The Young Gentleman and Lady's Monitor, and English Teacher's Assistant / Being a collection of select pieces from our best modern writers, calculated to eradicate vulgar prejudices and rusticity of manners, improve the understanding, rectify the will, purify the passions, direct the minds of youth to the pursuit of proper objects, and to facilitate their reading, writing, and speaking the English language with elegance and propriety

by John Hamilton Moore

COURAGE.

A generous few, the vet'ran hardy gleanings
Of many a hapless fight, with a, fierce
Heroic fire, inspirited each other:
Resolv'd on death, disdaining to survive
Their dearest country. "If we fall," I cry'd,
"Let us not tamely fall, like passive cowards!
No—let us live, or let us die—like men!
Come on, my friends. To Alfred we will cut
Our glorious way: or as we nobly perish,
Will offer to the genius of our country—
Whole hecatombs of Danes." As if one soul
Have mov'd them all, around their heads they flash'd
Their flaming falchions—"lead us to those Danes!
Our Country!—Vengeance!" was the general cry.