Part 8
The right-hand vapor broader grew; It rose, and joined itself unto The main cloud with a sudden dash. Loud and more near the cannon's crash Came toward me, and I heard a sound As if all hell had broken bound-- A cry of agony and fear. Still the dark vapor rolled more near, Till at my very feet it tossed, The vanward fragments of our host. Can man, Thy image, sink so low, Thou, who hast bent Thy tinted bow Across the storm and raging main; Whose laws both loosen and restrain The powers of earth, without whose will No sparrow's little life is still? Was fear of hell, or want of faith, Or the brute's common dread of death The passion that began a chase, Whose goal was ruin and disgrace? What tongue the fearful sight may tell? What horrid nightmare ever fell Upon the restless sleep of crime-- What history of another time-- What dismal vision, darkly seen By the stern-featured Florentine, Can give a hint to dimly draw The likeness of the scene I saw? I saw, yet saw not. In that sea, That chaos of humanity, No more the eye could catch and keep A single point, than on the deep The eye may mark a single wave, Where hurrying myriads leap and rave. Men of all arms, and all costumes, Bare-headed, decked with broken plumes; Soldiers and officers, and those Who wore but civil-suited clothes; On foot or mounted--some bestrode Steeds severed from their harnessed load; Wild mobs of white-topped wagons, cars, Of wounded, red with bleeding scars; The whole grim panoply of war Surged on me with a deafening roar! All shades of fear, disfiguring man, Glared through their faces' brazen tan. Not one a moment paused, or stood To see what enemy pursued. With shrieks of fear, and yells of pain, With every muscle on the strain, Onward the struggling masses bore. Oh! had the foemen lain before, They'd trampled them to dust and gore, And swept their lines and batteries As autumn sweeps the windy trees! Here one cast forth his wounded friend, And with his sword or musket-end Urged on the horses; there one trod Upon the likeness of his God, As if 'twere dust; a coward here Grew valiant with his very fear, And struck his weaker comrade prone, And struggled to the front alone. All had one purpose, one sole aim, That mocked the decency of shame,-- To fly, by any means to fly; They cared not how, they asked not why. I found a voice. My burning blood Flamed up. Upon a mound I stood; I could no more restrain my voice Than could the prophet of God's choice. "Back, animated dirt!" I cried, "Back, on your wretched lives, and hide Your shame beneath your native clay! Or if the foe affrights you, slay Your own base selves; and, dying, leave Your children's tearful cheeks to grieve, Not quail and blush, when you shall come, Alive, to their degraded home! Your wives will look askance with scorn; Your boys, and infants yet unborn, Will curse you to God's holy face! Heaven holds no pardon in its grace For cowards. Oh! are such as ye The guardians of our liberty? Back, if one trace of manhood still May nerve your arm and brace your will! You stain your country in the eyes Of Europe and her monarchies! The despots laugh, the peoples groan; Man's cause is lost and overthrown! I curse you, by the sacred blood That freely poured its purple flood Down Bunker's heights, on Monmouth's plain, From Georgia to the rocks of Maine! I curse you, by the patriot band Whose bones are crumbling in the land! By those who saved what these had won-- In the high name of Washington!" Then I remember little more. As the tide's rising waves, that pour Over some low and rounded rock, The coming mass, with one great shock, Flowed o'er the shelter of my mound, And raised me helpless from the ground. As the huge shouldering billows bear, Half in the sea and half in air, A swimmer on their foaming crest, So the foul throng beneath me pressed, Swept me along, with curse and blow, And flung me-where, I ne'er shall know.
When I awoke, a steady rain Made rivulets across the plain; And it was dark--oh, very dark. I was so stunned as scarce to mark The ghostly figures of the trees, Or hear the sobbing of the breeze That flung the wet leaves to and fro. Upon me lay a dismal woe, A boundless, superhuman grief, That drew no promise of relief From any hope. Then I arose, As one who struggles up from blows By unseen hands; and as I stood Alone, I thought that God was good, To hide, in clouds and driving rain, Our low world from the angel train, Whose souls filled heroes when the earth Was worthy of their noble birth. By that dull instinct of the mind, Which leads aright the helpless blind, I struggled onward, till the dawn Across the eastern clouds had drawn A narrow line of watery gray; And full before my vision lay The great dome's gaunt and naked bones Beneath whose crown the nation thrones Her queenly person. On I stole, With hanging head and abject soul, Across the high embattled ridge, And o'er the arches of the bridge. So freshly pricked my sharp disgrace, I feared to meet the human face, Skulking, as any woman might, Who'd lost her virtue in the night, And sees the dreadful glare of day Prepare to light her homeward way, Alone, heart-broken, shamed, undone, I staggered into Washington! Since then long sluggish days have passed, And on the wings of every blast Have come the distant nations' sneers To tingle in our blushing ears. In woe and ashes, as was meet, We wore the penitential sheet. But now I breathe a purer air, And from the depths of my despair Awaken to a cheering morn, Just breaking through the night forlorn, A morn of hopeful victory. Awake, my countrymen, with me! Redeem the honor which you lost. With any blood, at any cost! I ask not how the war began, Nor how the quarrel branched and ran To this dread height. The wrong or right Stands clear before God's faultless sight. I only feel the shameful blow, I only see the scornful foe, And vengeance burns in every vein To die, or wipe away the stain. The war-wise hero of the west, Wearing his glories as a crest, Of trophies gathered in your sight, Is arming for the coming fight. Full well his wisdom apprehends The duty and its mighty ends; The great occasion of the hour, That never lay in human power Since over Yorktown's tented plain The red cross fell, nor rose again. My humble pledge of faith I lay, Dear comrade of my school-boy day, Before thee, in the nation's view, And if thy prophet prove untrue, And from our country's grasp be thrown The sceptre and the starry crown, And thou, and all thy marshalled host Be baffled and in ruin lost; Oh! let me not outlive the blow That seals my country's overthrow! And, lest this woful end come true, Men of the North, I turn to you. Display your vaunted flag once more, Southward your eager columns pour! Sound trump, and fife, and rallying drum; From every hill and valley come. Old men, yield up your treasured gold! Can liberty be priced and sold? Fair matrons, maids, and tender brides Gird weapons to your lovers' sides; And though your hearts break at the deed, Give them your blessing and God-speed; Then point them to the field of flame, With words like those of Sparta's dame; And when the ranks are full and strong, And the whole army moves along, A vast result of care and skill, Obedient to the master will; And your young hero draws the sword, And gives the last commanding word That hurls your strength upon the foe-- Oh! let them need no second blow. Strike, as your fathers struck of old; Through summer's heat, and winter's cold; Through pain, disaster, and defeat; Through marches tracked with bloody feet; Through every ill that could befall The holy cause that bound them all! Strike as they struck for liberty! Strike as they struck to make you free! Strike for the crown of victory!
END OF VOL. I.
Knickerbocker Nuggets.
NUGGET--"A diminutive mass of precious metal."
"Little gems of bookmaking."--_Commercial Gazette_, Cincinnati.
"For many a long day nothing has been thought out or worked out so sure to prove entirely pleasing to cultured book-lovers."--_The Bookmaker._
=I--Gesta Romanorum.= Tales of the old monks. Edited by C. SWAN $1 00
"This little gem is a collection of stories composed by the monks of old, who were in the custom of relating them to each other after meals for their mutual amusement and information."--_Williams' Literary Monthly._
"Nuggets indeed, and charming ones, are these rescued from the mine of old Latin, which would certainly have been lost to many busy readers who can only take what comes to them without delving for hidden treasures."
=II--Headlong Hall and Nightmare Abbey.= By THOMAS LOVE PEACOCK $1 00
"It must have been the court librarian of King Oberon who originally ordered the series of quaintly artistic little volumes that Messrs. Putnam are publishing under the name of Knickerbocker Nuggets. There is an elfin dignity in the aspect of these books in their bindings of dark and light blue with golden arabesques."--_Portland Press._
=III--Gulliver's Travels.= By JONATHAN SWIFT. A reprint of the early complete edition. Very fully illustrated. Two vols. $2 50
"Messrs. Putnam have done a substantial service to all readers of English classics by reprinting in two dainty and artistically bound volumes those biting satires of Jonathan Swift, 'Gulliver's Travels.'"
=IV--Tales from Irving.= With illustrations. Two vols. Selected from "The Sketch Book," "Traveller," "Wolfert's Roost," "Bracebridge Hall." $2 00
"The tales, pathetic and thrilling as they are in themselves, are rendered winsome and realistic by the lifelike portraitures which profusely illustrate the volumes.... We confess our high appreciation of the superb manner in which the publishers have got up and sent forth the present volumes--which are real treasures, to be prized for their unique character."--_Christian Union._
"Such books as these will find their popularity confined to no one country, but they must be received with enthusiasm wherever art and literature are recognized."--_Albany Argus._
=V--Book of British Ballads.= Edited by S. C. HALL. A fac-simile of the original edition. With illustrations by CRESWICK, GILBERT, and others $1 50
"This is a diminutive fac-simile of the original very valuable edition.... The collection is not only the most complete and reliable that has been published, but the volume is beautifully illustrated by skilful artists."--_Pittsburg Chronicle._
"Probably the best general collection of our ballad literature, in moderate compass, that has yet been made."--_Chicago Dial._
=VI--The Travels of Baron Münchausen.= Reprinted from the early, complete edition. Very fully illustrated $1 25
"The venerable Baron Münchausen in his long life has never appeared as well-dressed, so far as we know, as now in this goodly company."
"The Baron's stories are as fascinating as the Arabian Nights."--_Church Union._
=VII--Letters, Sentences, and Maxims.= By Lord CHESTERFIELD. With a critical essay by C. A. SAINTE-BEUVE $1 00
"Full of wise things, quaint things, witty and shrewd things, and the maker of this book has put the pick of them all together."--_London World._
"Each of the little volumes in this series is a literary gem."--_Christian at Work._
=VIII--The Vicar of Wakefield.= By GOLDSMITH. With 32 Illustrations by WILLIAM MULREADY $1 00
"Goldsmith's charming tale seems more charming than ever in the dainty dress of the 'Knickerbocker Nuggets' series. These little books are a delight to the eye, and their convenient form and size make them most attractive to all book-lovers."--_The Writer_, Boston.
"A gem of an edition, well made, printed in clear, readable type, illustrated with spirit, and just such a booklet as, when one has it in his pocket, makes all the difference between solitude and loneliness."--_Independent._
=IX--Lays of Ancient Rome.= By THOMAS BABINGTON MACAULAY. Illustrated by GEORGE SCHARF $1 00
"The poems included in this collection are too well known to require that attention should be drawn to them, but the beautiful setting which they receive in the dainty cover and fine workmanship of this series makes it a pleasure even to handle the volume."--_Yale Literary Magazine._
=X--The Rose and the Ring.= By WILLIAM M. THACKERAY. With the author's illustrations. $1 25
"'The Rose and the Ring,' by Thackeray, is reproduced with quaint illustrations, evidently taken from the author's own handiwork."--_Rochester Post-Express._
=XI--Irish Melodies and Songs.= By THOMAS MOORE. Illustrated by MACLISE $1 50
"The latest issue is a collection of Thomas Moore's 'Irish Melodies and Songs,' fully and excellently illustrated, with each page of the text printed within an outline border of appropriate green tint, embellished with emblems and figures fitting the text."--_Boston Times._
=XII--Undine and Sintram.= By DE LA MOTTE FOUQUÉ. Illustrated $1 00
"'Undine and Sintram' are the latest issue, bound in one volume. They are of the size classics should be--pocket volumes,--and nothing more desirable is to be found among the new editions of old treasures."--_San José Mercury._
=XIII--The Essays of Elia.= By CHARLES LAMB. Two vols. $2 00
"The genial essayist himself could have dreamed of no more beautiful setting than the Putnams have given the _Essays of Elia_ by printing them among their Knickerbocker Nuggets."--_Chicago Advance._
=XIV--Tales from the Italian Poets.= By LEIGH HUNT. Two vols. $2 00
"The perfection of artistic bookmaking."--_San Francisco Chronicle._
"This work is most delightful literature, which finds a fitting place in this collection, bound in volumes of striking beauty."--_Troy Times._
"Hunt had just that delightful knowledge of the Italian poets that one would most desire for oneself, together with an exquisite style of his own wherein to make his presentation of them to English readers perfect."--_New York Critic._
=The first series, comprising the foregoing= =eighteen volumes, in handsome case, $19 00=
=XV--Thoughts of the Emperor Marcus= =Aurelius Antoninus.= Translated by GEORGE LONG $1 00
"The thoughts of the famous Roman are worthy of a new introduction to the army of readers through a volume so dainty and pleasing."--_Intelligencer._
"As a book for hard study, as a book to inspire reverie, as a book for five minutes or an hour, it is both delightful and profitable."--_Journal of Education._
"It is an interesting little book, and we feel indebted to the translator for this presentation of his work."--_Presbyterian._
=XVI--Æsop's Fables.= Rendered chiefly from original sources. By Rev. THOMAS JAMES, M.A. With 100 illustrations of JOHN TENNIELL $1 25
"It is wonderful the hold these parables have had upon the human attention; told to children, and yet of no less interest to men and women."--_Chautauqua Herald._
"For many a long day nothing has been thought out or worked out so sure to prove entirely pleasing to cultured book-lovers."--_The Bookmaker._
"These classic studies adorned with morals were never more neatly prepared for the public eye."--_The Milwaukee Wisconsin._
=XVII--Ancient Spanish Ballads.= Historic and Romantic. Translated, with notes, by J. G. LOCKHART. Reprinted from the revised edition of 1841, with 60 illustrations by ALLAN, ROBERTS, SIMSON, WARREN, AUBREY, and HARVEY $1 50
"A mass of popular poetry which has never yet received the attention to which it is entitled."--_Boston Journal of Education._
"The historical and artistic settings of these mediæval poetic gems enhance the value and attractiveness of the book."--_Buffalo Chronicle Advocate._
=XVIII--The Wit and Wisdom of Sydney= =Smith.= A selection of the most memorable passages in his Writings and Conversations. $1 00
=XIX--The Ideals of the Republic; or,= =Great Words from Great Americans.= Comprising:--The "Declaration of Independence, 1776." "The Constitution of the United States, 1779." "Washington's Circular Letter, 1783." "Washington's First Inaugural, 1789." "Washington's Second Inaugural, 1793." "Washington's Farewell Address." "Lincoln's First Inaugural, 1861." "Lincoln's Second Inaugural, 1865." "Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, 1863." $1 00
=XX--Selections from Thomas De Quincey.= Comprising:--"On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts." "Three Memorable Murders." "The Spanish Nun." $1 00
=XXI--Tales by Heinrich Zschökke.= Comprising:--"A New Year's Eve," "The Broken Pitcher," "Jonathan Frock," "A Walpurgis Night." Translated by PARKE GODWIN and WILLIAM P. PRENTICE.
_In Preparation._
=American War Ballads.= A selection of the more noteworthy of the Ballads and Lyrics which were produced during the Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. Edited, with notes, by GEO. CARY EGGLESTON. With original illustrations.
=French Ballads.= Printed in the original text, selected and edited, with notes, by Prof. T. F. CRANE.
=German Ballads.= Printed in the original text.
G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS, PUBLISHERS New York and London
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES
Silently corrected simple spelling, grammar, and typographical errors.
Retained anachronistic and non-standard spellings as printed.
Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.
Enclosed bold font in =equals=.
Enclosed distinctive font in ~tildes~.