PITY FOR POOR AFRICANS. Video meliora proboque, Deteriora sequor. I own I am shock'd at the purchase of slaves, I pity them greatly, but I must be mum, What, give up our desserts, our coffee, and tea! Besides, if we do, the French, Dutch, and Danes, If foreigners likewise would give up the trade, Your scruples and arguments bring to my mind A youngster at school, more sedate than the rest, His comrades had plotted an orchard to rob, He was shock'd, sir, like you, and answer'd-' Oh no! What! rob our good neighbour! I pray you don't go; Besides the man's poor, his orchard's his bread: Then think of his children, for they must be fed.' 'You speak very fine, and you look very grave, If you will go with us, you shall have a share, They spoke, and Tom ponder'd-' I see they will go: If the matter depended alone upon me, ́ His apples might hang till they dropp'd from the tree; But since they will take them, I think I'll go too; He will lose none by me, though I get a few.' His scruples thus silenced, Tom felt more at ease, And went with his comrades the apples to seize ; He blamed and protested, but join'd in the plan : He shared in the plunder, but pitied the man. THE MORNING DREAM. "TWAS in the glad season of spring, Far hence to the westward I sail'd, In the steerage a woman I saw, Such at least was the form that she wore, Whose beauty impress'd me with awe, Ne'er taught me by woman before. She sat, and a shield at her side Shed light, like a sun on the waves, And smiling divinely, she cried 'I go to make freemen of slaves. Then raising her voice to a strain The sweetest that ear ever heard, |