To wait for ever on this lonely rock, And do his errands.-Those who dare t'insult, HERMES. Thou seemest well pleased with this thy present state. PROMETH. Pleased! would that I might see my foes thus pleased, And you among them, for I hold you one. HERMES. And why reproach me for thy evil fortune? HERMES. Thou'rt mad, I find, Prometheus,-not a little! It is a madness which I would not lose. HERMES. If thou wert happy, who could bear with thee? PROMETH. Alas! HERMES. Such sounds Jove has not learned to utter. If thou canst hope to hear replies from me? No contumely, no device at all, By which Jove can induce me to declare What he would know, till from these painful fetters, PROMETH. Thou troublest me in vain with thy advice; Like busy waves upon the solid rock Thy words fall idly on mine ear-I heed them not. But never think of me, that dread of Jove, Or to entreat my hated adversary, With suppliant hands stretched out, as females use, Thou champ'st the bit-and though in vain th'attempt, Of woes in triple ranks shall burst upon thee; A stubborn pride better than friendly counsel.. CHORUS. The words of Hermes seasonable appear, To us at least-he bids thee lay aside Thy haughty spirit, and to follow out The wise suggestions of thine own good counsel: That one as wise as thou should foully err. PROMETH. His message well I knew before he showed it : That foe from foe should suffer pain extreme Cannot be strange, or even unexpected; Then let him hurl on my defenceless head His curling flames and double-pointed lightnings, And drawn within her whirlpool-down at once All this and more-but he shall ne'er succeed To quench th' immortal spirit that lies in me. HERMES. These are the words and thoughts of raving madness: In what does this fall short of hopeless frenzy ? If he will go so far, why stop at all On this side madness? One step more will bring him— But ye whose tender hearts feel for his woes Fly hence in haste, before the awful peal Of the loud thunder stupify your sense. CHORUS. Try other means-a different way Such is my will-for I have learned to hate No crime so dark, nor other is there one That with such loathing I do look upon. I warn you that it is too late If ill o'ertake you, blame not fate; No, truly! chide yourselves, the same Who did the deed should bear the blame; For, wittingly, with rash intent, And on your purpose firmly bent, Within the tangled net of fate. PROMETH. His words are true! the earth below Unsteadily rocks to and fro; The bellowing thunder loudly roars, And in a ceaseless contest roar; Wind sounds on wind with hostile shock; Shakes to its base the solid rock. Earth with the skies, skies with the sea Confounded, meet in enmity: [Prometheus sinks into the earth. End of Prometheus bound. LITERARY NOTICES. A Scamper through Italy and the Tyrol; showing the Minimum of Expense and Time necessary for a Visit to the Italian Cities. By a Gentleman. Smith. In these days POSITIVELY the world is at last enlightened by a modest man! of little trips and lengthy books, when all the world travels about by steam over itself, and describes itself in volumes that all the world finds it heavy to hold, arises one scamperer that compileth not a book, yet publisheth. A Scamper through Italy, the very title gives us respect for the writer-an open, honest, candid English gentleman. In 120 pages the reader scampers with the writer at a rattling pace through Paris, Lyons, Avignon, Marseilles; Genoa, Leghorn, Pisa, Naples, Rome, Florence; Bologna, Venice, Trent, and Tyrol, Rheineck, Zurich, Basle, Strasburg, Cologne, Mannheim, Aix-la-Chapelle, and Antwerp, to London, a pleasant rattle, in good sooth. Minimum of time allowed for the above scamper, fifty-two days. Fares for diligences, boats, tables d'hôtes, &c., are laid down; it is a practically useful book to a large class of people,-those who would spend a holiday of a month or two in travel, and are desirous of seeing as much as possible for their time and money. For the benefit of those of our readers of this class who do not buy the book, that is to say, we hope, for the benefit of nobody, we transcribe the author's concluding excellent advice : -3 "If you would know the blessings of liberty, the irksomeness of restraint, the necessity of forbearance,—if you would ascertain your temper, and be rid of prejudice,-in short, if you would become wiser, happier, better,— TRAVEL. With more time, and at greater expense, you may see all that I have seen with ease; but if you would enjoy what I have enjoyed,-would fully appreciate health and strength, economy and independence,―rough it; I say emphatically, ROUGH IT!" A Tale of a Tiger. By J. S. Cotton, 7th M. L. C. Tilt and Bogue. We scarcely think it necessary to praise this book; every one has seen that most comical of all series of plates entitled the New Tale of a Tub; and many have wished they were not quite so expensive. The author of the plates now disclaims the polished edition of Aubry, Colnaghi, & Co., and publishes his own originals in self-defence. They are not a whit less witty than the halfguinea version. |