provinces of New Hampshire and Connecticut lay on their arms in sullen expectation.

3. Their line extended from the shore to the base of the ridge, where it terminated several hundred feet behind the works; leaving a wide opening in a diagonal direction, between the fence and an earthen breast work, which ran a short distance down the declivity of the hill, from the northeastern angle of the redoubt.

4. A few hundred yards in the rear of this rude disposition, the naked crest of Bunker-hill rose unoccupied and undefended, and the streams of the Charles and Mystic sweeping around its base, approached so near each other as to blend the sounds of their rippling. It was across this low and narrow isthmus, that the royal frigates poured a stream of fire that never ceased, while around it. hovered the numerous parties of the undisciplined Americans, hesi tating to attempt the dangerous passage.

5. In this manner Gage had in a great degree surrounded the peninsula with his power; and the bold men who had so daringly planted themselves under the muzzles of his cannon were left unsupported, without nourishment, and with weapons from their own gun hooks, singly, to maintain the honour of their nation..

6. Including men of all ages and conditions, there might have been two thousand of them, but as the day advanced, small bodies of their countrymen, taking counsel of their feelings, and animated by the example of the old Partisan of the Woods who crossed and recrossed the neck, loudly scoffing at the danger, broke through the fire of the shipping in time to join in the closing and bloody business of the hour.

7. On the other hand, Howe led more than an equal number of the chosen troops of his Prince; and as boats continued to ply between the two peninsulas throughout the afternoon, the relative disparity continued undiminished to the end of the struggle. It was at this point in our narrative that, deeming himself sufficiently strong to force the defences of his despised foes, the arrangements immediately preparatory to such an undertaking were made in full view of the excited spectators.

8. Notwithstanding the security with which the English general marshalled his warriors, he felt that the approaching contest would be a battle of no common incidents.

The eyes of tens of thousands were fastened on his movements, and the occasion demanded the richest display of the pageantry of war. The troops formed with beautiful accuracy, and the columns moved steadily along the shore, and took their assigned stations under cover of the brow of the eminence.

9. Their force was in some measure divided; one moiety attempting the toilsome ascent of the hill, and the other moving along the beach, or in the orchards of the more level ground, towards the husbandmen on the meadows. The latter soon disappeared behind some fruit trees and several brick kilns near the field of battle.

10. The advance of the royal columns up the ascent was slow and measured, giving time for their field guns to add their efforts to the uproar of the cannonade, which broke with new fury as the battalions prepared to march. When each column arrived at the allotted point it spread the gallant array of its glittering warriors under a bright sun.

11. The advance of the British line so beautiful and slow resembled rather the ordered steadiness of a drill than the approach to a deadly struggle. Their standards fluttered proudly above them, and there were moments when the wild music of their bands was heard rising on the air, and tempering the ruder sounds of the artillery.

12. The young and thoughtless turned their faces backward, and smiled exultingly as they beheld steeples, roofs, masts, and heights, teeming with their thousands of eyes, bent on the show of their bright array. As the British lines moved in open view of the little redoubt, and began slowly to gather around its different faces, gun after gun became silent, and the curious artillerist, or tired seaman, lay extended on his heated piece, gazing in mute wonder at the spectacle.

These

13. There was just then a moment when the roar of the cannonade seemed passing away like the rumbling of distant thunder. "They will not fight," said the animated leader, "the military front of Howe has chilled the hearts of the knaves, and our victory will be bloodless!" words were barely uttered, when platoon after platoon, among the British, delivered its fire, the blaze of musketry flashing swiftly around the brow of the hill, and was imme diately followed by heavy volleys that ascended from the orchard.

14. Still no answering sound was heard from the Americans, and the royal troops were soon lost to the eye as they slowly marched into the white cloud which their own fire had created. At that instant a sheet of flame glanced through the smoke, like lightning playing in a cloud, while at one report a thousand muskets were added to the uproar. 15. The bright red lines of the royal troops were seen issuing from the smoke, waving and recoiling before the still vivid fire of their enemies. The smoky veil which clung around the brow of the eminence, was lifted by the air, and sailed heavily away to the south-west, leaving the scene of the bloody struggle again in view.

It

16. At this instant, an officer from the field held an earnest communication with the two leaders, when, having delivered his orders, he hastened back to his boat, like one who felt himself engaged in matters of life and death." shall be done, sir," repeated Clinton, as the other departed, his own honest brow sternly knit under high martial excitement." The artillery have their orders, and the work will be accomplished without delay."

17. "This," cried his more sophisticated companion, "this is one of the trying duties of the soldier! To fight, to bleed, or even to die for his prince, is his happy privi lege; but it is sometimes his unfortunate lot to become the instrument of vengeance." The flaming balls were soon seen taking their wide circuit in the air, and carrying their desolation among the close and inflammable roofs of the opposite town.

18. In a very few minutes a dense black smoke arose from the deserted buildings, and forked flames played aotively along the heated shingles, as though rioting in their unmolested possession of the place. In scenes like these we are attempting to describe, hours appear to be minutes, and time flies as imperceptibly as life slides from beneath the feet of age.

19. The disordered ranks of the British had been arrested at the base of the hill, and were again forming under the eyes of their leaders, with admirable discipline, and extraordinary care. Fresh battalions, from Boston, marched with high military pride into the line, and every thing betokened that a second assault was at hand.

20. When the moment of stupid amazement which sucseeded the retreat of the royal troops had passed, the troops

and batteries poured out their wrath with tenfold fury on their enemies. Shot were incessantly glancing up the acclivity, madly ploughing across its grassy surface, while black and threatening shells appeared to hover above the work like the monsters of the air, about to stoop upon their prey.

21. Still all lay quiet and immovable within the low mounds of earth, as if none there had a stake in the issue of the bloody day. For a few moments only the tall figure of an aged man was seen slowly moving along the summit of the rampart, calmly regarding the dispositions of the English General in the more distant part of his line, and after exchanging a few words with a gentleman who joined him in his dangerous look-out, they disappeared behind the grassy banks.

22. All eyes were now watching the advance of the bat talions, which once more drew nigh the point of contest. The heads of the columns were already in view of their ene mies, when a man was seen swiftly ascending the hill from the burning town: he paused amid the peril, on the natural glacis, and swung his hat triumphantly, and some even fancied they heard the exulting cry, as they recognised the ungainly form of the simpleton, before it plunged into the work.

23. The right of the British one more disappeared in the orchard, and the columns in front of the redoubt again opened with all the imposing exactness of their high discipline. But the trial was too great for even the practised courage of the royal troops. Volley succocded volley, and in a few moments they had again curtained their ranks behind the misty screen produced by their own fire.

24. Then came the terrible flash from the redoubt, and the eddying volumes from the adverse hosts rolled into one cloud, enveloping the combatants in its folds, as if to con ceal their bloody work from the spectators. The result, however, was soon known.

25. The heavy bank of smoke which now even clung along the ground, was broken in fifty places, and the disordered ranks of the British were seen driven before their deliberate foes, in wild confusion. The flashing swords of the officers in vain attempted to arrest the torrent, nor did the flight cease with many of the regiments until they had even reached their boats.

SOCRATES' ADDRESS TO HIS JUDGES.

1. "I HAVE great hopes, O my judges, that it is infinitely to my advantage that I am sent to death: for it must of necessity be, that one of these two things must be the consequence. Death must take away all these senses, or convey me to another life.

2. "If all sense is to be taken away, and death is no more than that profound sleep without dreams, in which we are sometimes buried, how desirable is it to die! how many days in life do we know that are preferable to such a state.

3. "But if it be true that death is but a passage to places, which they who have lived before us do now inhabit, how much happier still is it to go from those who call themselves judges, to appear before those that really are such before Minos, Rhadamanthus and Triptolemus, and to meet those who have lived with justice and truth?

4. "Is this, do you think, no happy journey? Do you think it nothing to speak with Orpheus, Homer, and Hesiod? I would, indeed, suffer many deaths to enjoy these things. With what particular delight should I talk with Ajax and others who like me have suffered by the iniquity of their judges! I should examine the wisdom of that great prince, who carried such mighty forces against Troy; and argue with Ulysses and Sisyphus, upon difficult points, as I have in conversation here, without being in danger of being condemned.

5. "But let not those among you who have pronounced me an innocent man be afraid of death. No harm can arrive at a good man whether dead or living; his affairs are always under the direction of the gods; nor will I believe the fate which is allotted to me myself this day, to have arrived by chance, nor have I aught to say either against my judges or accusers, but that they thought they did me an injury. But I detain you too long; it is time that I retire to death, which of us has the better, is known to the gods, but to no mortal man."

6. Socrates is here represented in a figure worthy his great wisdom and philosophy, worthy the greatest mere man that ever breathed. But the modern discourse is written upon a subject no less than the dissolution of nature itself. O how glorious is the old age of that great man, who has