'A friend!' Horatio cried, and seemed to start Yea, marry shalt thou, and with all my heart. 'And fetch my cloak; for, though the night be raw, 'I'll see him too-the first I ever saw.' I knew the man, and knew his nature mild, And was his plaything often when a child; But somewhat at that moment pinched him close, Perhaps his confidence just then betrayed, His grief might prompt him with the speech he made; But not to moralize too much, and strain 30 35 40 45 50 Such hard and arbitrary measure here; 55 Else, could a law like that which I relate, Once have the sanction of our triple state, Some few that I have known in days of old, Would run most dreadful risk of catching cold; While you, my friend, whatever wind should blow, 60 ODE TO APOLLO. ON AN INKGLASS ALMOST DRIED IN THE SUN. PATRON of all those luckless brains, Ah! why, since oceans, rivers, streams, Pay tribute to thy glorious beams, In constant exhalations; 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, Impelled through regions dense and rare 15 VOL. II. It floats a vapour now, By all the winds that blow. Ordained perhaps, ere summer flies, Combined with millions more, To form an Iris in the skies, Though black and foul before. Illustrious drop! and happy then, So soon to be forgot. Phoebus, if such be thy design, To place it in thy bow, Give wit, that what is left may shine N THE FAITHFUL BIRD. THE greenhouse is my summer seat; Two goldfinches, whose sprightly song Lived happy prisoners there. They sang, as blithe as finches sing And frolic where they list; But Nature works in every breast, And Dick felt some desires, The open windows seemed to invite But Tom was still confined; And Dick, although his way was clear, 5 ΙΟ 15 20 So settling on his cage, by play, 25 And chirp, and kiss, he seemed to say Nor would he quit that chosen stand O ye, who never taste the joys 30 Fandango, ball, and rout! Blush when I tell you how a bird. PAIRING TIME ANTICIPATED. A FABLE. I SHALL not ask Jean Jacques Rousseau If birds confabulate or no; 35 'Tis clear that they were always able To hold discourse, at least in fable; And e'en the child who knows no better, 5 A story of a cock and bull, Must have a most uncommon skull. It chanced then on a winter's day, But warm, and bright, and calm as May, To forestall sweet St. Valentine, In many an orchard, copse, and grove, And with much twitter, and much chatter, At length a Bullfinch, who could boast 'My friends! be cautious how ye treat A Finch whose tongue knew no control, A last year's bird, who ne'er had tried ΤΟ 135 20 25 'Methinks the gentleman,' quoth she, 'Opposite in the apple-tree, By his good will would keep us single, Till yonder heaven and earth shall mingle, 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 30 135 40 Influenced mightily the rest, All paired, and each pair built a nest. But though the birds were thus in haste, 45 The leaves came on not quite so fast, And Destiny, that sometimes bears 50 |