VENUS, MINERVA, AND THE GLOW

WORM.

Around was every blooming spray
Gemm'd with the joyful tears of May;
All was serene, while Glow-worms shone,
Bespangling o'er a verdant lawn.

Their beauty and their nightly pride,
The flaming eye of Venus spied;
Through all restraint her anger broke,
And thus the offended goddess spoke :-

"That such mere earth-born things aspire To emulate our heavenly fire,

Know, much offends the shining throng, Whose charms inspired the ancients' song."

Minerva rose; her peaceful throne
Was silver'd by the rising moon;

This breach of concord to repair,

Thus mildly spoke the heaven-born fair:

"What makes fair Venus thus repine?

Is she less bright when Glow-worms shine?
Can orbs which in such grandeur blaze
Be led to envy Glow-worms' rays?

Oh! think how high your course, and deem
Such things unworthy of your theme;
More generous strains become you well,
For Envy's is the voice of hell.

Though she on earth her foul head rears,
Discard her from the shining spheres ;
Nor dare insult your Author, who

Made Glow-worms shine as well as you."

THE GOAT, THE MONKEY, THE FOX, AND THE OWL.

A Goat, a Monkey, and a Fox,

Resided once upon some rocks;

And what the world may friendship call

Existed long between them all.

Until it fell upon a day

That, lo! there was the deuce to pay;

One with another they fell out,

And each began to brawl and flout.

The Monkey did no anger lack,
His two companions to attack;
He in a passion raised his head,
As unto Reynard thus he said: -

"You are a false dissembling rogue!
You ever sneak, lie, and collogue *;
Turn out, you thief, there from your hole,
Those fine fat turkies which you stole!"

* "To flatter," &c. Vide Johnson's Dictionary,- a word commonly used in Devonshire.

The Fox replied "Your charge is true;
But still I am not worse than you:
You need not give yourself such airs
If I stole turkies, you stole pears!"

--

The Goat said "Both are in the wrong,
And each had better hold his tongue;

For, were your actions brought to test,
Soon 't would be proved that bad's the best."

"Hold!" cries the Monkey," master Shag!
I'm sure you have no room to brag;
You know, 't was but the other day
You stole some oats from farmer May."

An Owl, that yet had silence kept,
Peep'd from the ivy where she slept;

And, with a magisterial look,

She checked them thus, with stern rebuke:

"My friends," she said, "from what has past, Learn to be careful how you cast,

At a near neighbour's house, a stone,
When glass it is that forms your own."

THE JESSAMINE AND THE IVY.

From the dark north, in fury's form,
With thunders girded march'd the storm;
The skies were veiled with awful glooms,
And Flora's tribes conceal'd their blooms:
The sun withdrew his shining rays,

And birds sat mute upon the

When, lo! an Ivy, unbenign,

Insulted thus a Jessamine:

sprays,

"The approaching storm, know, thou must dread; 'Twill surely blast thy flower-crown'd head:

Soon shall I see thy beauties driven,

Like chaff, before the winds of heaven.
Oh! how can flatterers' tongues incline
To praise such short-lived buds as thine!
I'm always here, in green attired,
And yet I never am admired.
But now prepare to lose thy wreath;
The whirlwind's desolating breath
Will surely humble all thy pride."
When thus the Jessamine replied:
"Poor envious thing! although my fate
With joy thou dost anticipate,