ir houses, to destroy their
inhabitants, and to plunder them of all their possessions? Is this a
fulfilling of the law? Is this our duty to our neighbor? Surely not;
and yet such are the principal features in a _great victory_, from
which the conquerors return to be honored of all men--for which
bonfires blaze, guns are fired, cities are illuminated, and every
voice is raised to shout victory! victory! Such victories, my dear
children, are abominations in the sight of God. He bid us live in
love and charity with all men. His Son says, 'By this I know that ye
are my disciples, because ye have love one toward another;' and St.
Paul further desires us to 'love one another with pure hearts,
fervently;' adding, 'for love is the fulfilling of the law.' Much
more might be said on this subject; but I will detain the meeting no
longer than merely to repeat a few verses from a poem of Southey's,
written on the battle of Blenheim; which, as they coincide with my
opinions, afford me much satisfaction, because they testify that I
do not differ in sentiment from all mankind:--

"'With fire and sword the country round
Was wasted far and wide,
And many a childling mother then,
And new-born infant died.
But things like these, you know, must be
At every _famous victory!_

"'They say it was a shocking sight
After the field was won,
For many thousand bodies here,
Lay rotting in the sun.
But things like that, you know, must be
At _every famous victory!_'

"'Great praise the Duke of Marlbro' won,
And our good Prince Eugene."
"Why, 'twas a very wicked thing!"
Said little Wilhelmine.
"Nay, nay, my little girl," quoth he,
"It was a _famous victory!_"

"'And everybody praised the Duke,
Who such a fight did win."
"But what good came of it at last?"
Quoth Little Wilhelmine.
"Why that I cannot tell," said he,
"But 'twas a _famous victory!_" '"

GEORGE. "If I were an admiral, I would never fight for gain, and I
would not allow any of the men under my command to be cruel to the
poor people in their power."

"If you had the opportunity, my son," said Mr. Wilton, "I fear
that, like many others, you would be unable to resist the temptation
to show your authority over the vanquished; for great and wise men
have often found themselves unequal to the task of schooling their
hearts, to listen to the dictates of humanity, when surrounded by
the turmoil and ex