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And now! what art thou now? thine old-world fame
Fled, and the Moslem fled, proud dynasties

Fled like a dream, and we may praise or blame;
And 'neath thy glowing sun and brazen skies
Is faintly heard the march of modern years;
And as the trumpet peal of knowledge grew,
Thy silence caught its echoes; hopes and fears
Dimly a coming change, an altered influence knew.

Nor then, or ever, was it purely good

That followed higher knowledge; many a crime,
Foul rapine, lust, and streams of guiltless blood,
Unsated greed of gain, announced the time
When first the light of Truth flashed from the West
On awe-struck faces; taught with many a wile
To crouch before the victor's nodding crest,
To conquer force by fraud and tyranny with guile.

Such lesson wealth and genial skies had taught
Thy children, India; such, thy jealous caste,
And frequent conquest crushing out the thought
And wish for liberty, till naught at last,

No power is left unless with slavish art

To kiss the hand that strikes, the foot that spurns ;

Far different lesson now, far other part

The Indian race, though late, from British conqueror learns.

Ever to speak with lips that cannot lie;

Ever with faithless men to keep his faith;

Rather than live dishonored life, to die;

Nor count that loss which can be lost with death,

This is the Briton's glory,-truth unfeigned,

If so she guard it, Britain ne'er can wound;

Still must she grow in honour self sustained,

And all whereon she steps will straight seem hallowed ground.

And as at dawn the early light that rolls,
Forecasts the splendour of the coming sun:
So now religion preached by earnest souls
Proclaims that India's race is but begun;
Rulers that for her life devote their own;
Dark superstition from her altars hurled;
People with higher knowledge wiser grown:

Her progress watched with awe by half a wondering world.

SENARII GRÆCI.

AUCTORR

OWEN ILBERT.

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Off. Samson, this second messsage from our lords

To thee I am bid say: Art thou our slave,
Our captive at the public mill, our drudge,
And darest thou at our sending and command
Dispute thy coming? come without delay;
Or we shall find such enemies to assail
And hammer thee, as thou shalt come of force,
Though thou wert firmlier fasten'd than a rock.

Sams. I could be well content to try their art, Which to no few of them would prove pernicious, Yet knowing their advantages too many,

Because they shall not trail me through their streets
Like a wild beast, I am content to go.

Master's commands come with a power resistless
To such as owe them absolute subjection,
And for a life who will not change his purpose?

(So mutable are all the ways of men.)
Yet this be sure, in nothing to comply
Scandalous or forbidden in our law.

Off. I praise thy resolution: doff these links,
By this compliance thou wilt win the lords
To favour, and perhaps to set thee free.

IDEM GRECE REDDITUM.

οὐκ ἂν ἔλοις ἤσσω γε τῶν ἀισχρῶν ἐμέ.

ΑΓΓ. Σάμψον, τάδ' αὖθις κοιράνων πεμφθεὶς ὑπο τῶν σῶν τε κἀμῶν σοι φέρω κελεύσματα . Σύ δῆθ ̓ ὁ δοῦλος, ἔσχατος θ' ὑπηρέτης, ὁ δουρίληπτος, οὐπὶ τῇ μύλῃ πονῶν, τολμᾶς ἀπειθὴς δεσπότων ἀγγέλμασιν ὧδ ̓ ἀντιτείνειν ; μὴ τριβὰς ἔτ ̓ εἰ δὲ μὴ, τοίας πάγας σοὶ μηχάνας τε φράξομεν* ὥστ ̓ ἐξ ἀνάγκης, καίπερ ἀσφαλέστερον πέτρας παγέντα, δεῦρο πρὸς βίαν μολεῖν. ΣΑΜ. καὶ μὴν θέλοιμ ̓ ἂν τῶν τεχνῶν πεῖραν λαβεῖν, βλαβὴν ἂν οὐ παύροισι μελλουσῶν φέρειν · ὅμως δ' ὑπερβάλλοντας ἐξειδὼς ἄγαν, μή μ' ἑλκύσωσι διὰ πόλιν θηρὸς δίκην, ἑκὼν μόλοιμ' ἄν, οὐδ ̓ ἀναίνομαι τὸ μή. ἀπρόσμαχοι γὰρ δεσπότων ἐπιστολαί, ὅτῳ πέπρωται δούλιον ζυγον φέρειν· τίς δ ̓ οὐ τρόπους ἂν μεταμάθοι βίου χάριν ; ὧδ' ἀστάθμητα τὴν βροτοῖς βουλεύματα· ἀλλ' εν τόδ ̓ ἴσθι μηδὲν ἐνδώσοντα με μήτ' εἰς ὄνειδος μήτ' ἀπόρρητον νόμῳ. ΑΓΓ. κάλλιστ' ἔλεξας· ἀλλὰ τάσδ' ἐκδὺς πέδας ὅπου, χάριν γὰρ δεσπότων πεισθεὶς τάδε κτήσαι ἂν ἤδη, καὶ τάχ' ἂν δεσμῶν λύσιν .

* Cf. #sch. Αg. 823.

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