.

Cor. The seed of gods.

"Tis not for such as thou,

"Tis not for thee, vain boaster,

so often spared

By her victorious sword, to speak of Rome,
But with respect, and awful veneration.—
Whate'er her blots, whate'er her giddy factions,
There is more virtue in one single year

Of Roman story, than your Volscian annals

Can boast through all their creeping, dark duration.

Auf. I thank thy rage: - This full displays the traitor.
Cor. Traitor! - How now?

Auf. Ay, traitor, Marcius.

Cor. Marcius!

Auf. Ay, Marcius, Caius Marcius: dost thou think I'll grace thee with that robbery, thy stolen name Coriolanus, in Corioli?

You lords, and heads o' the state, perfidiously

He has betray'd your business, and given up,

For certain drops of salt, your city Rome, —
to his wife and mother;
say, your city,
Breaking his oath and resolution, like

I

A twist of rotten silk; never admitting
Counsel o' the war; but at his nurse's tears
He whined and roar'd away your victory;
That pages blush'd at him, and men of heart
Look'd wondering at each other.

Cor. Hear'st thou, Mars?

Auf. Name not the god, thou boy of tears.
Cor. Measureless liar! thou hast made my heart

Too great for what contains it. Boy!

Cut me to pieces, Volscians; men and lads,

Stain all your edges on me. Boy!

If you have writ your annals true, 'tis there,
That like an eagle in a dovecot, I

Flutter'd your Volscians in Corioli.

Alone I did it :- Boy! - But let us part;

Lest my rash hand should do a hasty deed

My cooler thought forbids.

Auf. I court

The worst thy sword can do; while thou from me
Hast nothing to expect, but sore destruction;
Quit then this hostile camp: once more I tell thee,
Thou art not here one single hour in safety.

Cor. O, that I had thee in the field,
With six Aufidiuses, or more, thy tribe,
To use my lawful sword.-

SHAKSPERE.

DRAMATIC READINGS.

ON IMMORTALITY.

IT must be so- Plato, thou reason'st well!
Else, whence this pleasing hope, this fond desire,
This longing after immortality?

Or, whence this secret dread, and inward horror,
Of falling into nought? Why shrinks the soul,
Back on herself, and startles at destruction?
'Tis the Divinity that stirs within us;

"Tis Heaven itself that points out

a hereafter,

And intimates-Eternity, to man.
Eternity!-thou pleasing - dreadful thought!
Through what variety of untried being,

Through what new scenes and changes must we pass;
The wide, the unbounded prospect, lies before me,
But shadows, clouds, and darkness, rest upon it.
Here will I hold. If there's a Power above us-

And that there is, all nature cries aloud

Through all her works - He must delight in virtue ;

And that which He delights in, must be happy.

But when? or where? This world was made for Cæsar.

I'm weary of conjectures - this must end them. (Laying his hand

on his sword.)

Thus am I doubly arm'd. My death and life,

My bane and antidote, are both before me.

This -in a moment, brings me to an end;
But this informs me I shall never die!
The soul, secured in her existence, smiles
At the drawn dagger, and defies its point.

The stars shall fade away, the sun himself
Grow dim with age, and nature sink in years;
But thou shalt flourish in immortal youth,
Unhurt amid the war of elements,

The wreck of matter, and the crush of worlds!

ADDISON.

SPEECH OF ROLLA TO THE PERUVIANS.

My brave associates - partners of my toil, my feelings, and my fame! Can Rolla's words add vigor 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. Where'er they move in anger, desolation tracks their progress! Whene'er they pause in amity, affliction mourns her friends. They boast, they come but to improve our state, enlarge our thoughts, and free us from the yoke of error! Yes-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 devouring 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.

EARL OSMOND'S DREAM.

HARK, fellows! Instruments of my guilt, listen to my punishment. Methought I wandered through the low-browed caverns where repose the reliques of my ancestors; - my eye dwelt with awe on their tombs, with disgust on mortality's surrounding emblems! Suddenly, a female form glided along the vault: it was Angela! she smiled upon me, and beckoned me to advance. I flew towards her; my arms were already unclosed to clasp her, when suddenly her figure changed, her face grew pale, a stream of blood gushed from her bosom ! - Hassan, 'twas Evelina! such as when she sunk at my feet expiring, while my hand grasped the dagger still crimsoned with her blood! "We meet again this night!" murmured her hollow voice! "Now rush to my arms, but first see what you have made me! -Embrace me, my bridegroom! we must never part again!" While speaking, her form withered away! the flesh fell from her bones! her eyes burst from their sockets; a skeleton, loathsome and meagre, clasped me in her mouldering arms! Her infected breath was mingled with mine! her rotten fingers pressed my hand, and my face was covered with her kisses! - Oh, how I trembled with disgust! And now blue dismal flames gleamed along the walls! the tombs were rent asunder! bands of fierce spectres rushed round me in frantic dance! furiously they gnashed their teeth, while they gazed upon me, and shrieked in loud yell Welcome, thou fratricide! - Welcome thou lost for ever!". Horror burst the bands of sleep; distracted I flew hither but my feelings words are too weak, too powerless to express them.— Surely this was no idle dream! 'twas a celestial warning! 'twas my better angel that whispered-" Osmond, repent your former crimes! commit not new ones!"

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Angela!-Oh! at that name all again is calm in my bosom. Hushed by her image, my tumultuous passions sink to rest, and my terrors subside into that single fear, her loss! - My heart-strings are twisted round the maid, and ere I resign her, those strings must