The Flood of England, Scotland, Ireland, flowed in the same stream, drenched the same field. When the chill morning dawned, their dead lay cold and stark together; in the same deep pit their bodies were deposited; the green corn of spring is now breaking from their commingled dust; the dew falls from heaven upon their union in the grave! Partakers in every peril; in the glory shall we not be permitted to participate?-and shall we be told, as a requital, that we are estranged from the noble country for whose salvation our life-blood was poured out? R. L. Shiel. CLERICAL WIT. A PARSON, who a missionary had been, Where noontide glory scarely ever smiled; Where wolves in hours of midnight darkness howl'd- All started up and rubb'd their wondering eyes; But tales like this credulity appall'd; Next day, the deacons on the pastor call'd, The foolish falsehoods from his lips that fell. 66 Why, sir, "said one, "think what a monstrous weight! Were they as large as you were pleased to state? You said they'd weigh a pound! It can't be true; We'll not believe it, though 'tis told by you!" "Ah, but it is!" the parson quick replied; "In what I stated you may well confide; Many, I said, sir-and the story's goodIndeed I think that many of them would !"' The deacon saw at once that he was caught, Yet deem'd himself relieved, on second thought. "But then the barking-think of that, good mau ! Such monstrous lies! Explain it if you can!" "Why, that my friend, I can explain with easeThey climbed the bark, sir, when they climbed the trees!" WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR. GREAT King William spread before him Great King William from his turret Great King William stood on Windsor, And he sighed, "Oh! land of beauty, Mine thou art, but I would yield thee In exchange, a peasant's garden, And a conscience free from stain !" Charles Mackay. THE NIGHT BEFORE EXECUTION. I SNEERED When I heard the old priest complain That heralds his dying and tolls his knell, Of the great jail clock Will attract him more than the holiest prayer Will it never be morning-never arise Will the tick-tock Of the ceaseless clock Beat forever through brain and heart, And now in the darkness surrounding me And there are my mother's pitying eyes- And there, on the crowd's extremest rim- Gashed of throat and supple of limb- Of the ceaseless clock His body is swaying, slowly and free, Will it never be here-the dawn of the day, Of the weariless clock, And the tread of the tired policeman's feet At last the deep darkness is melting away I hear the chiming of morning bells, The rattle of carts in the streets once more, Of the sheriff, who comes to the grated door, Of the great jail clock, And the whispered words of the keepers around, What mocking is this in the formal demand, As I march to the sound of the clanging bell, Of the great jail clock, And the voice of the priest as he mumbles a prayer, And the voices that murmur around me there. THE DEATH PENALTY. I REGRET, gentlemen, that this question of the abolition of capital punishment-the most important question, perhaps, of all before this body,-comes up at a time when we are little prepared for its discussion. For myself, I have but few words to say on the subject, but they will proceed from convictions profound and long entertained. You have established the inviolability of the domicil: we ask you to establish an inviolability higher and more sacred the inviolability of human life! Gentlemen, a constitution, and above all, a constitution made by France and for France, is necessarily an important step in civilization. If it is not that, it is nothing. Consider, then, this penalty of death. What is it but the special and eternal type of barbarism? Wherever the penalty of death is most in vogue, barbarism prevails. Wherever it is rare, civilization reigns. Gentlemen, these are in disputable facts. The modification of the penalty was a great forward step. The eighteenth century, to its honor, abolished the torture. The nineteenth century will abolish the death penalty! You may not abolish it to-day. But, doubt not, you will abolish it to-morrow; or else your successors will abolish it. You have inscribed at the head of the preamble of your constitution the words, "IN PRESENCE OF GOD;" and would you begin by depriving that God of the right which to Him only belongs the right of life and death? Gentlemen, there are three things which are God's, not man's: the irrevocable, the irreparable, the indissoluble. Woe to man if he introduces them into his laws! Sooner or later they will force society to give way under their weight; they derange the equilibrium essential to the security of laws and of morals; they take from human justice its proportions; and then it happens,-think of it, gentlemen!-it happens that the law revolts the conscience! I have ascended this tribune to say but a word, a decisive word, and it is this: After the Revolution of Feb |