eplied, "Yon's
mysel',--I'm proud to say; that's what I was, and this is what I am." He
had made, while yet a workman, some discovery about cold blast or hot
blast (I don't know which) and gained enormous wealth thereby. He is the
man who gave half a million of money to the Scotch Established Church.

CHAPTER XXXV.

ELECTRICS.

I have something of interest to say about the first laying of the
electric telegraph across the Atlantic. Sir Culling Eardley invited a
number of savants, among them Wheatstone and Morse, and others, both
English and American, to a great feast inaugurating the completion of
the cable: and I, amongst other outsiders, had the honour of being
asked. I had written, and after dinner I read, the verses following,
which had the good and great effect of originating the first message
(see the seventh stanza) which was adopted by acclamation and sent off
at once; being only preceded, for courtesy-sake, by a short friendly
greeting from Queen to President, and President to Queen. The heading
runs in my book as "The Atlantic Telegraph."

"World! what a wonder is this,
Grandly and simply sublime,--
All the Atlantic abyss
Leapt in a nothing of time!
Even the steeds of the sun
Half a day panting behind,
In the flat race that is run,
Won by a flash of the mind!

"Lo! on this sensitive, link--
It is one link, not a chain--
Man with his brother can think
Spanning the breadth of the main,--
Man to his brother can speak
Swift as the bolt from a cloud,
And where its thunders were weak
There his least whisper is loud!

"Yea; for as Providence wills,
Now doth intelligent man
Conquer material ills,
Wrestling them down as he can,--
And lay one weak little coil
Under the width of the waves,
Distance and Time are his spoil,
Fetter'd as Caliban slaves!

"Ariel?--right through the sea
We can fly swift as in air;
Puck?--forty minutes shall be
Sloth to the bow that we bear:
Here is Earth's girdle indeed,
Just a thought-circlet of fire,--
Delicate Ariel freed
Sings, as she flies, on a wire!

"Courage, O servants of light,
For you are safe to succeed;
Lo! you are helping the Right,
And shall be blest in your deed.
Lo! you shall bind in one band,
Joining the nations as one,
Brethren of every land,