be placed in other hands than their own, would have exposed it, naked and defenceless, an easy prey to its most bitter and inveterate Enemies.

DECIUS MUS.

POETRY.

A Correspondent has adapted the beautiful Poem of the Battle of Sabla, in "CARLYLE'S Specimens of Arabian Poetry," to the circumstances of the present moment. We shall always be happy to see the Poetry of other Times and Nations so successfully engaged in the service of our Country, and of the present order of Society.

THE CHOICE.

(From the Battle of Sabla, in Carlyle's Specimens of Arabian Poetry.)

I.

HAST thou not seen th'insulting Foe

In fancied triumphs crown'd?
And heard their frantic Rulers throw

These empty threats around?

"Make now YOUR CHOICE! The terms we give,
"Desponding Britons, hear!

"These Fetters on your Arms receive,

"Or in your Hearts the Spear."

Can we forget our old Renown;

Resign the Empire of the Sea;

And yield at once our Sovereign's Crown,
Our ancient Laws and Liberty?

Shall thus the fierce Destroyer's hand

Pass unresisted o'er our Native Land?

Our Country sink, to barb'rous Force a prey,
And ransom'd ENGLAND bow to Gallic Sway?

"Is then the Contest o'er?" we cried,
"And lie we at your feet?
"And dare you vauntingly decide

"The fortune we shall meet?
"A brighter day we soon shall see ;
"No more the prospect lours;
"And Conquest, Peace, and Liberty,

"Shall gild our future hours."

Yes! we will guard our old Renown;
Assert our Empire of the Sea;
And keep untouch'd our Sovereign's Crown,
Our ancient Laws and Liberty.

Not thus the fierce Destroyer's Hand
Shall scatter Ruin o'er this smiling Land;
No barb'rous Force shall here divide its Prey
Nor ransom'd ENGLAND bow to Gallic Sway.

The Foe advance. In firm array
We'll rush o'er Albion's Sands,
'Till the red Sabre marks our way
Amid their yielding Bands !
Then as they lie in Death's cold grasp,

We'll cry OUR CHOICE IS MADE !
These hands the Sabre's hilt shall clasp,
"Your hearts shall feel the blade."

Thus

Thus Britons guard their ancient Fame,

Assert their Empire o'er the Sea,
And to the envying World proclaim

ONE NATION still is Brave and Free

Resolv'd to conquer or to die,

True to their KING, their LAWS, their LIBERTY:
No barb'rous Foe here finds an easy Prey-
Un-ransom'd ENGLAND spurns all Foreign Sway.

The following Poem has been transmitted to us, without Preface or Introduction, by a Gentleman of the name of IRELAND. We apprehend, from the peculiarities of the style, that it must be the production of a remote period. We are likewise inclined to imagine, that it may contain allusions to some former event in English History. What that event may have been, we must submit to the better judgement and superior information of our Readers; from whom we impatiently expect a solution of this interesting question. The EDITOR has been influenced solely by a sense of its poetical merit.

THE DUKE AND THE TAXING-MAN,

WHILOM there liv'd in fair Englonde
A Duke of Peerless wealth
And mickle care he took of her

Old Constitution's Health.

Full Fifty Thousand Pounds and more

To him his Vassals paid,

But ne to King, ne Countree, he
Would yield th'Assessment made.

The

The Taxing-man, with grim visage,

Came pricking on the way,

The Taxing-man, with wrothful words,

Thus to the Duke did say:

"Lord Duke, Lord Duke, thou'st hid from me,

"As sure as I'm alive,

"Of goodly Palfreys Seventeen,

"Of Varlets Twenty-five."

Then out he drew his gray goose quill,

Ydipped in ink so black,

And sorely to SURCHARGE the Duke,

I trowe, he was ne slack.

Then 'gan the Duke to looken pale,

And stared as astound,

Twaie Coneynge Clerks, eftsoons he spies
Sitting their Board around.

"Q woe is me," then cried the Duke,
"Ne mortal Wight but errs!

"I'll hie to yon twaie Coneynge Clerks,
"Yclept Commissioners."

The Duke he hied him to the Board,
And straught 'gan for to say,
"A seely Wight I am, God wot,
"Ne ken I the right way.

Twaie Coneynge Clerks.-Concynge is the Participle of the Verb to Ken or know. It by no means imports what we now denominate a Knowing One; on the contrary, Twaie Coneynge Clerks means two intelligent and disinterested Clergymen.

+ Seely is evidently the original of the modern word silly.—A seely Wight, however, by no means imports what is now called a silly fellow, but means a man of simplicity of character, devoid of all vanity, and of any strange ill-conducted ambition, which, if successful, would im mediately be fatal to the man who indulged it.

"These

"These Varlets twenty-five were ne'er

"Liveried in white and red,

"Withouten this, what signifie

"Wages, and Board, and Bed?

"And by St. George, that stout Horseman,

"My Palfreys Seventeen,

"For two years, or perchance for three,

"I had forgotten clean."

"Naie," quoth the Clerk, "both horse and foot

"To hide was thine intent,

"Ne seely Wight be ye, but did
"With good advisament .

"Surcharge, Surcharge, good Taxing-man,
"Anon our Seals we fix;

"Of Sterling Pounds, Lord Duke, you pay
"Three Hundred Thirty-six."

EPIGRAM

ON THE PARIS LOAN, CALLED THE

Loan upon England.

THE Paris Cits, a Patriotic Band,

Advance their Cash on British Freehold Land:

But let the speculating Rogues beware

They've bought the Skin-but who's to kill the Bear &

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

ST. PETERSBURG, DEC. 5.-The PRINCE of CONDE has been received here with the most flattering marks of

Good advisament means-cool consideration,

6

distinction.