132 GENTLENESS IS POWER. 
lecting reports and retailing them for facts. Here, soldiers, 
singly or in pairs, who had fled from the frontiers, silent, 
ashamed, sullen, or answering with blunt and niggard speech 
the clamourous volubility of the artisans. The old people and the 
mothers hoped that King Azum and the princess would consider 
their people, and avert, by timely submission, the destruction of the 
city. The young, the ardent, and the prodigal of life, were for 
resisting the invader to the uttermost, and finally dying with the 
lovely object of their veneration in the flames of her palace. All 
was confusion and dismay. 
In the palace the night was passed in hurried council—project 
after project, for gaining time, was proposed. Hour succeeded to 
hour, and no resolution was taken, till the princess (the innocent 
cause of the impending calamity, and there present) perceiving that 
it was reserved for her to conclude the conflict of opinion, and to 
disperse the storm that threatened the ruin of her country ; with 
meek aspect, yet streaming forth dignified energy and benevolence, 
arose at the right of the throne, and laying her hand on the arm of 
her father, said—‘“ Jn any other presence than this, I might now 
complain that the one of all our nation whose peace of mind and 
prosperity were most in peril, had been held in the lightest regard. 
When the enemy, however; is at the threshold, time is then most 
ill—indeed, it is never well—spent in uttering reproaches. To the 
purpose, therefore, of this assembling. It appears, lords, in my poor 
judgment, that there are three modes by which the threatened-evil 
to our country may be averted or quenched ; and in all these (woe 
isme!) must I be doomed to be the cause of much anguish, or the 
shedding of life in multitudes of unoffending citizens—or of under- 
going an extremity of sorrow in myself. 
“First, then, the evil might be quenched by flatly rejecting the 
imperious demand of the invader, and daring him to the accom- 
plishment of his design ; for we can but die; and so knit are the 
souls of our citizens in unity of love and devotion to the unworthy 
one now addressing you, that, although the foe would doubtless 
fulfil his undertaking, he would nevertheless do so at stern cost of 
trial and life ; and if this were all, defiance and resistance to 
the death were our wisest alternative ; but when I think, in the 
event of defeat, how the storm of retribution would rage, and de- 
stroy the helpless victims of its fury—and with tenfold horror, 
should the tyrant lose altogether, by her death, the object of his 
invasion, I cannot consent, lords, to purchase my safety or revenge 
at so sad a cost. 
