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The like, sat still and silent as a mouse:

Only projecting, with attention due,

Her whisker'd face, she ask'd him, "Who are you?"
On to the hall went I, with pace not slow,
But swift as lightning, for a long Dutch hoe:
With which well arm'd I hasten'd to the spot,
To find the viper, but I found him not.

And turning up the leaves, and shrubs around,
Found only, that he was not to be found.
But still the kittens sitting as before,
Sat watching close the bottom of the door.
"I hope," said I, "the villain I would kill,
Has slipp'd between the door, and the door sill ;
And if I make despatch, and follow hard,
No doubt but I shall find him in the yard ;”
For long ere now it should have been rehearsed,
'Twas in the garden that I found him first.
Even there I found him—there the full-grown cat
His head, with velvet paw, did gently pat;
As curious as the kittens erst had been
To learn what this phenomenon might mean.
Fill'd with heroic ardour at the sight,
And fearing every moment he would bite,
And rob our household of our only cat,
That was of age to combat with a rat;
With outstretch'd hoe I slew him at the door,
And taught him NEVER TO COME THERE NO MORE.

ON THE LOSS OF THE ROYAL GEORGE.

WRITTEN WHEN THE NEWS ARRIVED.

(SEPTEMBER, 1782.)

To the march in Scipio.

[On the 12th of August, 1782, the Royal George, being on the heel at Portsmouth, suddenly upset and went down, when all on board, including visiters, more than eight hundred souls, perished. Nine days afterwards the bodies of many of these unfortunate sufferers floated; at Portsea thirty-five corpses were washed ashore, and buried in one grave, over which a marble monument has been erected detailing these particulars. The accident appears to have

been occasioned by an injudicious arrangement of the guns, which brought the centre of gravity and centre of buoyancy too near, and in the same vertical line. Hence, on the flowing of the tide, the ship fell over to one side, the lower parts filled, and she went down instantly. Had the upper deck guns been run out, instead of being braced right inwards, the accident would have been prevented-of such importance is general science to men in all situations. This noble lyric, composed at the suggestion of Lady Austen, was written in the September following.]

TOLL for the brave!

The brave that are no more!
All sunk beneath the wave,

Fast by their native shore!

Eight hundred of the brave,
Whose courage well was tried,

Had made the vessel heel,

And laid her on her side.

A land breeze shook the shrouds,
And she was overset ;

Down went the Royal George,
With all her crew complete.

Toll for the brave!

Brave Kempenfelt is gone;
His last sea-fight is fought;
His work of glory done.

It was not in the battle;
No tempest gave the shock;
She sprang no fatal leak;

She ran upon no rock.

His sword was in its sheath;
His fingers held the pen,

When Kempenfelt went down,
With twice four hundred men.

Weigh the vessel up,

Once dreaded by our foes!

And mingle with our cup

The tear that England owes.

Her timbers yet are sound,
And she may float again,

Full charged with England's thunder,
And plough the distant main.

But Kempenfelt is gone,

His victories are o'er ;
And he and his eight hundred,

Shall plough the wave no more.

THE DIVERTING

HISTORY OF JOHN GILPIN;

SHOWING HOW HE WENT FARTHER THAN HE INTENDED, AND
CAME SAFE HOME AGAIN.

[For this inimitable poem the world is indebted to Lady Austen, as detailed in the Life of the poet. At the request of Mrs Unwin it was first published anonymously in the Public Advertiser. Gilpin's adventures immediately became exceedingly popular,— were copied into all the periodicals of the time, vended in the streets, represented in caricatures, and recited in public by Henderson. "In short," observes the author, "I have but two rivals in the public estimation, Mrs Bellamy and the learned pig." But while the fame of his production was thus universal, a few of his intimate friends only were in the secret, and on Cowper publishing the first authentic edition in his second volume, all were surprised, and some of the serious absurdly offended. Much representation has been hitherto entertained on this point, as if Cowper himself had been weak enough to have religiously lamented an innocent, though mirthful composition, and to have regarded as a deadly sin the publication of the following poem. Of this step he has, indeed, thought a vindication necessary, stating that he left it entirely to his publisher to insert the poem or not. At the same time, he repeatedly remarks to Newton, whose ill-timed officiousness intruded the defence upon him, that whatever tended to recommend the volume to notice would prove useful to truth and religion in the end.]

JOHN GILPIN was a citizen

Of credit and renown,

A train-band captain eke was he

Of famous London town.

John Gilpin's spouse said to her dear,

66

Though wedded we have been
These twice ten tedious years, yet we
No holiday have seen.

"To-morrow is our wedding-day,
And we will then repair
Unto the Bell at Edmonton
All in a chaise and pair.

66

My sister and my sister's child,
Myself, and children three,

Will fill the chaise; so you must ride

On horseback after we."

He soon replied, "I do admire
Of womankind but one,
And you are she, my dearest dear,
Therefore it shall be done.

“ I am a linendraper bold,

As all the world doth know,
And my good friend the calender
Will lend his horse to go."

Quoth Mrs Gilpin, "That 's well said;
And for that wine is dear,

We will be furnish'd with our own,
Which is both bright and clear."

John Gilpin kiss'd his loving wife;
O'erjoy'd was he to find,

That, though on pleasure she was bent,

She had a frugal mind.

The morning came, the chaise was brought,

But yet was not allow'd

To drive up to the door, lest all

Should say.

that she was proud.

So three doors off the chaise was stay'd,

Where they did all get in;

Six precious souls, and all agog

To dash through thick and thin.

Smack went the whip, round went the wheels,
Were never folk so glad,
The stones did rattle underneath,
As if Cheapside were mad.

John Gilpin at his horse's side
Seized fast the flowing mane,
And up he got in haste to ride,
But soon came down again;

For saddle-tree scarce reach'd had he,
His journey to begin,

When, turning round his head, he saw
Three customers come in.

So down he came; for loss of time,
Although it grieved him sore,
Yet loss of pence, full well he knew,
Would trouble him much more.

'Twas long before the customers Were suited to their mind,

When Betty, screaming, came down stairs, "The wine is left behind!”

"Good lack!" quoth he" yet bring it me, My leathern belt likwise,

In which I bear my trusty sword,

When I do exercise."

Now Mrs Gilpin (careful soul !)

Had two stone bottles found,
To hold the liquor that she loved,
And keep it safe and sound.

Each bottle had a curling ear,
Through which the belt he drew,
And hung a bottle on each side,
To make his balance true.

Then over all, that he might be
Equipp'd from top to toe,

His long red cloak, well brush'd and neat,
He manfully did throw.

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