imperial palace, "The gods help only those who help themselves." Filled and agitated with the stirring influence of this prophetic vision, Karee, who had always regarded herself as the guardian genius of Tecuichpo, now imagined the sphere of her duty greatly enlarged, and deemed herself specially commissioned to save the empire from impending destruction. Weaving her vision, and the warning it uttered, into one of her most impassioned chants, and arraying herself as the priestess of nature, she followed Tecuichpo, with a firm step into the royal presence, and, with the boldness and eloquence of a prophetess, warned him of the coming danger, and urged him to arouse from his apathy, unbecoming the monarch of a proud and powerful nation, cast off the slavery of his superstitious fears, and prepare to meet, with the power of a man, and the wisdom of a king, whatever evil might come upon him. Rising with the kindling inspiration of her theme, she ventured gently to reproach the awe-struck monarch with his unmanly fears, and to remind him that on his single will, and the firmness of his soul, hung not only his own destiny but that of wife and children; and more than that, of a whole nation, whose myriads of households looked up to him, as the common father of them all, the heaven-appointed guardian of their lives, liberty and happiness. At length, alarmed at her own energy and boldness, so unwonted even to the proudest noble of the realm, in that royal presence, she bent her knee, and baring her bosom, she lowered her voice almost to a whisper, and said imploringly-- Strike, monarch! strike, this heart is thine, To live or die for thee; Strike, but heed this voice of mine It comes from heaven, through me; It comes to save this blessed land, It comes thy soul to free From those dark fears, and bid thee stand The monarch father of thy land, That only lives in thee. Strike, father! if my words too bold Thy royal ears offend; The visions of the night are told, Thy destiny the gods unfold-- Oh! be thy people's friend, True to thyself, to them, to heaven-- So shall this lowering cloud be riven And light and peace descend, To bless this golden realm, and save Tecuichpo from an early grave.