Short Poems

He would not stay for me; and who can wonder?
He would not stay for me to stand and gaze.
I shook his hand and tore my heart in sunder
And went with half my life about my ways.

Lawyers themselves uphold the commonweal.
They punish those that do offend and steal.
They free with cunning art the innocent
From danger, loss and causeless punishment.
They can but will not keep the world in awe
With misexpounded and distended law.
They always have great store of charity
And love they want not, keeping amity.

We lov'd, and fondly mingled hopes and fears;
Wedded, we smil'd, and said, “Our griefs are o'er!”
But truly married when we mingled tears,
And not before.

( Woman's Love ) True to their word the sons of Pandu went with Draupadi into exile, and passed twelve years in the wilderness; and many were the incidents which checkered their forest life. Krishna, who had stood by Yudhishthir in his prosperity, now came to visit him in his adversity; he consoled Draupadi in her distress, and gave good advice to the brothers. Draupadi with a woman's pride and anger still thought of her wrongs and insults, and urged Yudhishthir to disregard the conditions of exile and recover his kingdom.

( The Fatal Dice ) Duryodhan came back from the Imperial Sacrifice filled with jealousy against Yudhishthir, and devised plans to effect his fall. Sakuni, prince of Gandhara, shared Duryodhan's hatred towards the sons of Pandu, and helped him in his dark scheme.

Yudhishthir with all his piety and righteousness had one weakness, the love of gambling, which was one of the besetting sins of the monarchs of the day. Sakuni was an expert at false dice, and challenged Yudhishthir, and Yudhishthir held it a point of honour not to decline such a challenge.

( The Imperial Sacrifice ) A curious incident followed the bridal of Draupadi. The five sons of Pandu returned with her to the potter's house, where they were living on alms according to the custom of Brahmans, and the brothers reported to their mother that they had received a great gift on that day. “Enjoy ye the gift in common,” replied their mother, not knowing what it was. And as a mother's mandate cannot be disregarded, Draupadi became the common wife of the five brothers.

The mutual jealousies of the princes increased from day to day, and when Yudhishthir, the eldest of all the princes and the eldest son of the late Pandu, was recognised heir-apparent, the anger of Duryodhan and his brothers knew no bounds. And they formed a dark scheme to kill the sons of Pandu.

When the late Titian
Was in a critical condition,
He was carefully nursed
By Francis the First.

I am Queen Anne, of whom 'tis said
I'm chiefly famed for being dead,
Queen Anne, Queen Anne, she sits in the sun,
As fair as a lily, as brown as a bun.

The autumn wind
Has grown cold;
Bridle to bridle
Come! Let us go to the moor
To the flower-viewing of the lezpedeza!