Awake, blue Eyebright, while the singing wave Its cold, bright, beauteous, soothing tribute drops, From many a gray rock's foot and dripping cave; While yonder, lo, the starting stone-chat hops; While here the cotter's cow its sweet food crops; While black-faced ewes and lambs are bleating there; And, bursting through the briers, the wild ass stops, Kicks at the strangers, then turns round to stare, Then lowers his large red ears, and shakes his long dark hair. HYMN TO BRITAIN. Nurse of the Pilgrim Sires, who sought, For fearless truth and honest thought, Who would not be of them or thee A not unworthy son? That hears, amid the chained or free, Cradle of Shakespeare, Milton, Knox! No! by thy Elliots, Hampdens, Vanes, No!—for the blood which kings have gorged Hath made their victims wise; While every lie that fraud hath forged But Time shall change the despot's mood; When turning evil into good And monsters into men. If round the soul the chains are bound If tyrants laugh when men are found Lord let not Britain arm her hands But bless through her all other lands, For freedom if thy Hampden fought, For peace and love if Bentham wrote, Be this the burden of her song- Then, Father, will the nations all, In universal festival, Sing words of joy, like these:- Lord! Jesus died for love and Thee! SONNET OF SPRING. Again the violet of our early days Drinks beauteous azure from the golden sun, And kindles into fragrance at his blaze; The streams, rejoiced that Winter's work is done, Wild Apple! thou art bursting into bloom; Thy leaves are coming, snowy-blossomed Thorn! Wake, buried Lily! Spirit, quit thy tomb; And thou, shade-loving Hyacinth, be born! Then haste, sweet Rose! Sweet Woodbine hymn the morn, Whose dew-drops shall illume with pearly light Each grassy blade that thick embattled stands From sea to sea; while daisies infinite Uplift in praise their little glowing hands, A POET'S EPITAPH. Stop, Mortal! Here thy brother lies, His books were rivers, woods, and skies, His teachers were the torn heart's wail, From passion, danger, doubt, and care, The meanest thing, earth's feeblest worm, But honoring in a peasant's form The equal of the great He blessed the steward whose wealth makes The poor man's little more; Yet loathed the haughty wretch that takes From plundered labor's store. A hand to do, a head to plan, A heart to feel and dare : Tell man's worst foes, here lies the man, ELLIS, SIR HENRY, an English diplomat and antiquarian, born at London, November 29, 1777; died there January 15, 1869. He was chief librarian of the British Museum from 1827 to 1856. He edited Brand's Popular Antiquities (1813); introduction to Doomsday Book (1816); Dugdale's Monasticon (1817), and published Original Letters Illustrative of English History (1824-46), mostly from material in the Museum. He wrote Elgin Marbles of the Classic Ages (1847) and The Townley Gallery of Sculpture (1847). He was Third Commissioner in Lord Amherst's embassy to China, in 1816, of which he wrote a narrative in 1817. This work is of special value as giving an account of the second formal attempt to open diplomatic relations between Great Britain and China. LORD AMHERST AT THE CHINESE COURT. Mandarins of all buttons were in waiting; several princes of the blood, distinguished by clear ruby buttons and round flowered badges, were among them; the silence, and a certain air of regularity, marked the immediate presence of the sovereign. The small apartment into which we were huddled, now witnessed a scene unparalleled in the history of even oriental diplomacy. Lord Amherst had scarcely taken his seat, when Chang delivered a message from Ho (Koong-yay), stating that the emperor wished to see the ambassador, and the commissioners immediately. Much surprise was naturally expressed; the previous arrangement for the eighth of the Chinese month, a period certainly much too early for comfort, was adverted to, and the utter impossibility of His Excellency appearing in his present state of fatigue, and deficiency of every necessary equipment, was strongly urged. During this time the room had filled with spectators, who rudely pressed upon us to gratify their curiosity. Some other messages were interchanged between the Koong-yay and Lord Amherst, who, in addition to the reasons already given, stated the indecorum and irregularity of his appearing without his credentials. In his reply to this it was said, that in the proposed audience the emperor merely wished to see the ambassador, and had no intention of entering upon business. Lord Amherst having persisted in expressing the inadmissibility of the proposition, and in transmitting through the Koong-yay a humble request to his imperial majesty that he would be graciously pleased to wait till to-morrow, Chang and another mandarin finally proposed that His Excellency should go over to the Koong-yay's apartments, from whence a reference might be made to the emperor. Lord Amherst, having alleged bodily illness as one of the reasons for declining the audience, readily saw that if he went to the Koong-yay, this plea would cease to avail him, positively declined compliance. This produced a visit from the Koong-yay, who used every argument to induce him to obey the emperor's commands. All proving ineffectual, with some roughness, but under pretext of friendly violence, he laid hands upon Lord Amherst, to take him from the room; another mandarin followed his example. He shook them off, declaring that nothing but the extremest violence should induce him to quit that room for any other place but the residence assigned to him; he further pointed out the gross insult he had already received, in having been exposed to the intrusion and indecent curiosity of crowds, who appeared to view him rather as a wild beast than the representative of a powerful sovereign. At all events, he entreated the Koong-yay to submit his request to his imperial majesty, who, he felt confident, would, in consideration of his illness and fatigue, dispense with his immediate appearance. The |