28. Ravenswood gazed upon the deed, as if petrified. "And it was without fraud or compulsion," said he, looking toward the clergyman, "that Miss Ashton subscribed this parchment?"-"I vouch it upon my sacred character."-"This is indeed, madam, an unde niable piece of evidence," said Ravenswood sternly; "and it will be equally unnecessary and dishonorable to waste another word in useless remonstrance or reproach. There, madam," he said, laying down before Lucy the signed paper, and the broken piece of gold, "there are the evidences of your first engagement; may you be more faithful to that which you have just formed. I will trouble you to return the corresponding tokens of my ill-placed confidence,-I ought rather to say of my egregious folly."

29. Lucy returned the scornful glance of her lover with a gaze from which perception seemed to have been banished; yet she seemed partly to have understood his meaning, for she raised her hands as if to undo a blue ribbon which she wore around her neck. She was unable to accomplish her purpose, but Lady Ashton cut the ribbon asunder, and detached the broken piece of gold, which Miss Ashton had till then worn concealed in her bosom. The written counterpart of the lovers' engagement the mother had for some time had in her own possession. With a haughty curtsy, she delivered both to Ravenswood, who was much softened when he took the piece of gold.

30. "And she could wear it thus," he said, speaking to himself," could wear it in her very bosom,—could wear it next to her heart, - even when- but complaint avails not!" And he dashed from his eye the tear which had gathered in it, and resumed the stern composure of his manner. He strode to the chimney, and threw into the fire the paper and piece of gold, .stamping upon the coals with the heal of his boot, as if to insure their destruction.

31. "I will be no longer," he then said, “an intruder here. Your evil wishes, and your worse offices, Lady Ashton, I will only return, by hoping these will be your last machinations against your daughter's honor and happiness. And to you, madam," he said, addressing Lucy, "I have nothing further to say, except to pray that you may not become a world's wonder for this act of willful and deliberate perjury."- Having uttered these words, he turned on his heel and left the apartinent.

LXXV. TASSO'S CORONATION.

MRS. HEMANS.

Tasso, the poet, died at Rome (1595) on the day before that appointed for his coronation with a laurel-crown in the Capitol. In the following poem the contrast in the character of the alternate stanzas admits of a fine effect in the delivery. The long lines should here be read in an exultant orotund, with almost quick time, short pauses, and middle pitch. The short lines, on the contrary, require low pitch, slow time, gentle force, and mournful expression.

See in Index, CHIVALRY, HAUNT, MISERERE, CÆSAR, TASSO, HEMANS.

I.

A TRUMPET'S note is in the sky, in the glorious Roman sky, Whose dome hath rung, so many an age, to the voice of

victory;

There is crowding to the capitol, the imperial streets along,
For again a conqueror must be crowned,

a kingly child of

song!

II.

Yet his chariot lingers,

Yet around his home
Broods a shadow silently,
'Mid the joy of Rome.

HI.

A thousand thousand laurel-boughs are waving wide and far,
To shed out their triumphal gleams around his rolling car;
A thousand haunts of olden gods have given their wealth of
flowers,

To scatter o'er his path of fame bright hues in gem-like showers.

IV.

Peace! within his chamber

Low the mighty lies;

With a cloud of dreams on his noble brow,
And a wandering in his eyes.

V.

Sing, sing for him, the lord of song, for him, whose rushing strain

In mastery o'er the spirit sweeps, like a strong wind o'er the

main !

Whose voice lives deep in burning hearts, forever there to dwell,

As full-toned oracles are shrined in a temple's holiest cell.

The sun, the sun of Italy is pouring o'er his way,

Where the old three hundred triumphs moved, a flood of golden day;

Streaming through every haughty arch of the Cæsars' past

renown:

Bring forth, in that exulting light, the conqueror for his

crown!

VIII.

Shut the proud, bright sunshine

From the fading sight!

There needs no ray by the bed of death,
Save the holy taper's light.

IX.

The wreath is twined, the way is strewn, the lordly train are

Shout! as an army shouts in joy around a royal chief,
Bring forth the bard of chivalry, the bard of love and grief!

After the French revolution of February 24, 1848, Tocqueville was sent as a representative to the Constituent Assembly. Here he advocated the establishment for France of a republic similar to that of the United States, with a President, elected like our own, and two legislative Chambers, as in our Congress. His views did not prevail. We translate the following passages from a speech he made about this time.

See in Index, ANTIPODES, DEMOCRACY, SKILLFUL or SKILFUL, SOCIALISM, TOCQUEVILLE,

Why profess to as

1. DEMOCRACY! - Socialism! sociate what, in the nature of things, can never be united? Can it be, gentlemen, that this whole grand movement of the French revolution is destined to terminate in that form of society which the Socialists have, with so much fervor, depicted? A society, marked out with compass and rule; in which the state is to charge itself with everything, and the individual is to be nothing; in which society is to absorb all force, all

life; and in which the only end assigned to man is his personal comfort!

2. What! was it for such a society of beavers and of bees, a society rather of skillful animals than of men free and civilized, was it for such, that the French revolution was accomplished? Not so! It was for a greater, a more sacred end; one more worthy of hu manity.

3. But Socialism professes to be the legitimate development of Democracy. I shall not search, as many have done, into the true etymology of this word Democracy. I shall not, as gentlemen did yesterday, traverse the garden of Greek roots, to find the derivation of this word. I shall point you to Democracy, where I have seen it, living, active, triumphant; in the only country in the world where it truly exists, where it has been able to establish and maintain, even to the present time, something grand and durable to claim our admiration, - in the New World, in America.

4. There shall you see a people, among whom all conditions of men are more on an equality even than among us; where the social state, the manners, the laws, everything is democratic; where all emanates from the people, and returns to the people; and where, at the same time, every individual enjoys a greater amount of liberty, a more entire independence, than in any other part of the world, at any period of time; a country, I repeat it, essentially democratic; the only Democracy in the wide world at this day; and the only republic, truly Democratic, which we know of in history. And in this republic you will look in vain for Socialism.

5. Not only have the theories of the Socialists gained no possession there of the public mind, but they have played so trifling a part in the discussions and affairs of that great nation, that they have not even reached the dignity of being feared.