SUGGESTED BY AN APOLOGUE IN THE WORKS OF FRANKLIN

Two spirits reached this world of ours:
The lightning's locomotive powers
Were slow to their agility.
In broad daylight they moved incog.,
Enjoying without mist or fog
Entire invisibility.

The one, a simple cherub lad,
Much interest in our planet had,
Its face was so romantic;
He couldn't persuade himself that man
Was such as heavenly rumours ran,
A being base and frantic.

The older spirit, wise and cool,
Brought down the youth as to a school;
But strictly on condition,
Whatever they should see or hear,
With mortals not to interfere;
'Twas not in their commission.
They reached a sovereign city proud,
Whose emperor prayed to God aloud,
With all his people kneeling,
And priests performed religious rites:
" Come," said the younger of the sprites,
" This shows a pious feeling.

" Ar'n't these a decent godly race?"

OLD SPIRIT

" The dirtiest thieves on Nature's face."

YOUNG SPIRIT

" But hark, what cheers they're giving
Their emperor! — And is he a thief?"

OLD SPIRIT

" Aye, and a cut-throat too; — in brief,
The greatest scoundrel living."

YOUNG SPIRIT

" But say, what were they praying for,
This people and their emperor?"

OLD SPIRIT

" Why, but for God's assistance
To help their army, late sent out:
And what that army is about
You'll see at no great distance."

On wings outspeeding mail or post
Our sprites o'ertook the Imperial host,
In massacres it wallowed:
A noble nation met its hordes,
But broken fell their cause and swords,
Unfortunate though hallowed.

They saw a late bombarded town,
Its streets still warm with blood ran down,
Still smoked each burning rafter;
And hideously, 'midst rape and sack,
The murderer's laughter answered back
His prey's convulsive laughter.

They saw the captive eye the dead,
With envy of his gory bed, —
Death's quick reward of bravery
They heard the clank of chains, and then
Saw thirty thousand bleeding men
Dragged manacled to slavery.

" Fie! fie!" the younger heavenly spark
Exclaimed: — " we must have missed our mark,
And entered hell's own portals:
Earth can't be stained with crimes so black;
Nay, sure, we've got among a pack
Of fiends, and not of mortals."

" No," said the elder; " no such thing:
Fiends are not fools enough to wring
The necks of one another —
They know their interests too well:
Men fight; but every devil in hell
Lives friendly with his brother.

" And I could point you out some fellows
On this ill-fated planet Tellus
In royal power that revel;
Who, at the opening of the book
Of judgement, may have cause to look
With envy at the devil."

Name but the devil, and he'll appear.
Old Satan in a trice was near,
With smutty face and figure:
But spotless spirits of the skies,
Unseen to even his saucer eyes,
Could watch the fiendish nigger.

" Halloo!" he cried; I smell a trick:
A mortal supersedes Old Nick,
The scourge of earth appointed.
He robs me of my trade, outrants
The blasphemy of Hell, and vaunts
Himself the Lord's anointed!

" Folks make a fuss about my mischief:
Damned fools! they tamely suffer this chief
To play his pranks unbounded."
The cherubs flew; but saw from high
At human inhumanity
The devil himself astounded.