GOOSEBERRY-PIE. A PINDARIC ODE. Gooseberry-Pie is best. Full of the theme O Muse begin the song! What tho' the sunbeams of the West Mature within the Turtle's breast Blood glutinous and fat of verdant hue? What tho' the Deer bound sportively along O'er springy turf, the Park's elastic vest? Give them their honours due,.. But Gooseberry Pie is best. Behind his oxen slow The patient Ploughman plods. And as the Sower followed by the clods Earth's genial womb received the swelling seed. The rains descend, the grains they grow; Saw ye the vegetable ocean Roll its green billows to the April gale? The ripening gold with multitudinous motion Sway o'er the summer vale? It flows thro' Alder banks along You only hear its melody, The stream that turns the Mill. Pass on a little way pass on, And you shall catch its gleam anon; And hark! the loud and agonizing groan That makes its anguish known, Where tortur'd by the Tyrant Lord of Meal The brook is broken on the Wheel! Blow fair, blow fair, thou orient gale! On the white bosom of the sail Ye winds enamour'd, lingering lie! Ye waves of ocean spare the bark! Ye tempests of the sky! From distant realms she comes to bring for my Pie. The sugar For this on Gambia's arid side The Vulture's feet are scaled with blood, And Beelzebub beholds with pride, His darling planter brood. First in the spring thy leaves were seen, Thou beauteous bush, so early green! Soon ceas'd thy blossoms little life of love. O safer than the Alcides-conquer'd tree That grew the pride of that Hesperian grove,.. No Dragon does there need for thee With quintessential sting to work alarms, And guard thy fruit so fine, Thou vegetable Porcupine! And didst thou scratch thy tender arms, The flour, the sugar, and the fruit, H |