and doom'd to perish on the sands Of the full theatre, unpitied stands ! When lo! the self-same lion from his cage Flies to devour him, famish'd into rage. He flies, but viewing in his purpos'd prey The man, his healer, pauses on his way, And, soften'd by remembrance into sweet And kind composure, crouches at his feet.
Mute with astonishment, th' assembly gaze; But why, ye Romans? Whence your mute amaze ? All this is natural.-Nature bade him rend An enemy; she bids him spare a friend.
MORE ANCIENT THAN THE ART OF PRINTING, AND
NOT TO BE FOUND IN ANY CATALOGUE.
THERE is a book which we may call
(Its excellence is such)
Alone a library, tho' small;
The ladies thumb it much.
Words none, things numerous it contains And, things with words compar'd, Who needs be told that has his brains, Which merits most regard?
Oftimes its leaves of scarlet hue A golden edging boast;
And open'd, it displays to view Twelve pages at the most.
Nor name, nor title, stamp'd behind, Adorns its outer part ; But all within 'tis richly lin❜d, A magazine of art.
The whitest hands that secret hoard Oft visit; and the fair Preserve it in their bosoms stor❜d, As with a miser's care.
Thence implements of every size, And form'd for various use, (They need but to consult their eyes) They readily produce.
The largest and the longest kind Possess the foremost page, A sort most needed by the blind, Or nearly such from age.
The full-charg'd leaf, which next ensues,
Presents in bright array
The smaller sort, which matrons use,
Not quite so blind as they.
The third, the fourth, the fifth supply
What their occasions ask,
Who with a more discerning eye
Perform a nicer task.
But still with regular decrease
From size to size they fall,
In every leaf grow less and less ; The last are least of all.
Oh! what a fund of genius pent In narrow space is here! This volume's method and intent How luminous and clear !
It leaves no reader at a loss, Or pos'd, whoever reads ; No commentator's tedious gloss, Nor even index needs.
Search Bodley's many thousands o'er ! No book is treasur'd there, Nor yet in Granta's numerous store, That may with this compare.
No!-Rival none in either host
Of this was ever seen,
Or, that contents could justly boast So brilliant and so keen.
A NEEDLE small, as small can be,*
In bulk and use surpasses me,
Nor is my purchase dear;
For little, and almost for naught, As many of my kind are bought As days are in the year.
Yet though but little use we boast, And are procur'd at little cost,
The labour is not light;
Nor few artificers it asks,
All skilful in their several tasks, To fashion us aright.
One fuses metal o'er the fire, A second draws it into wire, The sheers another plies,
Who clips in lengths the brazen thread For him, who, chasing every shred, Gives all an equal size.
A fifth prepares, exact and round,
The knob, with which it must be crown'd; His follower makes it fast :
And, with his mallet and his file,
To shape the point employs a while
The seventh and the last.
Now therefore, Oedipus! declare What creature, wonderful and rare, A process, that obtains Its purpose with so much ado,
At last produces !-Tell me true; And take me for your pains!
SELF-DOMESTICATED IN TRINITY COLLEGE,
NONE ever shar'd the social feast,
Or as an inmate, or a guest, Beneath the celebrated dome,
Where once Sir Isaac had his home, Who saw not (and with some delight Perhaps he view'd the novel sight) How numerous at the tables there, The sparrows beg their daily fare. For there, in every nook and cell Where such a family may dwell, Sure as the vernal season comes
Their nests they weave in hope of crumbs, Which, kindly given, may serve with food Convenient their unfeather'd brood;
And oft as with its summons clear The warning bell salutes their ear, Sagacious listeners to the sound, They flock from all the fields around, To reach the hospitable hall;
None more attentive to the call. Arriv'd the pensionary band,
Hopping and chirping, close at hand Solicit, what they soon receive, The sprinkled, plenteous donative. Thus is a multitude, though large, Supported at a trivial charge; A single doit would overpay Th' expenditure of every day;
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