'd
With gods and heroes--honour'd, lov'd, and fam'd.
When senates are forgot!
_Cur_.--Since then by dying I can refound Rome,
For Rome preserv'd is built and born again.
Be mine a Roman's death. Else 'twere in vain
That once Eneas toil'd--that Romulus bore sway!
In vain the matron's tears subdued her flinty son!
In vain did Manlius for his country fight!
In vain Lucretia and Virginia bleed!
Romans, farewell!--I look around and see
A band of augurs--an assembled senate,
Plebeians and patricians--
A people and a nation met together
In council to avert calamity,
And all are friends. Farewell, farewell, farewell!
Favourites of Fortune what is it to die?
Ye sons of pleasure! look on him who once
Did sternly look on you--who dies for you!
Scions of Victory! how cracks the heart,
In that short moment of a bright career,
When the last echo from the couch of Fame
Falls on the dying ear? Oh! this mine act
Were best done whilst the blood is warm--lest time
For thought should mar the purpose. Thought?--a glorious deed
Needs none. Come horse!--and at one fearful bound
Plunge in the gulf beneath!
_Curtius leaps into the chasm._
_Sooth_.--The gods attest the worth of this bold youth.
_Cit_.--The chasm closes--and the dangers pass:
With buried Curtius following envy lies,
Nor dare she lift her sickly head
Above his giant grave.
CYMBELINE.
* * * * *
ETYMOLOGICAL CURIOSITIES.
(_To the Editor of the Mirror_.)
Probably the following observations upon singular words, may amuse
some of your readers. I should, however, premise that as regards
myself, the greater part are not original.
Without further preface, allow me in the first place to call your
attention to a word, which, by adding a syllable, becomes shorter,
viz. the word _short_--on the other hand we have words of one
syllable, which, by taking away two letters, become words of two
syllables, as plague, league, both of which, by such an elision, leave
_ague_. By dropping the two first letters of the word _monosyllable_,
we have _no syllable_ remaining.
It has been remarked that _heroine_ is one of the most peculiar words
in our language, as it may be thus divided--the two first letters of
it are male--the three first female--the four first a brave man, and
the whole word a brave woman. Thus: _he, her, hero, heroine_. A beggar
may address himself, and say
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