How fuddenly he fkims the glaffy pool, How quaintly dips, and with a bullet's speed But most of all it wins my admiration, No glue to join; his little beak was all. The bee obferve; She too an artist is, and laughs at man Of bees fo emulous, are daily fed 'Tis for them, Unwearied Unwearied alchymifts, the blooming world But fee, the fetting fun Puts on a milder countenance, and skirts The clear cerulean profpect down the vale. Happy the man who truly loves his home, BOOK B OOK VIII. PATHETIC PIECES. IT CHAP. I. THE STORY OF LE FEVRE. T was fome time in the fummer of that year in which Dendermond was taken by the allies,which was about feven years before my father came into the country,—and about as many after the time, that my uncle Toby and Trim had privately decamped from my father's houfe in town, in order to lay fome of the finest fieges to fome of the finest fortified cities in Europe--when my uncle Toby was one evening getting his fupper, with Trim fitting behind him at a small fideboard ;- -The landlord of a little inn in the village came into the parlour with an empty phial in his hand to beg a glafs or two of fack; 'Tis for a poor gentleman, -I think, of the army, faid the landlord, who has been taken ill at my houfe four days ago, and has never held up his head fince, or had a defire to take any thing, till just now, that he has a fancy for a glass of sack and a thin toast, Q -I think, fays he, taking his hand from his forehead, it would comfort me. -If I could neither beg, borrow, or buy fuch a thing, -added the landlord,-I would almeft fteal it for the poor gentleman, he is fo ill.I hope in God-he will still mend, continued he-we are all of us concerned for him. THOU art a good-natured foul, I will anfwer for thee, cried my uncle Toby; and thou fhalt drink the poor gentleman's health in a glafs of fack thy felf-and take a couple of bottles with my fervice, and tell him he is heartily welcome to them, and to a dozen more if they will do him good. THOUGH I am perfuaded, faid my uncle Toby, as the landlord fhut the door, he is a very compaffionate fellow— Trim, yet I cannot help entertaining a high opinion of his guest too; there must be something more than common in him, that in fo fhort a time fhould win fo much upon the affections of his hoft;- -And of his whole family, added the corporal, for they are all concerned for him.-Step after him, faid my uncle Toby,-do Trim,-—and ask if he knows his name. -I HAVE quite forgot it, truly, faid the landlord, coming back into the parlour with the corporal,-but I can afk his fon again ::--- Has he a fon with him then? faid my uncle Toby.-A boy, replied the landlord, of about eleven or twelve years of age;-but the poor creature has tafted almost as little as his father; he does nothing but mourn and lament for him night and day :—— -He has not ftirred from the bed-fide these two days. My uncle Toby laid down his knife and fork, and thruft his plate from before him, as the landlord gave him the ac count; count; and Trim, without being ordered, took away without faying one word, and in a few minutes after brought him his pipe and tobacco. -STAY in the room a little, faid my uncle Toby. TRIM!-faid my uncle Toby, after he lighted his pipe, and fmoaked about a dozen whiffs.-Trim came in front of his master and made his bow ;-my uncle Toby smoaked on, and faid no more. Corporal! faid my uncle Toby-the corporal made his bow. My uncle Toby proceeded no farther, but finished his pipe. -and befides it TRIM! faid my uncle Toby, I have a project in my head,. as it is a bad night, of wrapping myself up warm in my roquelaure, and paying a vifit to this poor gentleman. Your honour's roquelaure, replied the corporal, has not once been had on, fince the night before your honour received your wound, when we mounted guard in the trenches before the gate of St. Nicholas ;is fo cold and rainy a night, that what with the roquelaure, and what with the weather, 'twill be enough to give your honour your death, and bring on your honour's torment in your groin. I fear fo, replied my uncle Toby: but I am not at ret in my mind, Trim, fince the account the landlord has given me.————— -I with I had not known fo much of this affair,-added my uncle Toby, or that I had known more of it :How fhall we manage it?-Leave it, an't please your honour, to me, quoth the corpora! ;-I'll take my hat and stick, and go to the houfe and reconnoitre, and act accordingly; and I will bring your honour a full account in an hour.- -Thou shalt go, Trim, faid my uncle Toby, and here's a fhilling for thee to drink with his fervant.. -I fhall get it all out of him, faid the corporal, fhutting the door. |