"Beyond my sight the prey's secure :
"The Hound is slow, but always sure:
"And had I his sagacious scent,
"Jove ne'er had heard my discontent."
The Lion craved the Fox's art;
The Fox, the Lion's force and heart.
The Cock implored the Pigeon's flight,
Whose wings were rapid, strong, and light:
The Pigeon strength of wing despised,
And the Cock's matchless valour prized:
The Fishes wished to graze the plain;
The Beasts to skim beneath the main.—
Thus, envious of another's state,
Each blamed the partial hand of Fate.
The bird of heaven then cried aloud, "Jove bids disperse the murm'ring crowd; "The God rejects your idle prayers. "Would ye, rebellious mutineers! "Entirely change your name and nature, "And be the very envy'd creature? "What, silent all, and none consent? "Be happy then and learn content! "Nor imitate the restless mind, "And proud ambition of mankind."
Beside that couch his brother's form,
Lord Edmund, seemed to stand,-
Such, and so pale, as when in death
He grasped his brother's hand ;-
Such, and so pale his face, as when,
With faint and faltering tongue,
To William's care, a dying charge,
He left his orphan son.
"I bade thee with a father's love
My orphan Edmund guard-
Well, William, hast thou kept thy charge!
Now take thy due reward."
He started up, each limb convulsed
With agonizing fear ;-
He only heard the storm of night,-
"Twas music to his ear.
When lo! the voice of loud alarm
His inmost soul appals;
"What, ho! Lord William, rise in haste!
The water saps thy walls!"
He rose, in haste,-beneath the walls
He saw the flood appear;
It hemmed him round,-'twas midnight now,-
No human aid was near!
He heard the shout of joy! for now
A boat approached the wall;
And eager to the welcome aid
They crowd for safety all.-
My boat is small," the boatman cried,
"Twill bear but one away;
Come in Lord William, and do ye
In God's protection stay."
The boatman plied the oar, the boat
Went light along the stream ;-
Sudden Lord William heard a cry
Like Edmund's drowning scream.
The boatman paused," Methought I heard
A child's distressful cry!"
"'Twas but the howling winds of night,"
Lord William made reply.
“Haste !—haste !-ply swift and strong the oar!
Haste !-haste across the stream!
Again Lord William heard a cry
Like Edmund's drowning scream.
"I heard a child's distressful scream," The boatman cried again.
Nay, hasten on!-the night is dark—
And we should search in vain."
"And, oh! Lord William, dost thou know
How dreadful 'tis to die?
"And canst thou without pitying hear
A child's expiring cry?
"How horrible it is to sink
Beneath the chilly stream!
To stretch the powerless arms in vain!
In vain for help to scream!"
The shriek again was heard: It came
More deep, more piercing loud :-
That instant o'er the flood, the moon
Shone through a broken cloud;
And near them they beheld a child;
Upon a crag he stood,
A little crag, and all around
Was spread the rising flood.
The boatman plied the oar, the boat
Approached his resting-place:
The moonbeam shone upon the child,
And showed how pale his face.
"Now reach thine hand!" the boatman cried,
"Lord William, reach and save !”—
The child stretched forth his little hands
To grasp the hand he gave.
Then William shrieked ;-the hand he touched
Was cold, and damp, and dead!
He felt young Edmund in his arms,
A heavier weight than lead!
The boat sunk down-the murderer sunk,
Beneath the avenging stream;
He rose-he shrieked-no human ear
Heard William's drowning scream.
A RAVEN, while with glossy breast
Her new-laid eggs she fondly pressed,
And on her wicker-work high mounted,
Her chickens prematurely counted,
(A fault philosophers might blame,
If quite exempted from the same,)
Enjoyed at ease the genial day:
"Twas April, as the bumpkins say:
But suddenly a wind as high
As ever swept a winter sky,
Shook the young leaves about her ears,
And filled her with a thousand fears,
Lest the rude blast should snap the bough,
And spread her golden hopes below.
But just at eve the blowing weather,
And all her fears were hushed together:
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