Not that his "meditating" rose With fruitless prying ; But held, as law for high and low, What God withholds no man can know, And smiled away inquiry so, Without replying. We read-alas, how much we read! Our groaning tables; His books-and they sufficed him—were Cotton's "Montaigne," "The Grave" of Blair A "Walton "-much the worse for wearAnd "Æsop's Fables." One more,-"The Bible." Not that he It may be that he could not count Once he had loved, but failed to wed, And still when time had turned him gray, Where first he met her. "In Cœlo Quies" heads the stone The "Benefactions" still declare Lie softly, Leisure! Doubtless you But we, to whom our age allows Scarce space to wipe our weary brows, Old Friend, and miss you. A GENTLEWOMAN OF THE OLD SCHOOL HE lived in Georgian era too. SHE Most women then, if bards be true, But hers was neither fate. She came Is "Madam Placid." Patience or Prudence,—what you will, As those old musky scents that fill Our grandams' pillows; And for her youthful portrait take Some long-waist child of Hudson's make, Stiffly at ease beside a lake With swans and willows. I keep her later semblance placed A placid face, in which surprise For her e'en Time grew debonair. And lingering dimples, Had spared to touch the fair old face, The soft white hand that stroked her lace, So left her beautiful. Her age Was comely as her youth was sage, And yet she once had been the rage ;It hath been hinted, Indeed, affirmed by one or two, Some spark at Bath (as sparks will do) Which Urban printed. I know she thought; I know she felt ; Perchance could sum, I doubt she spelt ; She knew as little of the Celt As of the Saxon; I know she played and sang, for yet Her tastes were not refined as ours; Went clad demurely ; Her art was sampler-work design, Her luxury was elder-wine, She loved that “purely." She was renowned, traditions say, For June conserves, for curds and whey, For finest tea (she called it "tay"), And ratafia; She knew, for sprains, what bands to choose, Could tell the sovereign wash to use For freckles, and was learned in brews As erst Medea. |