Page images
PDF
EPUB

Content I quit, for now the July beam

Mounts to its fervid noon and boils the stream;

Enough to pastime; the remaining hours

Demand the vigour of our nobler pow'rs.

Retir'd awhile, I con the studious page

Of wisdom, cull'd from men of every age!
But chief the scriptures, from whose sacred store
I drink abundance, and yet thirst for more,
Think and reflect, how in our destin'd span,
One inch will bound the active life of man.
Deduct the blank of sleep, the void between
Our birth and youth's preparatory scene;

rosemary, and another of savory, bind them in bundles and put them to the Carp, with four or five whole onions, twenty pickled oysters, and three anchovies. Then pour upon your fish as much claret as will cover him, seasoned with salt, cloves, mace, and the rinds of oranges and lemons; cover your pot, and set it on a quick fire, until it be sufficiently boiled, then take out the Carp, and lay it with the liquor into the dish, and pour on it a quarter of a pound of melted butter, beaten with half a dozen spoonfuls of the broth, the yolks of two or three eggs, and some of the herbs shred. Garnish with lemons.

What sickness wastes from manhood take away, And the new childhood of our last decay,— What is the pittance left? That pittance prize, And crowd it full with bus'ness good and wise: Peruse the sacred writ, and from it know,

What blessings from a well-spent life will flow:
Let virtue teach thee steadily to steer

Thy course through life, so that thou seldom err;
Teach thee t' elude the fascinating wiles,
Of Syren vice, who, with delusive smiles,
The poor, unthinking voyager beguiles;
And if thy vessel should serenely glide
Adown of smooth prosperity the tide,-
If gentle gales ambrosial odours bring,
And pleasure's giddy throng around thee sing,
Let not thy heart (with present bliss elate)
Forget her precepts, till it be too late.

If dire adversity should thee assail

With woes unnumber'd in a furious gale,
And a whole deluge of disasters pour,

And all thy hopes and flatt'ring schemes devour;

If sun-shine friends, to whom thou 'st prov'd so kind,

Desert, like rats, the walls they've undermin'd;

Virtue will give thee fortitude of soul

To stem the current, and its rage controul;
Should from its place the world be torn away,
The virtuous (1) man feels not the least dismay:
And, though this globe to atoms should be hurl'd,
He trusts ANOTHER, and a BETTER WORLD!

(1) Justum et tenacem propositi virum,
Non civium ardor prava jubentium :
Non vultus instantis tyranni,

[merged small][graphic]

CANTO VII.

MIXED ANGLING.

Time, August.-Rural Scenery.-A Storm succeeded by a Calm.-Description of Ulting's Vale.-Anecdote of Mr. Cunningham, the Poet, on the Propriety of allowing the Labouring Classes innocent Amusements after Divine Service on the Sabbath-day.-The Enemies of the finny Tribes numerous.-The Otter peculiarly destructive.—An Otter Hunt.-Death of the Tyrant of the Flood.-The truly hospitable Cottager.

« PreviousContinue »