THE MOON AND THE CLOUD.

Full-orb'd in her splendour the Moon rose on high, And shed her pure light o'er the blue-vaulted sky, While mountains, and vallies, and woodlands, and streams,

Were glowing with beauty beneath her fair beams. But soon the bright orb by a Cloud was o'erspread, Which sullied the lustre she kindly had shed: While blackness it gather'd, and, prompted by spite, Thus it sternly address'd the mild Queen of the night:

"How vain is the praise which thy radiance beguiles!

Though mountains and vallies are cheered by thy smiles,

Of thyself well thou know'st thou no beauty could'st render,

To the Sun thou'rt indebted for all thy famed splendour."

The Moon thus replied, while more lovely she shone,

And scatter'd the darkness which veil'd her bright

throne:

"Though thou may'st despise it, with joy I confess That I owe to the Sun all the light I possess ; While cheer'd and adorn'd by his splendour benign, In my course, as a spark of his glory, I shine, And deem it an honour a debtor to be

To an orb that's so great and so glorious as he.

THE LION AND THE MOUSE.

A lean hungry Mouse, while in quest of its food,
On the haunts of a Lion by chance did intrude:
The Lion his greatness with clemency blended,
And the poor little thing he benignly befriended.
In ease and in plenty thus lived the poor Mouse,
On the stores that the Lion still brought to his house,
And frolick'd about; but, alas! in the end,
It forgot the respect which was due to its friend;
And once, while the Lion was taking repose,
Behold, it presumed e'en to crawl on his nose.
Enraged was the Lion; indeed, 'twas no wonder;
And thus he exclaim'd, while his voice was like

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thunder:

Though kindness induced me to pity thy lot, That I am a Lion must not be forgot;

Of late thine assurance to me hath been hateful; My favours have made thee presumptuous, not grateful.

But dear shalt thou pay for thine insolent mirth!" And behold the poor pigmy was crush'd to the

earth.

And hence may its fate be a check to all rudeness, To those who with impudence thus requite good

ness.

THE LIBURNUM AND THE BAY-TREE.

With crimson clouds the east was drest;
The joyful lark had left her nest;
When thus did a Liburnum chide,
A Bay-tree that was near its side:
"See with what beauty I'm array'd!
What golden tresses crown my head!
I deem it a disgrace to be

Beside a bloomless thing like thee.
Now in the vernal season's reign,
Amidst creation's smiling train,
I'd not be seen in such array."
But thus replied the hardy Bay:

"So much puff'd up thou need'st not be,
Thy weakness well is known to me;
Though now full bloom'd thou dost appear,
Thy fading time, my friend, is near.
And though no flowers on me are seen,
I'm always drest in cheerful green;

The blasts of winter I've defied,

While gaudy shrubs have droop'd and died.”

May not a Bay-tree be design'd

To represent the virtuous mind;

Which still through every change secure,
Nor frowns depress, nor smiles allure?

THE PEACOCK AND THE OYSTER.

Beneath a cliff, one summer's day,

A gaudy Peacock took his way;

While strutting there, with thoughtless pride, An Oyster on the sand he spied.

He view'd it long with cold disdain;
Then said, in a contemptuous strain:
"Sure pity's due to thy hard lot;
Thou look'st like one by Heaven forgot.

"Lo! here exposed, in this sad place,
No beauty thine, nor sense, nor grace;
Such a vile, rough-hewn thing beside,
How could my graces be denied?"

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The Oyster heard this swell of pride ;
Her shell she op'd, and thus replied:
"If by your words your sense you rule,
Permit me, sir, to call you fool.

Perhaps things are as you denote ;

I own the roughness of my coat :