Farmers! who find in Cobden's breath, And Bright's harangues, a menaced death For all of yeoman station, And most appropriately brand The Corn-law Leaguers as a band Prone to assassination: When landlords cry, "We must be fed, 66 Go-grind your bones to make our bread, "From Earth more harvests ravish; "Study Liebig, ye clodpole elves! "Buy Guano-Soda-stint yourselves, "That we may still be lavish:" Farmers! ye ought to patronise Whate'er improvements may arise To lessen your expenses, So hear my tale-there's little in 't, 'Tis merely meant to give a hint For making cheap field fences. Queen Bess-I mean Elizabeth, Favour'd, as the historian saith, The handsome Earl of Leicester, To whom she made large grants of land, For which he doubtless kiss'd her hand, And duly thank'd and bless'd her. These lands were commons, on whose turf Many a cottager and serf Had fed his goose or donkey; And being dispossess'd, the crowd Began to murmur in a loud, I needn't add a wrong key. What cared his lordship! down he came, With carpenters to fence the same, And shut out clowns and cattle; Riding each morn the men to watch, For drink or tittle-tattle. "Not cost a farthing, doting clown!" Exclaim'd his lordship with a frown, Half angry and half comic ; Braggart most vain and over free, "Think'st thou that I can learn from thee 66 Yes," quoth the rustic-" yes, my lord, "You needn't buy another board, "Or oaken plank or paling, "Think not my words are brags and boasts, "For if your lordship finds the posts, "The public will find railing!" DISAPPOINTMENT. Joy! joy! my lover's bark returns, And bounds in triumph o'er the wave! Why dost thou veil the glorious sight, The storm is past-the skies are fair, But where's the bark?-there was but one: Ha! she is yonder, shatter'd-bare,— She reels-she-sinks-O Heaven! she's gone! THE DYING POET'S FAREWELL. Animula vagula, blandula, Hospes comesque corporis, Quæ nunc abibis in loca? ADRIAN. O THOU wondrous arch of azure, Sun, and starry plains immense! Glories that astound the gazer, By their dread magnificence! O thou ocean, whose commotion Awes the proudest to devotion! Must I must I from ye fly, Bid ye all adieu-and die? |