Whose summit, like all hills, is lost in vapour;

For this men write, speak, preach, and heroes kill,
And bards burn what they call their "midnight taper,”
To have, when the original is dust,

A name, a wretched picture, and worse bust.

CCXIX.

What are the hopes of man? old Egypt's King
Cheops erected the first pyramid

And largest, thinking it was just the thing
To keep his memory whole, and mummy hid;
But somebody or other rummaging,

Burglariously broke his coffin's lid:

Let not a monument give you or me hopes,
Since not a pinch of dust remains of Cheops.

CCXX.

But I, being fond of true philosophy,

Say very often to myself, "Alas!

All things that have been born were born to die,
And flesh (which Death mows down to hay) is grass; ˆ
You've pass'd your youth not so unpleasantly,

And if you had it o'er again—'twould pass-
So thank your stars that matters are no worse,
And read your Bible, sir, and mind your nurse."

CCXXI:

But for the present, gentle reader! and

Still gentler purchaser! the bard—that's I—
Must, with permission, shake you by the hand,
And so your humble servant, and good by!
We meet again, if we should understand
Each other, and if not, I shall not try

Your patience further than by this short sample:
"Twere well if others follow'd my example.

CCXXII.

"Go, little book, from this my solitude! I cast thee on the waters, go thy ways! And if, as I believe, thy vein be good,

The world will find thee after many days," When Southey's read, and Wordsworth understood, I can't help putting in my claim to praiseThe four first rhymes are Southey's every line: For God's sake, reader! take them not for mine.

END OF CANTO FIRST.

DON JUAN.

CANTO II.

I.

OH ye! who teach the ingenious youth of nations, Holland, France, England, Germany, or Spain, I pray ye flog them upon all occasions,

It mends their morals; never mind the pain: The best of mothers and of educations

In Juan's case were but employ'd in vain, Since in a way, that rather of the oddest, he Became devested of his native modesty.

Had he but been placed at a public school,
In the third form, or even in the fourth,
His daily task had kept his fancy cool,

At least, had he been nurtured in the north; Spain may prove an exception to the rule,

But then exceptions always prove its worthA lad of sixteen causing a divorce

Puzzled his tutors very much, of course.

III.

I can't say that it puzzles me at all,

If all things be considered: first, there was His lady-mother, mathematical,

A

-never mind; his tutor, an old ass;

CANTO II.-A

A pretty woman-(that's quite natural,

Or else the thing had hardly come to pass;) A husband rather old, not much in unity "With his young wife-a time, an opportunity.

IV.

Well-well, the world must turn upon its axis,

And all mankind turn with it, heads or tails, And live and die, make love and pay our taxes, And as the veering wind shifts, shift our sails; The king commands us, and the doctor quacks us, The priest instructs, and so our life exhales, A little breath, love, wine, ambition, fame, Fighting, devotion, dust,—perhaps a name.

V.

I said, that Juan had been sent to Cadiz-
A pretty town, I recollect it well—
"Tis there the mart of the colonial trade is,
(Or was, before Peru learn'd to rebel)

And such sweet girls-I mean, such graceful ladies,

Their very walk would make your bosom swell;

I can't describe it, though so much it strike,
Nor liken it-I never saw the like:

VI.

An Arab horse, a stately stag, a barb

New broke, a camelopard, a gazelle,
No-none of these will do; -and then their garb!
Their veil and petticoat-Alas! to dwell

Upon such things would very near absorb

A canto-then their feet and ankles-well, Thank heaven I've got no metaphor quite ready, (And so, my sober Muse: come, let's be steady