;

the entrance of the cave is opened; every heart exults

Barbarous Danes! unable longer to` detain their prisoners, they resolve upon a general massacre!--Farewell to joy, to liberty and life;-O heart-rending reverse!

Hark!—what exceeding cla

mour is without!

what loud

huzzas! what joyful cries!-Inhuman Danes! is the death of your prisoners your sport?

O, joy, joy indeed!-It is the Britons that shout; the Danes have fled; the prisoners are

free!

N 3

Who

Who leads on this glorious band? Who has saved these

death? The

crowds from shepherd, Egbert! Distinguished by his valour, Alfred, who has already destroyed the main body of the Danes, has given him this command. Bertha and Ella are saved by Egbert; and they love one another their whole lives long.

CHAP.

CHAP. XVII.

Sweet is the breath of morn, her rising sweet,
With charm of earliest birds; pleasant the sun,
When first on this delightful land he spreads,
His orient beams, on herb, tree fruit, and flower
Glist'ring with dew; fragrant the fertile carth
After soft show'rs; and sweet the coming on
Of grateful ev'ning mild; then silent night,
With this her solemn bird, and this fair moon,
And these the gems of heav'n, her starry train:
But neither breath of morn, when she ascends
With charm of earliest birds; nor rising sun
On this delightful land; nor herb, fruit, flow'r
Glist'ring with dew; nor fragrance after show'rs;
Nor grateful ev'ning mild; nor silent night,
With this her solemn bird; nor walk by moon
Or glitt'ring star-light, without thee is sweet.

THE

MILTON.

Canary - Bird sincerely desires to be restored to his mistress. He determines to find, if possible, the cage that he has left. He flies through the garden, anxiously searching the place; he knows not that he is

at the distance of a mile, at least, from Mira's dwelling. He perceives a house in the garden ; imagines that there he shall find his cage; and thither he wings his way. He arrives at one of the windows, and there discovers a cage, which he mistakes for his own;-but, with much surprise, perceives that, it is inhabited by another bird! Ile fears that Mira has bestowed

the dwelling upon a new fa

vorite.

He addresses himself to the fortunate bird; the information that he gains perplexes him, but does not remove his apprehensions; and resting upon the

sill

sill of the window, he sings: He tells his mistress that, by some strange accident, he left his cage; but never intended to leave her; that the life he has led were delightful, if it might be enjoyed in her presence; but that, wanting her, it wants, to him, the greatest charm; he intreats her to receive him again; and, if he has offended, to be pardoned. While he thus sings, Portia, to whose apartment he has, in reality, rambled, perceives the exotic bird. A circumstance so unusual engages her attention: « Poof - creature," she says,

what