When use of speech was not confined
Merely to brutes of human kind,

A forward Hare of swiftness vain,
The genius of the neighbouring plain,
2 Would oft deride the drudging crowd:
3 For geniuses are ever proud.

* He'd boast his flight 'twere vain to follow;
For dog and horse he'd beat them hollow;
Nay, if he put forth all his strength,
Outstrip his brethren half a length.

5 A Tortoise heard his vain oration, And vented thus his indignation:

6 "O Puss, it bodes thee dire disgrace When I defy thee to the race. 'Come 'tis a match ;-nay, no denial I'll lay my shell upon the trial." 'Twas done, and done, all fair, a bet, Judges prepared, and distance set.

The scampering Hare 'outstripped the wind, 10 The creeping Tortoise lagged behind, And scarce had passed a single pole,

11 When Puss had almost reach'd the goal. 12 Friend Tortoise," 13 quoth the jeering Hare, 1466 Your burden's more than you can bear: To help your speed, it were as well That I should ease you of your shell: Jog on a little faster, prythee,

I'll take a nap and then be with thee." 15 The Tortoise heard his taunting jeer, But still resolved to persevere,

And to the goal securely crept
While Puss unknowing soundly slept.

The bets were won, the Hare awake,
When thus the victor Tortoise spake :
16 Puss, though I own thy quicker parts,
Things are not always done by starts;
You may deride my awkward pace,
But slow and steady wins the race.”

LLOYD.

5

39. Sin and Death.

NARRATIVE MANNER:

3

'Disgust and Dread; Narrative manner, rising again into 3 Disgust and Dread; Narrative manner, deepening into Gloom, Horror, and Rage; renews the expression of Gloom and 10 Dread.

8

9

-Before Hell Gates there sat

On either side a formidable shape;

The one seemed woman to the waist, and fair ;
1 But ended foul in many a scaly fold,
Voluminous and vast,-a serpent armed
With mortal sting. About her middle round,
A cry of hell-hounds never ceasing barked
With wide Cerberian mouths full loud, and rung
A hideous peal. Far less abhorred than these
Vexed Scylla, bathing in the sea that parts
Calabria from the hoarse Trinacrian shore;

3

Nor uglier follow the night hag, when called

In secret, riding through the air she comes, Lured with the smell of infant blood, to dance With Lapland witches, while the labouring

moon

4

Eclipses at their charms. 5 The other shape, (If shape it might be called that shape had none Distinguishable in member, joint or limb;

6

Or substance might be called that shadow seemed,

For each seemed either,) black it stood as

The likeness of a kingly crown had on.

10 The grisly monster moving onward, came With horrid strides, Hell trembled as he strode.

MILTON.

40. Opening of L'Allegro.

GAIETY OF MANNER:

1 Scorn and Aversion; Delight and Love.

1 Hence! loathed Melancholy,

Of Cerberus, and blackest midnight born, In Stygian cave forlorn

Mongst horrid shapes, and shrieks, and sights unholy!

Find out some uncouth cell,

Where brooding Darkness spreads his jealous wings,

And the night raven sings;

There under ebon shades and low-browed rocks,

As ragged as thy locks,

In dark Cimmerian desert ever dwell.
2 But come thou goddess fair and free
In heaven ycleped Euphrosyne,
And by men, heart-easing Mirth,
Whom lovely Venus at a birth
With two sister Graces more
To ivy-crowned Bacchus bore;
Haste thee, Nymph, and bring with thee
Jests and youthful jollity,

Quips, and cranks, and wanton wiles,
Nods, and becks, and wreathed smiles,
Such as hang on Hebe's cheek,
And love to live in dimple sleek;
Sport that wrinkled Care derides,
And Laughter holding both his sides;
Come, and trip it as you go
On the light fantastic toe,

And, in thy right hand, lead with thee
The mountain nymph, sweet Liberty;
And if I give thee honour due,
Mirth, admit me of thy crew,

To live with her and live with thee,
In unreproved pleasures free.

MILTON.

41. Opening of Il Pensieroso.

SOLEMNITY OF MANNER:

2

'Scorn and Aversion mingled with Pity; Awe, mingled with * Delight, sometimes relaxing into 1 Gloom.

1 Hence! vain deluding Joys,

4

The brood of Folly without father bred! bestead,

How little you

Or fill the fixed mind with all your toys! Dwell in some idle brain,

And fancies fond with gaudy shapes possess, As thick and numberless

As the gay motes that people the sun-beams; Or likest hovering dreams

The fickle pensioners of Morpheus 'train. "But hail, thou goddess, sage and holy,

Hail, divinest Melancholy !

Whose saintly visage is too bright

To hit the sense of mortal sight,

And therefore to our weaker view

Q'erlaid with black, staid Wisdom's hue;

Come pensive Nun, devout and pure,

Sober, stedfast and demure,

All in that robe of darkest grain
Flowing with majestic train,
And sable stole of Cyprus lawn

Over thy decent shoulders drawn.