Читать книгу The Two Spies: Nathan Hale and John André онлайн

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Let the conscience of our people, inspired by gratitude and patriotism, be fairly awakened to the propriety of the undertaking, and funds will speedily be forthcoming sufficient to erect a magnificent monument in memory of Nathan Hale, in the city where he died for his country. I recommend, as a portion of the inscription upon the monument, the subjoined epitaph, written fully thirty years ago, by George Gibbs, the ripe scholar and antiquary, who was at one time the librarian of the New York Historical Society:ssss1

STRANGER, BENEATH THIS STONE

LIES THE DUST OF

A SPY,

WHO PERISHED UPON THE GIBBET;

YET

THE STORIED MARBLES OF THE GREAT,

THE SHRINES OF HEROES,

ENTOMBED NOT ONE MORE WORTHY OF

HONOR

THAN HIM WHO HERE

SLEEPS HIS LAST SLEEP.

NATIONS

BOW WITH REVERENCE BEFORE THE DUST

OF HIM WHO DIES

A GLORIOUS DEATH,

URGED ON BY THE SOUND OF THE

TRUMPET

AND THE SHOUTS OF

ADMIRING THOUSANDS.

BUT WHAT REVERENCE, WHAT HONOR,

IS NOT DUE TO ONE

WHO FOR HIS COUNTRY ENCOUNTERED

EVEN AN INFAMOUS DEATH,