JOHANNI NICHOLS, DE SEPTUAGESIMO

SEPTIMO NATALI, CARMINA.

GENERIS decus humani, Sylvane perite--Quamvis corpus iners, (tantis natalibus actis) Membraque deficiunt,splendescunt lumina mentis. Quamvis robora lassa, tua est sapientior atas.

Indefesse et docte senex, "labor omnia vincit." Tu reverendus eris, series perfecta laborum, Virtutesque tuæ posthac nomenque manebunt; Venturumque tuos sæclum celebrabit honores. Bibliotheca es doctrinæ, atque academia vivens; Dumque sinunt vires, perfer, toleraque labores. Socrate tu sapientior es, et moribus æquas. Non alter, venerande senex, est justior orbe. Urbanissime vir, quo non est carior ullus, Semper amatus eris cunctis, et dignus amore. Talis sol Phœbe radiantia lumina reddit, Qualis conspicuè fulges comitatibus aster; Atque soles consanguineis sociisque placere. O utinam cari soboles virtute sequantur, Et pariter claram possint quoque degere Vitam. Sed mihi triste piget, parvum sic texere carmen, Quod laudes nomenque tuum non dicere possit.

P. A. N.

THE TEAR OF SYMPATHY.

HOW lovely shines the liquid pearl,

Which, trick'ling from the eye, Pours, in a suff'ring brother's wound, The tear of sympathy!

Its beams a fairer lustre yield

Than richest rubies give, (Golconda's gems, tho' bright, are cold) It cheers, and bids us live. More clear the tribute of a sigh,

(The offering Pity brings) Thau all the sweets which Eastern gales Bear on their golden wings. Softer the tones of Friendship's voice, Its word more kindly flows, More grateful is its simplest lay, Than all which art bestows. When tott'ring anguish racks the soul, When sorrow points its dart; When death, unerring, aims the blow, Which cleaves a brother's heart. Then, Sympathy! 'tis thine to lull

The suff'rer's soul to rest; To feel each pang-to share each throb, And ease his troubled breast.

'Tis thine to aid the sinking frame, To raise the feeble hand;

To bind the heart by anguish torn,

With sweet Affection's band.

'Tis thine to nurture Hope's fond smile,
To chase Affliction's gloom;
To blunt the cruel throng which crowd
Our passage to the tomb.

THE FATE OF WOBURN.
STRANGER.

SINCE the sun bath veil'd his light,
I have trod the path of night;
Hear me, Warlock of the glen,
I have shunn'd the haunt of men,
To seek thee in this cheerless hour,
Thee, skill'd in planetary power.
I have pluck'd, to speed my call,
The bay that saps old Ametulle's wall,
I have brought, to speed my care,
The wreath that glow'd on Bertha's hair;
Lily that on Woburn grows,
Flitwick's ivy, Tingrei's rose,
Pure oblations-these may twine
A chaplet for some sylph divine.
Ere I quit this hallow'd shade,
Tell me, Warlock of the glade,
What hovers o'er the soldier's head?-
SEER.

Son of Goding! 'tis thy tread.
Thou mine inmost art may'st move,
'Tis the sacrifice I love ;

Nature's offerings, pure and free,
Human blood delights not me.
Unconscious of all earthly woe
What can Alric seek to know?
STRANGER.

England's joy or England's groan-
Norman William claims her throne.
Hear me, to the camp I pass,
Ne'er again I tread yon grass,
Ne'er I greet fair Woburn's gate,
Till I know my country's fate,
Till that knowledge, death or life,
Be brought by war's decided strife.
SEER.

Where is thy band?

SEER.

I know the pride of Saxon war-
When sounded trumpet o'er the lea
Unheeded by the Lathbury?

Yet, Alric, would'st thou know the doom
Scarce woven on the sisters' loom?

STRANGER.

Speak what thou wilt-unmov'd I'll hear,
The son of Goding knows not fear.
Why should these efforts useless be?
Why should not conquest smile on me?
No vassal will desert his lord;
Morcar of Leighton bless'd my sword-
The weapon with this hand I wield.
SEER.

He bless'd thy sword, but not thy shield!!
Let that suffice-impending fate
Doth the proud Eagle's mound † await;
Woburn hath totter'd, and thy tower
Shall own the Norman Giffard's power!
Look if thou canst-some spirit there
Strews dust and ashes on the air,
E'en as they own the potent blast
Shall Alric's hopes be soon o'ercast.
What see'st thou?

STRANCER.

Hah! yon Norman form

Rides proudly through the whirlwind's

storm.

Fierce of demeanour, strong of breast,
He bears a Lion on his crest.
Yet, if the star of battle beam,

This sword shall dint thine armour's gleam.
Who follow? Yon monastic band
Creep o'er the subjugated land.
Yet Piety is in that face,

And sweet Religion's mildest grace.
It hath unnerv'd me; in yon cell
I hear the choral anthem swell,
That echoes thro' the convent's wall,
Too soon to rise, too soon to fall.
Chang'd is the scene-a sovereign's thrust
Hath stretch'd yon crosier in the dust,
And he who would that crosier bear,
Must clasp it in a dungeon's air.
Ah! Alric's eyes new sorrows shed,
And sadden o'er the Norman dead.

Seer.

Behold the rest, ay, scan yon race
Whom proffer'd gifts and honours grace,
Norman swords may win the day,
Yet Norman tears the price shall pay.
Mark, who soars on lofty wing,
He hath sinn'd against his king;
Mark the axe, the dust, the block,
The Parent's grief, the Nation's shock;
The tears that claim a Warlock's woe
Shall bid more mighty sorrows flow.
STRANGER.

Speak not of after-ages here;
Tell me if ominous my fear-
Long ere I knew deceit or guile

This heart was cheer'd by Birtha's smile;

She was my joy of life, I bound
For her each laurel leaf I found;
Her arm in mine, we pac'd the wood
Where erst Andraste's altar stood:
There, as devotion mov'd our love,
We pledg'd our vows to him above;
Fervent we pour'd the sacred prayer
Which Austin's lips had taught us there;
And swore, should fortune join each hand,
In love's indissoluble band,

Still would we cheer each-other's smart,
Still should fair virtue sway each heart.

So fate bath been-so be it still,
While yet I boast the vital rill;
Ne'er may my Bertha shed, I pray,
The tear I may not wipe away;
Oh ne'er may sorrow fill her mind,
Till we must part, to fate resign'd;
Nor may she shed her vital breath
O'er Alric's body, cold in death.
SEER.

Seeks then lord Alric but to know
If woman's fate be smiles or woe;
Of Harold's crown he spoke before-
STRANGER.

Cease, Warlock, I can hear no more.
Why seek I heaven's stern decree?
The fate of love is lost on thee:
Powers of Heav'n, to you I bow,
To you I pledge my wishes now.

Lo morning's beam grows bright and clear,
And warns me that I linger here;
Birtha your care, I ask no more;
But speed me to the Sussex shore :
There Harold's word shall chase my fear,
There Britain's weal shall urge my spear!
With conquest's glow my foes I meet,
An Alric cannot brook defeat;
Let dastards crouch the victor's slave,
Death is the portion of the brave.

L.

The following Lines, descriptive of a popu lar Tradition relative to the Family of Hilton, of Hilton Castle, are extracted from the Second Volume of Mr. Surtees's History of Durham, reviewed in p. 233. "HIS fetters of ice the broad Baltic is breaking;

In the deep glens of Denmark sweet summer is waking,

And blushing amidst ber Pavilion of snows, [rose. Discloses her chalice, the bright Lapland The winds in the caverns of Winter are bound, [on the ground Yet the leaves that the tempest has strewn Are whirling in magical eddies around. For deep in the forest where wild flow'rs

and yew.

That Raven in its charmed breast
Bears a sprite that knows no rest-
(When Odin's darts, in darkness hurl'd,
Scatter'd lightnings through the world,
Then beneath the withering spell,
Harold son of Eric fell)-

Till Lady, unlikely thing I trow,
Print three kisses on his brow-
Herald of ruin, death, and flight,
Where will the carrier of Odin alight?
What Syrian Maid in her date-cover'd
bower,

Lists to the lay of a gay Troubadour ? His song is of war, and he scarcely conceals The tumult of pride that his dark bosom feels; [stray'd,

From Antioch beleaguer'd the recreant has
To kneel at the feet of an infidel maid;
His mail laid aside, in a minstrel's disguise
He basks in the beams of his Nourjahad's
eyes.

Yet a brighter flower in greener bower
He left in the dewy West,

Heir of his name and his Saxon tower;
And Edith's childish vest
Was changed for lovelier woman's zone;
And days and months and years have flown
Since her parting sire her red lip prest.
And she is left an orphan child

In her gloomy Hall by the woodland wild;
A train of menials only wait

To guard her towers, to tend her state,
Unletter'd hinds and rude.

Unseen the tear-drop dims her eye,
Her breast unheeded heaves the sigh,
And Youth's fresh roses fade and die
In wan unjoyous solitude.
Edith in her saddest mood

Has climb'd the bartizan stair;

No sound comes from the stream or wood,
No breath disturbs the air.

The summer clouds are motionless,
And she, so sad, so fair,

Seems like a lily rooted there

In lost forgotten loneliness.

A gentle breath comes from the vale,
And a sound of life is on the gale,
And see a Raven on the wing,
Circling around in airy ring,
Hovering about in doubtful flight-
Where will the carrier of Odin alight?
The Raven has lit on the flag-staff high
That tops the dungeon tower,
But he has caught fair Edith's eye,
And gently, coyly, venturing nigh,

He flutters round her bower,
For he trusted the soft and maiden grace,
That shone,in that sweet young Saxon face,
And now he has perch'd on her willow wand,
And tries to smooth his Raven note,
And sleeks his glossy Raven coat,
To court the maiden's hand.

[March,

And now, caressing and caress'd,
The Raven is lodged in Edith's breast.
'Tis innocence and youth that makes
In Edith's fancy such mistakes.'
But that maiden kiss hath holy power
O'er planet and sigillary hour;
The elfish spell has lost its charms,
And a Danish Knight is in Edith's arms.
And Harold at his Bride's request
His barbarous Gods forswore,

Freya and Woden and Balder and Thor;
And Jarrow, with tapers blazing bright,
Hail'd her gallant Proselyte."

leads

TRANSLATION OF PSALM CXXXVII.
DEPRIV'D of freedom, where Euphrates
[meads,
His roaring waters through th' Assyrian
We cast ourselves adown, to grief resign'd;
And when we call lost Sion to our mind,
We mourn and weep, our Sion we deplore,
We weep for Sion, Sion is no more!
Oh, sacred mount! Jehovah's dread abode!
Where ev'ry scene reveals the present God!
How oft did myriads to thy fanes repair,
How oft thy altars scent the ambient air!
But now, alas! no grateful prayers arise,
No sacred incense mounts th' empyreal
skies;

Stern Desolation holds its awful reign,
Where once the palace stood, the tower

and introducing new regulations on that subject; as at present, towns in the twelve maritime districts were appointed, in which the average was taken separately on all the corn of every description sold, that gave the average of the town; then the average of the several towns in the district were added together, and divided by the number of towns in the district, and from thence the average of the district was taken. Next the twelve averages of the different districts were taken, and divided, to give the average of the kingdom. The Right Hon. Member concluded by moving the repeal of the 32d, 33d, 44th, and 45th of the late King, and for leave to bring in a new Bill in lieu thereof. After some observations from Mr. Calcraft, Mr. Baring, Mr. Irving, Mr. H. Sumner, Mr. F. Lewis, Mr. Curwen, and others, the motion was agreed to.

Feb. 27. A discussion of some length took place on a Petition introduced by Mr. Marryat from the Merchants, Shipowners, &c. of the Port of London, against renewing the Charter of the West India Dock Company. The Petition, which was signed by 6000 persons, complained of the heavy dues imposed by the Company: it was supported by Mr. F. Lewis and Mr. Baring, who said, that though the Company had confined their dividends, as restricted by their Charter, to 10 per cent.; yet they had accumulated a fund of 500,0001. Mr. Gordon had heard, that this 500,000l. had been offered to Government, for the renewal of the Charter; but Mr. Robinson, the President of the Board of Trade, said, he had never heard of such an offer; and in reply to an observation, that the Petitioners could obtain no promise from Government that they would not renew the Charter, the Hon. Gentleman observed, that it had two years still to run; and as the Company had not yet applied for its renewal, Government delayed giving any assurance till they had heard both sides. Mr. Long said, the Docks had, in his opinion, fully answered their purpose; and, after Mr. Irvine and Alderman Heygate had said a few words on the subject, the Petition was ordered to be laid on the table, and to be printed.

Feb. 23. Lord Nugent presented the usual annual Petition from the Catholics of England, and in the course of his observations stated a curious circumstance; all the Baronies whose Representatives signed Magna Charta, are extinct, with the exception of four. The Representatives of these four Baronies are among the Peers who signed the Petition presented to the House of Commons from the English Catholics.-Mr. Plunkett afterwards presented the Petition of the Ca

tholics of Ireland; and moved, that a Committee of the whole House should enquire into the propriety of repealing the laws which prevent Catholics from holding offices in the State. This motion was opposed by Mr. Peel, who was answered by Sir J. Mackintosh.-Lord Bury and Mr. Dennis Brown spoke in favour of the motion, as did Mr. C. Grant and Lord Castlereagh. The claims of the Catholics were opposed by Mr. Dawson and Mr. Bankes. The motion was carried, on a division of 227 to 221.

March 1. The Chancellor of the Exchequer gave notice of his intention, at an early day, to submit a proposition to the House for enabling the Bank to resume cash-payments at an early period more effectually than could be done under the existing regulations.

Mr. M. Fitzgerald called the attention of the House to the present state of Education among the lower classes of the people of Ireland; and to the abuse of the funds applicable to that purpose, which, he contended, if properly applied, were equal to all the purposes of spreading education in that country; and declared his intention of calling the attention of Parliament fully to the subject in the course of next Session.

HOUSE OF LORDS, March 2.

The Marquis of Lansdown moved an Address to his Majesty, that he would be pleased to cause some steps to be taken, to prevent or repair the evils to be apprehended to the peace of Europe, by the advance of the Austrians on Naples. The motion was, however, negatived, on a division of 84 to 37.

In the Commons the same day, Mr. Plunkett proposed his Resolutions in a Committee of the whole House, relative to the claims of the Catholies-Mr. Peel, Sir George Hill, and Mr. Montague, declared their decided opposition to the measure. The Resolutions were agreed to as a matter of course, pro forma; and the Right Hon. Member obtained leave to bring in a Bill, founded upon them.

The House went into a Committee on the Grampound Disfranchisement Bill. After much desultory conversation, an amendment of Lord Milton's, for making Leeds a scot-and-lot Borough, was negatived, on a division, by 182 to 66. The amendment of Mr. S. Wortley, limiting the right of voting to the occupants of the value of 201. instead of 101. was carried by a majority of 148 to 94. The Bill underwent various other amendments, and the Report was ordered to be received on Monday, when it was recommitted,