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his plan, and he settled to the task, never more observant, never more capable.

He drew head to

Ben Hur yielded the wall for the time. the right, and with all the speed of his Arabs darted across the trails of his opponents, and took the course neck and neck with Messala. And now, racing together side by side, a narrow interval between them, the two neared the second goal. "Down, Eros! up, Mars!" Messala shouted, whirling his lash with practiced hand. "Down, Eros! up, Mars!" he repeated, and caught the well-doing Arabs of Ben Hur a cut the like of which they had never known. Then, involuntarily, down from the balcony, as thunder falls, burst the indignant cry of the people. The four sprang forward as with one impulse, and forward leaped the car. Where got Ben Hur the large hand and mighty grip which helped him now so well? Where but from the oar with which so long he fought the sea ? And what was this spring of the floor under his feet to the dizzy, eccentric lurch with which in the old time the trembling ship yielded to the beat of staggering billows, drunk with their power?

So he kept his place, and gave the four free rein; and before the fever of the people began to abate he had back the mastery. Nor that only; on approaching the first goal, he was again side by side with Messala, bearing with him the sympathy and admiration of every one not a Roman. "Ben Hur! Ben Hur!" they shouted. Speed thee, Jew!" "Take the wall now!"' 'On! Loose the Arabs! Give them rein and scourge!" "Let him not have the turn on thee!" Over the balustrade they stooped low, stretching their hands imploringly to him.

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And now, to make the turn, Messala began to draw in his left-hand steeds. His spirit was high; more than one altar was richer of his vows; the Roman genius was still president. On the three pillars only six hundred feet away were fame, increase of fortune, promotions, and a triumph ineffably sweetened by hate, all in store for him! That moment Ben

Hur leaned forward over his Arabs, and gave them the reins. Out flew the many-folded lash in his hand; over the backs of the startled steeds it writhed and hissed, and hissed and writhed again and again; and, though it fell not, there were both sting and menace in its quick report; and as the man passed thus from quiet to resistless action, his face suffused, his eyes gleaming, along the reins he seemed to flash his will; and instantly not one, but the four as one answered with a leap that landed them alongside the Roman's car. Messala, on the perilous edge of the goal, heard, but dared not look to see what the awakening portended. From the people he received no sign. Above the noises of the race there was but one voice, and that was Ben Hur's. In the old Aramaic, as the sheik himself, he called to the Arabs. "On, Atair! On, Rigel! What, Antares! dost thou linger now? Good horse-oho, Aldebaran! I hear them singing in the tents. I hear the children singing and the women— singing of the stars, of Atair, Antares, Rigel, Aldebaran, victory! And the song will never end. Well done! Home to-morrow, under the black tent-home! On, Antares! The tribe is waiting for us, and the master is waiting! 'Tis done! 'tis done! Ha, ha! We have overthrown the proud. The hand that smote us is in the dust. Ours the glory! Ha, ha! Steady! The work is done-soho! Rest!"

The thousands on the benches understood it all. They saw the signal given, the magnificent response; the four close outside Messala's outer wheel, Ben Hur's inner wheel behind the other's car-all this they saw. Then they heard a crash loud enough to send a thrill through the Circus, and, quicker than thought, out over the course a spray of shining white and yellow flinders flew. Down on its right side

toppled the bed of the Roman chariot. There was a rebound as of the axle hitting the hard earth; another and another; then the car went to pieces, and Messala, entangled in the reins, pitched forward headlong.

The people arose, and leaped upon the benches, and

shouted and screamed. Those who looked that way caught glimpses of Messala, now under the trampling of the fours, now under the abandoned cars. He was still; they thought him dead; but far the greater number followed Ben Hur in his career. They had not seen the cunning touch of the reins by which, turning a little to the left, he caught Messala's wheel with the iron-shod point of his axle, and crushed it; but they had seen the transformation of the man, and themselves felt the heat and glow of his spirit, the heroic resolution, the maddening energy of action with which, by look, word, and gesture, he so suddenly inspired his Arabs. And such running! It was rather the long leaping of lions in harness; but for the lumbering chariot, it seemed the four were flying. When the Byzantine and Corinthian were halfway down the course Ben Hur turned the first goal. the race was WON!

And

REPLY TO MR. CORRY

By HENRY GRATTAN, Lawyer, Statesman. Born in Dublin, Ireland, died in London, England, 1820.

1746;

From a speech delivered in the Irish Parliament, during the debate on the union of Ireland to England, February 14, 1800. See Goodrich's "British Eloquence," published, in 1854, by Harper and Brothers, New York, N. Y.

Has the gentleman done? has he completely done? He was unparliamentary from the beginning to the end of his speech. There was scarce a word he uttered that was not a violation of the privileges of the House. But I did not call him to order-why? because the limited talents of some men render it impossible for them to be severe without being unparliamentary. But before I sit down, I shall show him how to be severe and parliamentary at the same time.

On any other occasion, I should think myself justifiable in treating with silent contempt anything which might fall from that honorable member; but there are times when the insignificance of the accuser is lost in the magnitude of the

accusation. I know the difficulty the honorable gentleman labored under when he attacked me, conscious that, on a comparative view of our characters, public and private, there is nothing he could say which would injure me. The public would not believe the charge. I despise the falsehood. If such a charge were made by an honest man, I would answer it in the manner I shall do before I sit down. But I shall first reply to it, when not made by an honest man.

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The right honorable gentleman has called me an unimpeached traitor."' I ask why not "traitor," unqualified by an epithet? I will tell him-it was because he durst not. It was the act of a coward who raises his arm to strike, but has not the courage to give the blow. I will not call him villain, because it would be unparliamentary, and he is a privy counselor. I will not call him fool, because he happens to be Chancellor of the Exchequer. But I say, he is one who has abused the privilege of Parliament, and freedom of debate, by uttering language which, if spoken out of the House, I should answer only with a blow. I care not how high his situation, how low his character, how contemptible his speech; whether a privy counselor or a parasite-my answer would be a blow.

He has chaged me with being connected with the rebels. The charge is utterly, totally, and meanly false. Does the honorable gentleman rely on the report of the House of Lords for the foundation of his assertion? If he does, I can

prove to the committee that there was a physical impossibility of that report being true. But I scorn to answer any man for my conduct, whether he be a political coxcomb, or whether he brought himself into power by a false glare of courage or not.

I have returned, -not, as the right honorable member has said, to raise another storm, I have returned to discharge an honorable debt of gratitude to my country that conferred a great reward for past services, which, I am proud to say, was not greater than my desert. I have returned to protect

that Constitution of which I was the parent and founder, from the assassination of such men as the right honorable gentleman and his unworthy associates. They are corrupt, they are seditious, and they at this very moment are in a conspiracy against their country. I have returned to refute a libel as false as it is malicious, given to the public under the appellation of a report of the committee of the Lords. Here I stand ready for impeachment or trial. I dare accusation. I defy the honorable gentleman; I defy the government; I defy their whole phalanx; let them come forth. I tell the ministers, I will neither give quarter nor take it. I am here to lay the shattered remains of my constitution on the floor of this House, in defense of the liberties of my country.

ONE NICHE THE HIGHEST

By ELIHU BURRITT, "The Learned Blacksmith," Linguist, Lecturer, Author. Born in New Britain, Conn., 1811; died in New Britain, 1879.

The scene opens with a view of the great Natural Bridge in Virginia. There are three or four lads standing in the channel below, looking up with awe to that vast arch of unhewn rocks, which the Almighty bridged over those everlasting butments, "when the morning stars sang together."' The little piece of sky spanning those measureless piers is full of stars, although it is midday.

It is almost five hundred feet from where they stand, up those perpendicular bulwarks of limestone to the key-rock of that vast arch which appears to them only of the size of a man's hand. The silence of death is rendered more impressive by the little stream that falls from rock to rock down the channel. The sun is darkened, and the boys have unconsciously uncovered their heads, as if standing in the presencechamber of the majesty of the whole earth.

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