English

THE DUMB ORATORS; OR, THE BENEFIT OF SOCIETY.

That all men would be cowards if they dare,
Some men we know have courage to declare;
And this the life of many a hero shows,
That like the tide, man's courage ebbs and flows:
With friends and gay companions round them, then
Men boldly speak and have the hearts of men;
Who, with opponents seated, miss the aid
Of kind applauding looks, and grow afraid;
Like timid trav'llers in the night, they fear
Th' assault of foes, when not a friend is near.

(From " Tales " )

Counter and C LUBB were men in trade, whose pains,
Credit, and prudence, brought them constant gains;
Partners and punctual, every friend agreed
Counter and Clubb were men who must succeed.
When they had fixed some little time in life,
Each thought of taking to himself a wife:
As men in trade alike, as men in love,
They seemed with no according views to move;
As certain ores in outward view the same,
They showed their difference when the magnet came.
Counter was vain: with spirit strong and high,

(From " Tales " )

Genius ! thou gift of Heaven! thou light divine!
Amid what dangers art thou doomed to shine!
Oft will the body's weakness check thy force,
Oft damp thy vigour, and impede thy course;
And trembling nerves compel thee to restrain
Thy nobler efforts, to contend with pain;
Or Want (sad guest!) will in thy presence come,
And breathe around her melancholy gloom:
To life's low cares will thy proud thought confine,
And make her sufferings, her impatience, thine.

(From " Tales " )

There was a worthy, but a simple Pair,
Who nursed a Daughter, fairest of the fair:
Sons they had lost, and she alone remained,
Heir to the kindness they had all obtained;
Heir to the fortune they designed for all,
Nor had the allotted portion then been small;
But now, by fate enriched with beauty rare,
They watched their treasure with peculiar care:
The fairest features they could early trace,
And, blind with love, saw merit in her face —
Saw virtue, wisdom, dignity, and grace;

(From " Tales " )

Grave Jonas Kindred , Sybil Kindred's sire,
Was six feet high, and looked six inches higher;
Erect, morose, determined, solemn, slow,
Who knew the man could never cease to know:
His faithful spouse, when Jonas was not by,
Had a firm presence and a steady eye;
But with her husband dropped her look and tone,
And Jonas ruled unquestioned and alone.

He read, and oft would quote the sacred words,
How pious husbands of their wives were lords;

" One thousand pounds per annuum
Is not so bad a figure, come! "
Cried Tottles. " And I tell you, flat,
A man may marry well on that!
To say " the Husband needs the Wife"
Is not the way to represent it.
The crowning joy of Woman's life
Is Man! " said Tottles (and he meant it).

The blissful Honeymoon is past:
The Pair have settled down at last:
Mamma-in-law their home will share,
And make their happiness her care.
" Your income is an ample one:
Go it, my children! " (And they went it).

" Matilda Jane, you never look
At any toy or picture-book:
I show you pretty things in vain —
You must be blind, Matilda Jane!

" I ask you riddles, tell you tales,
But all our conversation fails:
You never answer me again —
I fear you're dumb, Matilda Jane!

" Matilda, darling, when I call,
You never seem to hear at all:
I shout with all my might and main —
But you're so deaf, Matilda Jane!

" Matilda Jane, you needn't mind:
For, though you're deaf, and dumb, and blind,

SPECTRE:
At the time of puberty I had obsessions.
I walk'd always with downcast eyes and blush'd scarlet to meet anyone in the street.
I thought I harbour'd a secret vice which none had discover'd before me.
I caught sight of my figure distorted in a shop window and thereafter imagined that I had a physical deformity which others ignored through kindness.
I believed that I stank.
If one raised his handkerchief to his nose even across the road I thought it was to shut off my noisesomeness.

The Youth

Faster, faster,
O Circe, Goddess,
Let the wild, thronging train
The bright procession
Of eddying forms,
Sweep through my soul!
Thou standest, smiling
Down on me! thy right arm,
Lean'd up against the column there,
Props thy soft cheek;
Thy left holds, hanging loosely,
The deep cup, ivy-cinctured,
I held but now.
Is it, then, evening
So soon? I see, the night-dews,
Cluster'd in thick beads, dim
The agate brooch-stones
On thy white shoulder;
The cool night-wind, too,

22.

That the Great Angell-blinding light should shrinke
His blaze, to shine in a poore Shepheards eye.
That the unmeasur'd God so low should sinke,
As Pris'ner in a few poore Rags to lye.
That from his Mothers Brest hee milke should drinke
Who feeds with Nectar Heav'ns faire family.
That a vile Manger his low Bed should prove,
Who in a Throne of stars Thunders above.

23.

That hee whom the Sun serves, should faintly peepe
Through clouds of Infant flesh: that hee the old