Then thought they: "The maid to the tomb is now borne;We too from our dwellings ere long must be torn, And he that is left our departure to mourn,To our riches will be the successor,For some one must be their possessor.
1827.
THREATENING SIGNS.
IF Venus in the evening sky Is seen in radiant majesty, If rod-like comets, red as blood, Are 'mongst the constellations view'd, Out springs the Ignoramus, yelling:
"The star's exactly o'er my dwelling!
What woeful prospect, ah, for me!
Then calls his neighbour mournfully:
"Behold that awful sign of evil, Portending woe to me, poor devil!
My mother's asthma ne'er will leave her, My child is sick with wind and fever;I dread the illness of my wife, A week has pass'd, devoid of strife,--And other things have reach'd my ear;
The Judgment Day has come, I fear!"
His neighbour answered: "Friend, you're right!
Matters look very had to-night.
Let's go a street or two, though, hence, And gaze upon the stars from thence."--No change appears in either case.
Let each remain then in his place, And wisely do the best he can, Patient as any other man.
1821.
THE BUYERS.
To an apple-woman's stallOnce some children nimbly ran;Longing much to purchase all, They with joyous haste began Snatching up the piles there raised, While with eager eyes they gazed On the rosy fruit so nice;But when they found out the price, Down they threw the whole they'd got, Just as if they were red hot.
The man who gratis will his goods supply Will never find a lack of folks to buy!
1820.
THE MOUNTAIN VILLAGE.
"THE mountain village was destroy'd;
But see how soon is fill'd the void!
Shingles and boards, as by magic arise, The babe in his cradle and swaddling-clothes lies;How blest to trust to God's protection!"
Behold a wooden new erection, So that, if sparks and wind but choose, God's self at such a game must lose!
1821.
SYMBOLS.
PALM Sunday at the VaticanThey celebrate with palms;With reverence bows each holy man,And chaunts the ancient psalms.
Those very psalms are also sungWith olive boughs in hand, While holly, mountain wilds among,In place of palms must stand:
In fine, one seeks some twig that's green,And takes a willow rod, So that the pious man may e'enIn small things praise his God.
And if ye have observed it well,To gain what's fit ye're able, If ye in faith can but excel;Such are the myths of fable.
1827.
THREE PALINODIAS.
I.
"Incense is hut a tribute for the gods,--To mortals 'tis but poison."
THE smoke that from thine altar blows,Can it the gods offend?
For I observe thou hold'st thy nose--Pray what does this portend?
Mankind deem incense to excelEach other earthly thing, So he that cannot bear its smell,No incense e'er should bring.
With unmoved face by thee at leastTo dolls is homage given;If not obstructed by the priest,The scent mounts up to heaven.
1827.
II
CONFLICT OF WIT AND BEAUTY.
SIR Wit, who is so much esteem'd, And who is worthy of all honour, Saw Beauty his superior deem'dBy folks who loved to gaze upon her;At this he was most sorely vex'd.
Then came Sir Breath (long known as fitTo represent the cause of wit),Beginning, rudely, I admit, To treat the lady with a text.
To this she hearken'd not at all, But hasten'd to his principal:
"None are so wise, they say, as you,--Is not the world enough for two?
If you are obstinate, good-bye!
If wise, to love me you will try, For be assured the world can ne'er Give birth to a more handsome pair."1827.
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FAIR daughters were by Beauty rear'd,Wit had but dull sons for his lot;So for a season it appear'dBeauty was constant, Wit was not.
But Wit's a native of the soil,So he return'd, work'd, strove amain, And found--sweet guerdon for his toil!--Beauty to quicken him again.
1827.
III.
RAIN AND RAINBOW.
DURING a heavy storm it chanced That from his room a cockney glanced At the fierce tempest as it broke, While to his neighbour thus he spoke:
"The thunder has our awe inspired, Our barns by lightning have been fired,--Our sins to punish, I suppose;
But in return, to soothe our woes, See how the rain in torrents fell, Making the harvest promise well!
But is't a rainbow that I spy Extending o'er the dark-grey sky?
With it I'm sure we may dispense, The colour'd cheat! The vain pretence!"Dame Iris straightway thus replied:
"Dost dare my beauty to deride?
In realms of space God station'd me A type of better worlds to be To eyes that from life's sorrows rove In cheerful hope to Heav'n above, And, through the mists that hover here God and his precepts blest revere.
Do thou, then, grovel like the swine, And to the ground thy snout confine, But suffer the enlighten'd eye To feast upon my majesty."1827.
VALEDICTION.
I ONCE was fond of fools,And bid them come each day;Then each one brought his toolsThe carpenter to play;The roof to strip first choosing,Another to supply, The wood as trestles using,To move it by-and-by, While here and there they ran,And knock'd against each other;To fret I soon began,My anger could not smother, So cried, "Get out, ye fools!"At this they were offended Then each one took his tools,And so our friendship ended.
Since that, I've wiser been,And sit beside my door;When one of them is seen,I cry, "Appear no more!""Hence, stupid knave!" I bellow:
At this he's angry too:
"You impudent old fellow!
And pray, sir, who are you?
Along the streets we riot,And revel at the fair;But yet we're pretty quiet,And folks revile us ne'er.
Don't call us names, then, please!"--At length I meet with ease,For now they leave my door--'Tis better than before!
1827.
THE COUNTRY SCHOOLMASTER.
I.
A MASTER of a country school Jump'd up one day from off his stool, Inspired with firm resolve to try To gain the best society;So to the nearest baths he walk'd, And into the saloon he stalk'd.
He felt quite.startled at the door, Ne'er having seen the like before.
