Why, 'twas a very wicked thing,
Said little Wilhemine;

Nay, nay, my little girl, quoth he,
It was a famous victory.

10. And every body praised the Duke*
Who such a fight did win;

But what good came of it at last ?
Said little Peterkin;

Why-that-I cannot tell, said he,
But 'twas a famous victory.

LESSON LVII.

The Dog and the Fox.-GAY.

1. A SHEPHERD's dog, unskilled in sports,
Picked up acquaintance of all sorts.
Among the rest, a fox he knew ;
By frequent chat their friendship grew.
2. Says Renard, ""Tis a cruel case,
That man should stigmatize our race.
No doubt, among us, rogues you find,
As among dogs and human kind;
And yet, (unknown to me and you,)
There may be honest men and true.
3. "Thus slander tries, what'er it can,
To put us on the foot with man.
Let my own actions recommend
No prejudice can blind a friend;
You know me free from all disguise;
My honor as my life I prize."

;

4. By talk like this, from all mistrust, The dog was cured, and thought him just. As on a time the fox held forth On conscience, honesty, and worth, Sudden he stopped; he cocked his ear, Low dropped his brushy tail with fear. "Bless us! the hunters are abroad : What's all that clatter on the road ?" 5. Hold," says the

66

66 dog; we're safe from harm;

'Twas nothing but a false alarm.

* Duke of Marlborough, an Englishman.

At yonder town, 'tis maket day;
Some farmer's wife is on the way :
"Tis so, (I know her pie-bald mare,)
Dame Dobbins, with her poultry-ware."

6. Renard grew huff. Says he, " This sneer, From you, I little thought to hear.

Your meaning in your looks I see;

Pray, what's dame Dobbins, friend, to me?
Did I e'er make her poultry thinner?

Prove that I owe the dame a dinner."

7. "Friend," quoth the cur, "I meant no harm, Then why so captious? why so warm? My words, in common acceptation, Could never give this provocation; No lamb (for ought I ever knew) May be more innocent than you.'

8. At this galled Renard winced, and swore Such language ne'er was given before. "What's lamb to me ?-the saucy hint;

Show me,

base knave, which way you squint.

If, t'other night, your master lost

Three lambs-am I to pay the cost?
Your vile reflections would imply

That I'm the thief. You dog, you lie."

9. “Thou knave, thou fool," the dog replied, "The name is just, take either side;

Thy guilt these applications speak;

Sirrah, 'tis conscience makes you squeak.”
So saying, on the fox he flies :-

The self-convicted felon dies.

LESSON LVIII.

The Hare and the Tortoise.-LLOYD.

1. In days of yore,* when time was young, When birds conversed as well as sung,

When use of speech was not confined
Merely to brutes of human kind,
A forward hare of swiftness vain,
The genius of the neighboring plain,
Would oft deride the drudging crowd,

• Yore, long ago, of old time.

For geniuses are ever proud :

He'd boast, his flight 'twere vain to follow;
For dog, and horse, he'd beat them hollow;
Nay, if he put forth all his strength,
Outstrip his brethren half a length.

2. A tortoise heard his vain oration,
And vented thus his indignation :— -
"O puss! it bodes thee dire disgrace,
When I defy thee to the race.

Coine, 'tis a match; nay, no denial :
I lay my shell upon the trial."

'Twas "Done !" and "Done !" "All fair!" "A bet!"
Judges prepared and distance set.

3. The scampering hare outstripped the wind;
The creeping tortoise lagged behind,
And scarce had passed a single pole,
When puss had almost reached the goal.
"Friend tortoise," quoth the jeering hare,
"Your burden's more than you can bear;
To help you speed it were as well
That I should ease you of your shell :
Jog on a little faster, pr'ythee;
I'll take a nap, and then be with thee."

4. So said, so done, and safely, sure;
For say, what conquest more secure?
When'er he waked, (that's all that's in it,)
He could o'ertake him in a minute.
The tortoise heard his taunting jeer,
But still resolved to persevere;
Still drawled along, as who should say,
"I'll win, like Fabius,* by delay;"
On to the goal securely crept,
While puss, unknowing, soundly slept.

5. The bets were won, the hare awoke,
When thus the victor-tortoise spoke :-
"Puss, though I own thy quicker parts,
Things are not always done by starts;
You may deride my awkward pace,
But slow and steady wins the race.”

An illustrious Roman General who opposed Hannibal in Italy. He died 203 years B. C.

LESSON LIX.

The Painter who pleased Nobody and Every Body.-GAY.

1. LEST men suspect your tale untrue, Keep probability in view,

The trav❜ller, leaping o'er those bounds,
The credit of his book confounds,

Who with his tongue hath armies routed,
Makes e'en his real courage doubted.
2. But flatt'ry never seems absurd ;
The flatter'd always take your word;
Impossibilities seem just;

They take the strongest praise on trust ;
Hyperboles, though e'er so great,
Will still come short of self conceit.
3. So very like a painter drew,
That ev'ry eye the picture knew;
He hit complexion, feature, air,
So just that life itself was there;
No flatt'ry with his colors laid,
To bloom restor❜d the faded maid ;
He
gave
each muscle all its strength;
The mouth, the chin, the nose's length,
His honest pencil touch'd with truth,
And mark'd the date of age and youth.
4. He lost his friends; his practice fail'd,
Truth should not always be reveal'd ;
In dusty piles his pictures lay,

For no one sent the second pay.

5. Two busto's, fraught with ev'ry grace, A Venus' and Apollo's face,

He plac'd in view-resolv'd to please,
Whoever sat, he drew from these ;

From these corrected every feature,

And spirited each awkward creature.

6. All things were set; the hour was come,

His palette ready o'er his thumb:

My Lord appear'd, and seated right,

In proper attitude and light,

The painter look'd, he sketch'd the piece;
Then dipt his pencil, talk'd of Greece,

Of Titian's* tints, of Guido's* air,

* An Italian painter.

"Those eyes, my Lord, the spirit there,
Might well a Raphael's* hand require,
To give them all the native fire;

The features, fraught with sense and wit,
You'll grant, are very hard to hit :
But yet, with patience, you shall view
As much as paint or art can do:

7. Observe the work."-My Lord reply'd,
"Till now I thought my mouth was wide:
Besides, my nose is somewhat long;
Dear sir, for me 'tis far too young."
"O pardon me," the artist cry'd,
"In this, we painters must decide.
The piece e'en common eyes must strike;
I'll warrant it extremely like."

My Lord examin'd it anew,

No looking-glass seem'd half so true.

8. A lady came. With borrow'd grace,
He from his Venus form'd her face,
Her lover prais'd the painter's art,
So like the picture in his heart!
To ev'ry age some charm he lent;

E'en beauties were almost content.

9. Through all the town his art they prais❜d,

His custom grew, his price was rais'd.

Had he the real likeness shown,

Would any man the picture own?
But when thus happily he wrought,

Each found the likeness in his thought.

LESSON LX.

Story of the Siege of Calais.

1. EDWARD the III. after the battle of Cressy,† laid siege to Calais. He had fortified his camp in so impregn ible a manner, that all the efforts of France proved ineffectual to raise the siege, or throw succors into the city. The citizens, under count Vienne, their gallant governor, made an admirable defence.

• An Italian painter.

† Cressy, a town of France, situated on the river Maye, 100 miles N. of Paris. It is celebrated for the great victory gained on the 26th of August, A. D. 1346, by Edward III. of England, over Philip VI. of France.

Cal-ais, a town of France, situated on the Straits of Dover, taken by Ed. ward III. in 1347.