To wish thee fairer is no need, More prudent, or more sprightly, To thy whole heart's desire? None here is happy but in part: There dwells some wish in ev'ry heart, That wish on some fair future day, ODE TO APOLLO. On an Inkglass almost dried in the sun. PATRON of all those luckless brains, And why, since oceans, rivers, streams, Pay tribute to thy glorious beams, PAIRING TIME ANTICIPATED. Why, stooping from the noon of day, Apollo, hast thou stol'n away A poet's drop of ink? Upborne into the viewless air, It floats a vapour now, Impell❜d through regions dense and rare, Ordain'd, perhaps, ere summer flies, To form an Iris in the skies, Illustrious drop! and happy then Phœbus, if such be thy design, To place it in thy bow, Give wit, that what is left may shine 198. PAIRING TIME ANTICIPATED. A FABLE. I SHALL not ask Jean Jaques Rosseau,* It was one of the whimsical speculations of this philosopher, that all fables, which ascribe reason and speech to animals, shonld be withheld from children, as being only vehicles of deception. But what child was ever deceived by them, or can be, against the evidence of his senses? "Tis clear that they were always able Must have a most uncommon skull. To forestall sweet St. Valentine, In many an orchard, copse, and grove, And with much twitter and much chatter, At length a Bulfinch, who could boast My friends! be cautious how ye treat I fear we shall have winter yet. A Finch, whose tongue knew no control, With golden wing, and satin poll, A last year's bird, who ne'er had tried Opposite in the apple tree, By his good will would keep us single Or, (which is likelier to befall,) Till death exterminate us all. I marry without more ado, My dear Dick Redcap, what say you? Dick heard, and tweedling, ogling, bridling, Turning short round, strutting, and sideling, Attested, glad, his approbation Of an immediate conjugation. All pair'd, and each pair built a nest. But though the birds were thus in haste, The leaves came on not quite so fast, And destiny, that sometimes bears An aspect stern on man's affairs, Not altogether smil'd on theirs. The wind of late breath'd gently forth, Now shifted east, and east by north; Bare trees and shrubs but ill, you know, Could shelter them from rain or snow. Stepping into their nests, they paddled, Themselves were chill'd, their eggs were addled; Soon ev'ry father bird and mother Grew quarrelsome, and peck'd each other, Parted without the least regret, Except that they had never met; And learn'd, in future, to be wiser Than to neglect a good adviser. MORAL. Misses the tale that I relate THE DOG AND THE WATER-LILY. NO FABLE. THE noon was shady, and soft airs I wander'd on his side. My spaniel, prettiest of his race, (Two nymphs* adorn'd with ev'ry grace That spaniel found for me.) Now wanton'd lost in flags and reeds, It was the time when Ouse display'd Their beauties I intent survey'd, With cane extended far I sought But still the prize, though nearly caught, * Sir Robert Gunning's daughters. |