Sick of the vanity of man,

His noise, and pomp, and show,—
I'll move upon great Nature's plan,
And, silent, work below:

With inward harmony of soul,
I'll wait the upper sphere;

Shining, I'll mount above the pole,

And break my silence there.

Modern Literary Reader.

TO THE NAUTILUS.*

WHERE Ausonian Summers glowing,
Warm the deep to life and joyance,
And gentle zephyrs nimbly blowing,
Wanton with the waves, that flowing
By many a land of ancient glory,
And many an isle renown'd in story,
Leap along with gladsome buoyance,
There Marinere,

Dost thou appear,

In fairy pinnace gaily flashing,

Through the white foam proudly dashing,
The joyous play-mate of the buxom breeze,
The fearless fondling of the mighty seas.

Thou the light sail boldly spreadest,
O'er the furrow'd waters gliding,
Thou nor wreck nor foeman dreadest,
Thou nor helm nor compass needest,
While the sun is bright above thee,
While the bounding surges love thee,
In their deepening bosoms hiding,

*See Note in p. 307.

Thou canst not fear,

Small Marinere,

For though the tides with restless motion
Bear thee to the desert ocean,

Far as the ocean stretches to the sky,
'Tis all thine own, 'tis all thy empery.

Lame is art, and her endeavour
Follows Nature's course but slowly,
Guessing, toiling, seeking ever,
Still improving, perfect never;
Little Nautilus, thou showest
Deeper wisdom than thou knowest,
Lore, which man should study lowly:
Bold faith and cheer,

Small Marinere,

Are thine within thy pearly dwelling,—
Thine, a law of life compelling.

Obedience, perfect, simple, glad, and free,
To the great will that animates the sea.

HARTLEY Coleridge.

RURAL PLEASURES.

HERE happy would they stray in Summer-hours,
Το spy the birds in their green leafy bowers,
And learn their various voices; to delight
In the gay tints, and ever bickering flight
Of dragon-flies upon the river's brim;
Or swift king-fisher in his gaudy trim
Come skimming past, with a shrill, sudden cry;
Or on the river's sunny marge to lie,
And count the insects that meandering trace,
In some smooth nook, their circuits on its face.

Now gravely ponder on the frothy cells
Of insects, hung on flowery pinnacles;

Now, wading the deep grass, exulting trace

The corn-crake's curious voice from place to place; Now here now there-now distant-now at handNow hush'd, just where in wondering mirth they stand. To lie abroad on Nature's lonely breast,

Amidst the music of a Summer's sky,

Where tall, dark pines the northern bank invest
Of a still lake; and see the long pikes lie
Basking upon the shallows; with dark crest,

And threatening pomp, the swan go sailing by ;
And many a wild fowl on its breast that shone,
Flickering like liquid silver, in the joyous sun;
The duck, deep poring with her downward head,
Like a buoy floating on the ocean wave;
The Spanish goose, like drops of crystal, shed

The water o'er him, his rich plumes to lave;
The beautiful widgeon, springing upward, spread
His clapping wings; the heron, stalking grave
Into the stream; the coot and water-hen
Vanish into the flood, then, far off, rise again :-
Such were their joys!

WISDOM OF GOD IN THE VEGETABLE CREATION.

YOUR contemplation farther yet pursue;
The wondrous world of vegetables view!
Observe the forest oak, the mountain pine,
The towering cedar, and the humble vine,
The bending willow, that o'ershades the flood,
And each spontaneous offspring of the wood!
The oak and pine, which high from earth arise,
And wave their lofty heads amidst the skies,
Their parent earth in like proportion wound,
And through crude metals penetrate the ground;
Their strong and ample roots descend so deep,
That fix'd and firm, they may their station keep,
And the fierce shocks of furious winds defy,
With all the outrage of inclement sky.
But the base brier, and the noble vine,

Their arms around their stronger neighbour twine.
The creeping ivy, to prevent its fall,

Clings with its fibrous grapples to the wall.
Thus are the trees of every kind secure,
Or by their own, or by a borrow'd power.
But every tree from all its branching roots,
Amidst the glebe, small hollow fibres shoots;
Which drink with thirsty mouths the vital juice,
And to the limbs and leaves their food diffuse :
Peculiar pores peculiar juice receive,

To this deny, to that admittance give.
-Hence various trees their various fruits produce,
Some for delightful taste, and some for use.
Hence sprouting plants enrich the plain and wood,
For physic some, and some design'd for food.

Hence fragrant flowers, with different colours dyed,
On smiling meads unfold their gaudy pride.
-Review these numerous scenes, at once survey
Nature's extended face, then, sceptics, say,
In this wide field of wonders can you find
No art discover'd, and no end design'd?
But oh how dark is human reason found,
How vain the man with wit and learning crown'd;
How feeble all his strength when he essays
To trace dark Nature, and detect her ways,
Unless he calls its Author to his aid,
Who every secret spring of motion laid;
Who over all his wondrous works presides,
And to their useful ends their causes guides;
These paths in vain are by inquirers trod;
There's no philosophy without a GOD!

SIR RICHARD BLACKMORE, 1712.

THE CHRISTMAS ROSE, OR HELLEBORE.

THE garden boasts no beauty now,

Its Summer graces all are fled;

Frost glitters on the leafless bough,

And branch and spray alike seem dead.

Yet here regardless of the chill,

The sternness of the wintry hour,

One pleasing blossom greets us still,
A fair though unassuming flower.

In changeful life 'tis even so,

False friends fall off when storms arise;
They shared our joy, but shun our woe,
Like plants that fear inclement skies.