But suddenly a wind as high Shook the young leaves about her ears, Can't prophesy themselves at all.) The morning came, when neighbour Hodge A gift to his expecting fair, Climbed like a squirrel to his dray, MORAL. yours: "Tis Providence alone secures A COMPARISON. THE lapse of time and rivers is the same, The silent pace, with which they steal away And a wide ocean swallows both at last. ANOTHER. ADDRESSED TO A YOUNG LADY. SWEET stream, that winds through yonder glade, Apt emblem of a virtuous maid— Silent and chaste she steals along, Far from the world's gay busy throng; THE POET'S NEW-YEAR'S GIFT. TO MRS. (NOW LADY) THROCKMORTON. MARIA! I have every good For thee wished many a time, To wish thee fairer is no need, What favour then not yet possessed, Can I for thee require, In wedded love already blest, To thy whole heart's desire? None here is happy but in part; There dwells some wish in every heart, That wish, on some fair future day, ODE TO APOLLO. ON AN INK-GLASS ALMOST DRIED IN THE SUN. PATRON of all those luckless brains, Ah why, since oceans, rivers, streams, Why, stooping from the noon of day, Too covetous of drink, Apollo, hast thou stolen away A poet's drop of ink? Upborne into the viewless air It floats a vapour now, Impelled through regions dense and rare, By all the winds that blow. Ordained perhaps ere summer flies, Combined with millions more, To form an Iris in the skies, Illustrious drop! and happy then Phœbus, if such be thy design, To place it in thy bow, Give wit, that what is left may shine With equal grace below. PAIRING TIME ANTICIPATED A FABLE. I SHALL not ask Jean Jacques Rosseau,* If birds confabulate or no; "Tis clear, that they were always able A story of a cock and bull, Must have a most uncommon scull. It chanced then on winter's day, But warm, and bright, and calm as May, In many an orchard, copse, and grove, And with much twitter and much chatter, Began to agitate the matter. At length a Bulfinch, who could boast It was one of the whimsical speculations of this philosopher, that all fables which ascribe reason and speech to animals should be withheld from children, as being only vehicles of deception. But what child was over deceived by them, or can be against the evidence of his senses? A moment's liberty to speak; My friends! be cautious how ye treat A Finch whose tongue knew no contro! Methinks the gentleman, quoth she, By his good will would keep us single Till death exterminate us all. My dear Dick Redcap, what say you? Dick heard, and tweedling, ogling, bridling, Turning short round, strutting and sideling, Attested, glad, his approbation Of an immediate conjugation. Their sentiments, so well expressed, Influenced mightily the rest; All paired, and each pair built a nest. But though the birds were thus in haste, |