Some have too much, yet still they crave; I grudge not at another's gaine; TIMES GO BY TURNS.-Robert Southwell. THE lopped tree in time may grow again, Most naked plants renew both fruit and flower; The sorriest wight may find release of pain, The driest soil suck in some moistening shower : Time goes by turns, and chances change by course, From foul to fair, from better hap to worse. The sea of fortune doth not ever flow; She draws her favours to the lowest ebb, Her tides have equal times to come and go; Her loom doth weave the fine and coarsest web : No joy so great but runneth to an end, No hap so hard but may in fine amend. Not always fall of leaf, nor ever spring, Not endless night, yet not eternal pay: The saddest birds a season find to sing, The roughest storm a calm may soon allay. Thus, with succeeding turns GoD tempereth all, A chance may win that by mischance was lost; Who least, hath some; who most, hath never all. BY HENRY DELAUNE. WHEN the straight columns, on whose well-knit chine, Some stately structure leans its weighty head, Are from their centre mov'd, or made incline, The pile soon sinks, and shrinks to its first bed. So, when you see Death's agents daily come, And from the earth just men and good translate, A sure and sad prognostic 'tis of some Impending judgment on a realm or state. Ere GoD on Sodom stretch'd his flaming hand, Early set forth to your eternal race; Th' ascent is steep and craggy you must climb; GOD, at all times, has promis'd sinners grace If they repent; but he ne'er promis'd time. Cheat not yourselves as most, who then prepare For death, when life is almost turn'd to fume; One thief was sav'd that no man might despair, And but one thief, that no man might presume. Wealth, honour, friends, wife, children, kindred, all 1 We so much doat on, and wherein we trust, In their youth's prime, as glorious as the sun, Who, like a flower cropt, have had their eyes Clos'd up by death before the day was done! DEATH'S RIGHT. DEATH hath in all the earth a right; The wise, the just, the strong, the high, Since no man then can Death escape, Each wight, therefore, while he lives here, In midst of wealth, in midst of cheer, This thought makes man to GoD a friend; Though Fortune have set thee on high, FROM THE COTTER'S SATURDAY NIGHT. Burns. NOVEMBER chill blaws loud wi' angry sugh1, At length his lonely cot appears in view, His clean hearth-stane, his thriftie wifie's smile, The lisping infant prattling on his knee, Does a his weary carking cares beguile, An' makes him quite forget his labour and his toil, Belye the elder bairns come drapping in, Their eldest hope, their Jenny, woman grown, To help her parents dear, if they in hardship be. 1 Noise. Blazing. ⚫ Stagger. 3 Fluttering. 6 By and by. 4 A small fire. 7 Heedful. 8. Clever. Wi' joy unfeign'd brothers and sisters meet, Gars 11 auld claes look amaist as weel's the new; The father mixes a' wi' admonition due. Their masters' an' their mistress's command, The younkers a' are warned to obey; "An' mind their labours wi' an eydent 12 hand, “An' ne'er, tho' out o' sight, to jouk 13 or play! "An' O! be sure to fear the LORD alway! “An' mind your duty, duly morn an' night, "Lest in temptation's path ye gang astray; "Implore His counsel and assisting might: They never sought in vain that sought the LORD aright!" But hark! a rap comes gently to the door; Sparkle in Jenny's e'e, and flush her cheek; Wi' kindly welcome Jenny brings him ben 15; 9 Asks. 10 News. 11 Causes. 12 Diligent. 13 Joke or trifle. 14 Half or partly. 15 In or into. |