure, the golden sun,

And found him when his course was nearly done;

66

"O stay me not," he cried, "check not my pace, 'Tis wisdom's work to run the heavenly race." 5. I asked the stars to track me wisdom's way, In the high heav'n of glory, where they lay,"'Tis wisdom's path," they said, "that we have trod, The path of wisdom is-THE WILL OF GOD."

6. I asked the moon,-the moon that shone afar,
In her pale light within her crescent car,--
“Wisdom is knowledge of the hand divine,
That bade me be, and placed me here to shine.”
7. The silv'ry spheres caught up the heavenly song,
Echoed through endless space, it rolled along;
Angels rejoiced, and filled with holy fires,
Tuned unto wisdom all their golden lyres.
B. “True wisdom is the influence brightly glowing,
From th' Almighty's glory ever flowing!
Th' unspotted mirror of his power and might
The radiance of the everlasting light!"

9. Then carth-born man, attune thy sacred lyre,
And join the chorus of the heavenly choir,

[ocr errors]

In praise to thy great Maker God above,

Whose will is wisdom, and whose rod is love.

LESSON XXXVII.

THE VALUE OF WISDOM:

1. BUT where shall wisdom be found?

And where is the place of understanding?

BIBLE.

[ocr errors]

Man knoweth not the price thereof;

Neither is it found in the land of the living.
The depth saith, It is not in me;

And the sea saith, It is not with me.

It can not be gotten for gold,

Neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

2. It can not be valued with the gold of Ophir,With the precious onyx or the sapphire.

The gold and the crystal can not equal it;

And the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.
No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls;

For the price of wisdom is abové rubies.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it,
Neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

3. Whence then cometh wisdom?

And where is the place of understanding?
Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living,
And kept close from the fowls of the air.
Destruction and death say,

We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.

God understandeth the way thereof,

And He knoweth the place thereof.

4. For He looketh to the ends of the earth, And seeth under the whole heaven;

To make the weight for the winds;

And He weigheth the waters by measure.

When He made a decree for the rain,

And a way for the lightning of the thunder;
Then did He see it, and declare it ;

He prepared it, yea, and searched it out.

And unto man he said,

Behold! the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;

And to depart from evil is understanding.

LESSON XXXVIII.

THE VOICE OF WISDOM.

1. WISDOM took up her harp, and stood in place
Of frequent concourse-stood in every gate,
By every way, and walked in every street;
And, lifting up her voice, proclaimed: "Be wise,
Ye fools! be of an understanding heart.

Forsake the wicked;. come not near his house;
Pass by; make haste; depart, and turn away.
Me follow-me, whose ways are pleasantness,
Whose paths are peace, whose end is perfect joy."
2. The Seasons came and went, and went and came,
To teach men gratitude, and as they passed,
Gave warning of the lapse of time, that else
Had stolen unheeded by. The gentle flowers
Retired, and, stooping o'er the wilderness,
Talked of humility, and peace, and love.
The Dews came down unseen at evening-tide,
And silently their bounties shed, to teach
Mankind unostentatious charity.

3. With arm in arm the Forest rose on high,
And lesson gave of brotherly regard.
And, on the rugged mountain-brow expoŝed,—
Bearing the blast alone,-the ancient oak
Stood, lifting high his mighty arm, and still

To courage in distress exhorted loud.

POLLOK.

The flocks, the herds, the birds, the streams, the breeze, Attuned the heart to melody and love.

4. Mercy stood in the cloud, with eye that wept

Essential love; and from her glorious bow,
Bending to kiss the earth in token of peace,
With her own lips, her gracious lips, which God
Of sweetest accent made, she whispered still,
She whispered to Revenge :-"Forgive, forgive!"

« ElőzőTovább »