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Then a Soldier Full of strange oaths, and bearded like a pard. Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon's mouth!

THE SOLDIER.

Then a SOLDIER
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like a pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth!

THE jaring interests of Man in society will not unfrequently break out into acts of hostility. Hence we find that scenes of bloodshed bebase the earliest records of the human race.

Among the Greeks the siege of Troy forms a conspicuous era of their history. And the Romans were so inflamed with the love of war, that they could not rest till they became the masters of the world. Descending to modern times, we do not find men less inclined to oppose each other in the field of battle. Wars and rumours of wars, have distinguished these latter days! More than half of the last century was engaged in acts of violence. For these twenty years past the obstreperous trump of war has been incessantly blown; and it was reserved for the recent Battle of Waterloo alone, by its decisive issue, to hush the world into peace! Alluding to that por

tion of the contest which passed on the Spanish peninsula, LORD BYRON has these energetic lines, awfully descriptive of the fury of the combatants bent on mutual destruction. Devastation is thus personified

Lo! where the giant on the mountain stands,
His blood-red tresses deepening in the sun;
With death-shot glowing in his fiery hands,
And eye that scorcheth all it glares upon :
Restless it rolls—now fix'd, and now anon
Flashing afar-and at his iron feet
Destruction cow'rs to mark what deeds are done!

For on this morn THREE potent nations meet
To shed before his shrine the blood he deems most sweet!

By Heaven ! it is a splendid sight to see
(For one who hath no friend, no brother there)
Their rival scarfs of mix'd embroidery,
Their various arms that glitter in the air !
What gallant war-HOUNDS rouse them from their lair ;
And gnash their fangs, loud yelling for their prey !
All join the chase, but few the triumph share ;

The GRAVE shall bear the chiefest prize away,
And Havoc, scarce for joy, can number their array!

While the world is thus constituted, the character of THE SOLDIER will be upheld and retained. Indeed it has been justly remarked that, “WAR is a great evil, but it is inevitable, and oftentimes necessary. If he who first reduced to rules the art of destroying his fellow creatures had no end in view but to gratify the passions of princes, he was a monster whom it would have been a duty to srnother at his birth; but if his intention was the defence

of persecuted virtue, or the punishment of successful wickedness, to curb ambition, or to oppose the unjust claims of superior power, mankind ought to erect altars to his memory!

7!" The office of Soldier has its origin in self-defence, or rather in the preservation of one's country from the attacks of the enemy. In this point of view the character is the object of commendation. But when employed in the career of unprincipled ambition, the man trained to arms is a curse to his species. The PATRIOT SOLDIER alone claims and deserves the regard of his fellow creatures. Under Heaven, in him we have to recognise the support and the defender of his country. This distinction is well drawn by Cowper, and ought never to be forgotten. The patriot Soldier is thus happily portrayed :

Let laurels drench'd in pure Parnassian dews, :
Reward his memory, dear to every muse,
Who, with a courage of unshaken root,
In Honour's field advancing his firm foot,
Plants it upon the line that Justice draws,
And will prevail or perish in her cause.
Tis to the virtues of such men--Man owes
• His portion in the good that Heav'n bestows;}
And when recording History displays
Feats of renown, though wrought in distant days,
Tells of a few stout hearts that fought and died
Where duty placed them at their country's side,
The man that is not mov'd with what he reads,
That takes not fire at their heroic deeds,
Unworthy of the blessings of THE BRAVE,
Is base in mind, and born to be a slave!

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