"Now yield thee to our grace."

* The Roman Senators were called Fathers, or Conscript Fathers.

In the Etruscan language Lars meant "mighty chief," or lord.

VIII.

Round turned he, as not deigning
Those craven ranks to see;
Naught spake he to Lars Porsena,
To Sextus naught spake he;
But he saw on Palatinus

The white porch of his home; And he spake to the noble river

That rolls by the towers of Rome: "O Tiber! Father Tiber!

To whom the Romans pray!
A Roman's life, a Roman's arms,
Take thou in charge this day!"
So he spake, and, speaking, sheathed
The good sword by his side,
And, with his harness on his back,
Plunged headlong in the tide.

IX.

No sound of joy or sorrow
Was heard from either bank;
But friends and foes, in dumb surprise,
With parted lips and straining eyes,
Stood gazing where he sank;
And when above the surges

They saw his crest appear,
All Rome sent forth a rapturous cry,
And even the ranks of Tuscany
Could scarce forbear to cheer.

X.

'Out on him!" quoth false Sextus; "Will not the villain drown? But for this stay, ere close of day

We should have sacked the town!"

"Heaven help him!" quoth Lars Porsena, "And bring him safe to shore; For such a gallant feat of arms Was never seen before."

VIII.

Round turned he, as not deigning
Those craven ranks to see;
Naught spake he to Lars Porsena,
To Sextus naught spake he;
But he saw on Palatinus

The white porch of his home; And he spake to the noble river

That rolls by the towers of Rome: "O Tiber! Father Tiber!

To whom the Romans pray!
A Roman's life, a Roman's arms,
Take thou in charge this day!".
So he spake, and, speaking, sheathed
The good sword by his side,
And, with his harness on his back,
Plunged headlong in the tide.

IX.

No sound of joy or sorrow

Was heard from either bank; But friends and foes, in dumb surprise, With parted lips and straining eyes, Stood gazing where he sank; And when above the surges

They saw his crest appear,
All Rome sent forth a rapturous cry,
And even the ranks of Tuscany
Could scarce forbear to cheer.

X.

'Out on him!" quoth false Sextus;
"Will not the villain drown?
But for this stay, ere close of day
We should have sacked the town!"

"Heaven help him!" quoth Lars Porsena, "And bring him safe to shore; For such a gallant feat of arms Was never seen before."

SELECT ETYMOLOGIES.-Constant: L. con'stans, p. p. of con'sto, I stand firm: v. DESTITUTE. .. Consul: L.; fr. con'sulo, consul'tum, to consider, to take counsel; h., consult, counsel. Lever: L. lev'o, I raise: v. RELIEF.... Palace: L. palatium; fr. Palatium (Mount Palatine), one of the seven hills on which Rome was built, and on which stood the house of Augustus Cæsar. . . . Ruin: L. rui'na; fr. ru'o, ru'tum, to fall with violence. . . . Silent: L. sil'ens, p. p. of sil'eo, I am silent. . . . Triumph : L. triumphus; fr. the G. thriam'bos, a procession in honor of Bacchus.... Turret: L. tur'ris, a tower.... Villain: L. L. villa'nus; fr. L. villa, a country-house, a villa; h., village. A villain was originally a feudal tenant of low degree.

XXXVIII.-DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, IN CONGRESS ASSEM-
BLED, July 4, 1776.