HODGE AND THE VICAR. HODGE, a poor honest country lout, "Ah! master Hodge," the vicar cried, 66 Why, master parson, as to that "I beg you'll right conceive me, "I do na brag, but yet I know "A thing or two, believe me.” "We'll try your skill," the parson cried, "For learning what digestion: "And this you'll prove, or right or wrong, By solving me a question : 66 "Noah of old three babies had, "Or grown-up children rather; Shem, Ham, and Japhet they were called : 66 "Rat it!" cried Hodge, and scratched his head, "That does my wits belabour: "But howsomde'er, I'll homeward run, "And ax old Giles, my neighbour." To Giles he went, and put the case With circumspect intention: "Thou fool," cried Giles, "I'll make it clear "To thy dull comprehension. "Three children has Tom Long, the smith, "Or cattle-doctor rather; Tom, Dick, and Harry, they are called: "Now, who is Harry's father?" "Adzooks! I have it," Hodge replied, Away he ran to find the priest "Noah of old three babies had, "Or grown-up children rather; "I have it now," Hodge grinning cried, "Who's Japhet's father? now I know; HOME. THE adventurous boy, that asks his little share, And as he turns, the thatch among the trees, And all his soul best loved-such tears he shed, So Scotia's Queen, as slowly dawned the day, Rose on her couch, and gazed her soul away. Her eyes had blessed the beacon's glimmering height, That faintly tipt the feathery surge with light; But now the morn with orient hues pourtrayed Each castled cliff, and brown monastic shade: All touched the talisman's resistless spring, And lo, what busy tribes were instant on the wing! THE BETTER LAND. "I HEAR thee speak of the better land; Thou callest its children a happy band: Mother; Oh! where is that radiant shore?Shall we not seek it, and weep no more? Is it where the flower of the orange blows, And the fire-flies glance through the myrtle boughs?" -"Not there, not there, my child!" "Is it where the feathery palm-trees rise, "Is it far away, in some region old, 'Eye hath not seen it, my gentle boy! THE CRUCIFIXION. IMITATED FROM THE ITALIAN OF CRESCEMBINI. I ASKED the Heavens ;--" What foe to God hath done "This unexampled deed?-The Heavens exclaim, " "Twas Man; —and we in horror snatched the sun "From such a spectacle of guilt and shame." I asked the Sea ;-the Sea in fury boiled, And answered with his voice of storms,-" "Twas Man: My waves in panic at his crime recoiled, "Disclosed the abyss, and from the centre ran.' I asked the Earth ;-the Earth replied aghast, " "Twas Man ;—and such strange pangs my bosom rent, "That still I groan and shudder at the past." -To Man, gay, smiling, thoughtless Man, I went, And asked him next :-He turned a scornful eye, Shook his proud head, and deigned me no reply. A THOUGHT ON ETERNITY. ERE the foundations of the world were laid, From angry Heaven when the keen lightning flies, When fervent heat dissolves the melting skies, Thou still shalt be; still as thou wert before, And know no change, when time shall be no more. O endless thought! divine Eternity! The immortal soul shares but a part of thee! The virtuous soul pursues a nobler aim, For while the boundless theme extends our thought, Ten thousand thousand rolling years are nought. FALSE GREATNESS. Mylo, forbear to call him blest |