IDEM LATINE.

"Bene habet. Dii pium movere bellum. Quid cessatis, Quirites, arma capere diis ducibus?" Livy. Bk. viii. Ch. 6.

Semper in aliis bellis adeo inter nos discordes fuimus ut quæ foris agerentur, propter simultates intestinas, minus prospere succederent: quæ quidem, pace rursus facta, multo maiores statim exstitere quum alii alios homines, alii alias sententias, in republica sequeremur. Sed fuerunt, fuerunt inquam, huiuscemodi omnia, inimicitias privatas reipublicæ temporibus permisimus, huic uni omnes alias. naturæ conciliationes posthabuimus ut nobis ipsis caveremus; libertatis enim ardore, velut flamma quadam, tot sententiis in unum conflatis eodem universi instigamur.

Nos autem, quum graviter commoveamur, ne animum demittere videamur, neque felicitatem præsentem istius tantopere obstupeamus, quippe quæ sibi ipsi quam nobis sit funestior, quum humili e loco hominem eo dignitatis extulerit ut vertigine quadam mentis affectus prorsus omnia se posse arbitretur.

The intoxication of his success is the omen of his fall. What though he has carried the flames of war throughout Europe, he has yet to try his fortune in another field; he has yet to contend on a soil filled with the monuments of freedom, enriched with the blood of its defenders; with a people who, animated with one soul, and inflamed with zeal for their laws and for their prince, are armed in defence of all that is dear or venerable-their wives, their parents, their children, the sanctuary of God, and the sepulchre of their fathers. We will not suppose there is one who will be deterred from exerting himself in such a cause, by a pusillanimous regard to his safety, when he reflects that he has already lived too long who has survived the ruin of his country; and that he who can enjoy life after such an event, deserves not to have lived at all. It will suffice us, if our mortal existence, which is at most but a span, be co-extended with that of the nation which gave us birth. We will gladly quit the scene, with all that is noble and august, innocent and holy; and instead of wishing to survive the oppression of weakness, the violation of beauty, and the extinction of everything on which the heart can repose, welcome the shade which will hide from our view such horrors. To form an adequate idea of the duties of this crisis, it will be necessary to raise your minds to a level with your station, to extend your views to a distant futurity, and to consequences the most certain, though most remote. By a series of criminal enterprises, by the successes of guilty ambition, the liberties of Europe have been gradually extinguished; and we are the only people in the eastern hemisphere who are in possession of equal laws and a free constitution. Freedom, driven from every spot on the continent, has sought an asylum in a country which she always chose for her favourite abode; but she is pursued even here, and threatened with destruction.

Quid enim?

Nonne verum successu demens ad ruinam proximam destinaturx. Nonne vel omnibus Europæ terris flamma ferroque pervastatis, una adhuc dimicatio superest? Nonne adhuc in terra pugnandum quæ, quum libertatis monumentis aucta, tum propugnatorum sanguine nobilitata est? Nonne cum populo etiam pugnandum, qui et legum suarum et regis sui caritate accensi, uno animo arma capient, ut quodcumque carum est, quodcumque sacrum, ut uxores, ut liberos, ut parentes, ut deorum aras, ut sepulchra maiorum suorum, corporibus suis tutentur.

Neque vero quemquam tam pigrum esse crediderimus, qui suæ saluti timens universos in tali tempore pro virili parte defendere non ausus sit, si illud tantum secum reputârit, eum hominem nimium iam vitam perduxisse qui patriæ eversæ superfuerit, eum vero ne vivere quidem debuisse cui post eiusmodi calamitatem vita ulla sit tolerabilis; satis profecto superque erit nobis si una cum hac civitate in qua nati simus hac vita, qualiscumque est, excesserimus, nos profecto libentissime tum emoriemur quum quicquid usquam præclarum est, quicquid excelsum, quicquid sanctum, quicquid castum delebitur, nos, ne vexari imbecillos, pudicitiam violari, eripi ea omnia quibus delectamur videamus, tenebras subire æternas iuvabit quæ rerum tantam deformitatem ab oculis nostris abscondant.

Sed ut ea recte æstimetis quae a vobis tali tempore quærantur necesse est animos ad temporum præsentium contemplationem erigatis, necesse est posteritatem ex longinquo cogitatione præcipiatis, necesse est denique ea provideatis, quæ quantocumque distant tempore factum tamen iri aliquando est certissimum. Facinorum iam serie sceleratorum et felicitate rerum impie appetitarum, omnibus Europæ gentibus paullatim libertas est erepta, solique nos eorum populorum qui cis Oceanum habitant æquis legibus et libera adhuc civitate fruimur. Ab omnibus Europæ terris expulsa Libertas ad hanc regionem tanquam ad arcem salutis confugit quam unam libentissime semper coluit, sed huc quoque hostes sequuntur et fugienti exitium minantur.

The inundation of lawless power, after covering the whole earth, threatens to follow us here; and we are most exactly, most critically placed, in the only aperture where it can be successfully repelled- in the Thermopyla of the universe. As far as the interests of freedom are concernedthe most important by far of sublunary interests-you, my countrymen, stand in the capacity of the federal representatives of the human race: for with you it is to determine (under God) in what condition the latest posterity shall be born; their fortunes are intrusted to your care, and on your conduct at this moment depends the colour and complexion of their destiny. If liberty, after being extinguished on the continent, is suffered to expire here, whence is it ever to emerge in the midst of that thick night that will invest it? It remains with you, then, to decide whether that freedom, at whose voice the kingdoms of Europe awoke from the sleep of ages, to run a career of virtuous emulation in everything great and good; the freedom which dispelled the mists of superstition, and invited the nations to behold their God; whose magic touch kindled the rays of genius, the enthusiasm of poetry, and the flame of eloquence; the freedom which poured into our laps opulence and arts, and embellished life with innumerable institutions and improvements, till it became a theatre of wonders; it is for you to decide whether this freedom shall yet survive, or be covered with a funeral pall, and wrapt in eternal gloom. It is not necessary to await your determination. In the solicitude you feel to approve yourselves worthy of such a trust, every thought of what is afflicting in warfare, every apprehension of danger must vanish, and you are impatient to mingle in the battle of the civilised world. Go then, ye defenders of your country, accompanied with every auspicious omen; advance with alacrity into the field, where God himself musters the hosts to war.

Dominationem enim iniquam, toti iam terrarum orbi superfusam in nos quoque redundaturam videmus, et, tamquam in Thermopylis novis pro populis omnibus nobis sit decertandum, in ipso eo loco, ipsis iis angustiis nos siti sumus unde una superest occasio hostem repellendi. Quod ad libertatem attinet cives, qua nihil quod infra lunam* est antiquius esse potest, vobis hodie toti humano generi consulendum est, vestrum enim est, quantum ulla res humani est arbitrii, quam ad sortem decernere posteri per omne tempus nascentur, vobis fortunæ eorum mandantur, ut vos hodie vos gesseritis vitæ cuiusque via atque ratio constituetur

Quod si tota iam Europa extinctam libertatem hic etiam deleri patiemur, unde unquam e tenebris iis exardescet quibus tum offundetur? Vestrum igitur est de libertate ea, cuius voce tamquam ex somno diuturno populi Europæi experrecti sunt, ut virtutibus omnibus inter se certarent, quæ, tenebris superstitionum pravarum dissipatis, ad Deum verum agnoscendum gentes omnes vocavit, qua magistra effloruerunt ingenia, cuius instinctu inflammata est poetica, quæ ipsi eloquentiæ faces admovit, quæ denique vitam nostram tantis opibus impletam adeo innumeris artibus institutisque instruxit et ornavit ut velut mirum quoddam spectaculum ante oculos versetur, de libertate vestrum est decernere utrum ulla posthac sit superfutura, an quasi pallio velata funebri tenebras æternas sit subitura.

Supervacaneum satis scio esse exspectare quid respondeatis; tanto studio vos cupitis dignos vos præstare quibus res tantæ sint mandatæ, ut dolorum, ut laborum, militiæ omnino obliviscamini, ut pericula omnia contemnatis, ut dimicationi quæ omnium est populorum, vos immiscere prægestiatis. Pergite igitur, patriæ propugnatores, quibus omnia fausta sint atque felicia; alacres in aciem procedite ubi Deus ipse copias educit.

Cf. Cicero: Somn. Scip. 10. "infra lunam nihil est nisi mortale et caducum præter animos hominum munere deorum datos."