Page images
PDF
EPUB

"Alas! we both with cold and hunger quake

[ocr errors]

Why do you weep?-Mama will foch awake.'

[ocr errors]

-"She'll wake no more!" the hopeless mourner cried,
Upturn'd his eyes, and clafp'd his hands, and figh'd;
Stretch'd on the ground awhile entranc'd he lay,
And prefs'd warm kiffes on the lifeless clay;
And then upfprung with wild convulsive start,

And all the Father kindled in his heart;

[ocr errors]

Oh, Heavens!" he cried, "my first rafh vow forgive! "These bind to earth, for thefe I pray to live!"

Round his chill babes he wrapp'd his crimson veft,
And clafp'd them fobbing to his aching breast.

DARWIN

CHA P. XXI.

THE MORALIZER CORRECTED.

A TALE.

A Hermit (or if 'chance you hold

That title now too trite and old)

A man, once young, who lived retired
As Hermit could have well defired,
His hours of study closed at laft,
And finish'd his concise repast,
Stoppled his crufe, replaced his book.

Within its customary nook,

And, staff in hand, fet forth to fhare
The fober cordial of fweet air,

Like Ifaac, with a mind applied
To ferious thought at evening-tide.
Autumnal rains had made it chill,
And from the trees that fringed his kill

Shades

Shades flanting at the close of day
Chill'd more his elfe delightful way.
Distant a little mile he spied
A western bank's still funny fide,
And right toward the favour'd place
Proceeding with his nimblest pace,
In hope to bask a little yet,

Juft reach'd it when the fun was fet.

Your Hermit, young and jovial Sirs! Learns fomething from whate'er occurs→→→→ And hence, he said, my mind

computes

The real worth of man's pursuits.
His object chofen, wealth or fame,
Or other fublunary game,
Imagination to his view

Prefents it deck'd with ev'ry hue
That can feduce him not to spare
His pow'rs of best exertion there,
But youth, health, vigour to expend
On fo defirable an end.

E'er long, approach Life's evening fhades,
The glow that Fancy gave it fades;
And, earn'd too late, it wants the grace

Which first engag'd him in the chase.

True, anfwer'd an angelic guide,

Attendant at the fenior's fide-
But whether all the time it coft

Το

urge

the fruitless chafe be loft, Must be decided by the worth

Of that which call'd his ardour forth.
Trifles purfu'd, whate'er th' event,
Must cause him fhame or difcontent;

A vicious

A vicious object ftill is worse,

Successful there, he wins a curfe;

But he, whoin ev'n in life's last stage]
Endeavours laudable engage,

Is paid, at least in peace of mind,
And fenfe of having well defign'd;
And if, e'er he attain his end,
His fun precipitate descend,

A brighter prize than that he meant
Shall recompenfe his mere intent.
No virtuous wifh can bear a date
Either too early or too late..

CHAP.

XXII.

COWPER.

THE FAITHFUL FRIEND.

THE green-houfe is my fummer feat;
My fhrubs difplac'd from that retreat
Enjoy'd the open air;'

Two goldfinches, whose sprightly fong
Had been their mutual folace long,
Liv'd happy pris'ners there.

They fang, as blithe as finches fing
That flutter loofe on golden wing,
And frolic where they list;

Strangers to liberty, 'tis true,
But that delight they never knew,
And, therefore, never mifs'd.

But

But Nature works in ev'ry breaft;
Instinct is never quite fupprefs'd;

And Dick felt fome defires,
Which, after many an effort vain,
Inftructed him at length to gain
A pass between his wires.

The

open windows feem'd to invite The freeman to a farewell flight;

But Tom was ftill confin'd;

And Dick, although his way was clear,
Was much too gen'rous and fincere
To leave his friend behind.

For fettling on his grated roof,

He chirp'd and kifs'd him, giving proof
That he defir'd no more;

Nor would forfake his cage at last,
'Till gently feiz'd, I shut him faft,
A pris'ner as before.

Oh ye, who never knew the joys
Of Friendship, fatisfied with noise,
Fandango, ball and rout!

Blush, when I tell you how a bird,
A prison, with a friend, preferr'd
To liberty without

COWPER.

CHAP

CHA P. XXIII.

PAIRING TIME ANTICIPATED.

A FABLE.

*I Shall not ask Jean Jacques Rouffeau,

If birds confabulate or no ;

"Tis clear that they were always able
To hold discourse, at least, in fable;
And evʼn the child, who knows no better,
Than to interpret by the letter,

A ftory of a cock and bull,

Must have a most uncommon skull.

It chanc'd then, on a winter's day, But warm and bright, and calm as May The birds conceiving a defign,

To forestal sweet St. Valentine;

In many an orchard, copfe and grove,
Affembled on affairs of love,

And with much twitter and much chatter,
Began to agitate the matter.

At length a Bulfinch, who could boaft,
More years and wisdom than the moft,
Entreated, op'ning wide his beak,
A moment's liberty to speak;
And, filence publicly enjoin'd,
Deliver'd briefly thus his mind.

* It was one of the whimsical fpeculations of this philofopher that all fables which ascribe reafon and fpeech to animals fhould be withheld from children, as being only vehicles of deception. But what child was ever deceived by them, or can be, against the evidence of his fenfes ?.

My

« PreviousContinue »