The brightness of her glance had fled The rose that decked her crimson cheek The dews of death sat sternly cold eye that once with fond delight A dead and sightless gaze. The dark hair o'er her forehead fell And veiled its icy chill; So beauteous once, and blest, Wrapped in eternal rest. The fleshless hands were clasped across 'Mid worship's seraph-breathings flew The last faint smile she gave, A king observed a flock widespread Such pleasure in this man the monarch took, O'er higher flock than this, and my esteem Like moonlight's lingering farewell gleam Although a hermit and a wolf or two, Upon a mouldering grave. I stood beside the shrouded bier And kissed the lifeless earth, Should perish at their birth; JAMES WITHERS. Besides his flock and dogs, were all he knew. And never was there truer prophecy. Contrived, and many a cruel slander, In both ability and candor; Cabals were raised, and dark conspiracies, Said they. The king, astonished at his His ill-got riches asked to see: So much for his magnificence. Befell those manufacturers of lies: And script, mayhap with pebbles from the "O treasure sweet," said he, "that never drew The viper brood of envy's lies on you, I take you back, and leave this palace splendid, As some roused sleeper doth a dream that's ended. Forgive me, sire, this exclamation: hath been. Of mortal race, devoid of all ambition ?" Translation of ELIZUR WRIGHT. THE MUSIC. HE Father spake in grand reverberations A flower that dies when first it 'gins to bud; Through space rolled on the mighty music- Lost, faded, broken, dead within an hour. tide, While to its low, majestic modulations The clouds of chaos slowly swept aside. The Father spake: a dream that had been lying Hushed from eternity in silence there Heard the pure melody, and, low replying, Grew to that music in the wondering air Grew to that music, slowly, grandly waking, it furled. Nor yet has ceased that sound his love revealing, Though in response a universe by; moves Throughout eternity its echo pealing, And wheresoever in his rich creation Sweet music breathes in wave or bird or soul, "Tis but the faint and far reverberation And as good lost is seld or never found, As faded gloss no rubbing will refresh, SHAKESPEARE. ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE. And all the men and women merely players: Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms; Unwillingly to school; and then the lover, Full of strange oaths and bearded like the Of that great tune to which the planets Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel, BEAUTY. Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon's mouth; and then the justice, In fair round belly with good capon lined, EAUTY is but a vain and doubtful Full of wise saws and modern instances, BEAU good; A shining gloss that fadeth suddenly; And so he plays his part; the sixth age shifts A voice of music, hair by which To haunt the sculptor's dream. But when I looked at him to-night No marble brow, no soul-lit orbs; I know full well he has not changed So very much-ah me! PU PURSUING BEAUTY. URSUING beauty, men descry The distant shore, and long to prove Still richer in variety The treasures of the land of love. We women like weak Indians stand But she who trades with them is lost. With humble vows they first begin, Stealing unseen into the heart, But, by possession settled in, They quickly play another part. For beads and baubles we resign, And yet the tyrants will have more. Be wise, be wise, and do not try How he can court or you be won, For love is but discovery : When that is made, the pleasure's done. THOMAS SOUTHERNE. MODESTY. FROM AN INDIAN MANUSCRIPT WRITTEN BY AN ANCIENT BRAHMIN. HO art thou, O man, that presumest on thine own wisdom? or why dost thou vaunt thyself on thine own acquire ments? The first step toward being wise is to know that thou art ignorant; and if thou wouldst not be esteemed foolish in the judgment of others, cast off the folly of being wise in thine own conceit. As a plain garment best adorneth a beautiful woman, so a decent behavior is the greatest ornament of wisdom. The speech of a modest man giveth lustre to truth, and the diffidence of his words absolveth his error. He relieth not on his own wisdom; he weigheth the counsels of a friend and receiveth the benefit thereof. He turneth away his ear from his own praise and believeth it not; he is the last in discovering his own perfections. Yet, as a veil addeth to beauty, so are his virtues set off by the shade which his modesty casteth upon them. But behold the vain man and observe the arrogant! He clotheth himself in rich attire; he walketh in the public street; he casteth round his eyes and courteth obser vation. He tosseth up his head and overlooketh the poor; he treateth his inferiors with in solence, and his superiors, in return, look down on his pride and folly with laughter. He despiseth the judgment of others; he relieth on his own opinion, and is confounded. He is puffed up with the vanity of his imagination; his delight is to hear, and to speak, of himself all the day long. He swalloweth with greediness his own praise, and the flatterer, in return, eateth him up. Translation of ROBERT DODSLEY. USES OF KNOWLEDGE. EARNING taketh away the wildness and barbarism and fierceness of men's minds, though a little superficial learning doth rather work a contrary effect. It taketh away all levity, temerity and insolency by copious suggestion of all doubts and difficulties, and acquainting the mind to balance reasons on both sides, and to turn back the first offers and conceits of the kind, and to accept of nothing but the examined and tried. It taketh away vain admiration of anything which is the root of all weakness, for all things are admired either because they are new or because they are great. For novelty no man wadeth in learning or contemplation thoroughly, but will find printed in his heart, "I know nothing." Neither can any man marvel at the play of puppets that goeth behind the curtain |