The carps are sharp-set,

All the sermon forget.

Much delighted were they,
But preferr'd the old way.

SLEEP.

JOHN G. SAXE.

John Godfrey Saxe, the author of the following lines and several other pieces which appear in the present volume, is a living American humorist of considerable reputation. The style of Saxe is similar to that of Hood and Praed; and in many of his shorter poems he has displayed an amount of humorous power and poetic feeling, and a freedom of versification, which entitles him to a prominent position in the poetical literature of the United States.

'GOD bless the man who first invented sleep !'
So Sancho Panza said, and so say I;
And bless him, also, that he didn't keep
His great discovery to himself; or try
To make it as the lucky fellow might-
A close monopoly by 'patent right.'

Yes, bless the man who first invented sleep
(I really can't avoid the iteration);

But blast the man, with curses loud and deep,
Whate'er the rascal's name, or age, or station,
Who first invented, and went round advising,
That artificial cut-off-early rising !

'Rise with the lark, and with the lark to bed,'

Observes some solemn, sentimental owl; Maxims like these are very cheaply said;

But, ere you make yourself a fool or fowl,
Pray just inquire about their rise-and fall-
And whether larks have any bed at all!

The time for honest folks to be abed'
Is in the morning, if I reason right;
And he who cannot keep his precious head
Upon his pillow till it's fairly light,
And so enjoy his forty morning winks,
Is up-to knavery; or else he drinks!

Thomson, who sung about the 'Seasons,' said
It was a glorious thing to rise in season;
But then he said it-lying-in his bed

At ten o'clock A.M.-the very reason

He wrote so charmingly. The simple fact is, His preaching wasn't sanctioned by his practice.

"Tis, doubtless, well to be sometimes awake-Awake to duty and awake to truth-

But when, alas! a nice review we take

Of our best deeds and days, we find, in sooth, The hours that leave the slightest cause to weep Are those we passed in childhood, or-asleep!

'Tis beautiful to leave the world awhile

For the soft visions of the gentle night; And free at last from mortal care and guile, To live, as only in the angels' sight,

In sleep's sweet realms so cosily shut in,
Where, at the worst, we only dream of sin!

So let us sleep, and give the Maker praise.

I like the lad who, when his father thought
To clip his morning nap by hackney'd phrase

Of vagrant worm by early songster caught,
Cried 'Served him right! it's not at all surprising
The worm was punish'd, sir, for early rising !'

A JUSTICIARY OPERA

JAMES BOSWELL.

"This burlesque of the criminal procedure in Scotland ɛ hundred years ago, is believed to have been, in its original form, the production of James Boswell, the biographer of Johnson, assisted by his friend Colin Maclaurin, afterwards Lord Dreghorn. The songs marked with an asterisk are additions by Sir Alexander Boswell, Bart., who printed the whole in a private volume, 4to, 1814'-Robert Chambers.

DRAMATIS PERSONE.

CALIENDROSUS MAXIMUS, Grand Clerk of the Scales and Chopping-Knife, and Commander of the Forces.

HYSTRIX, Clerk of the Rounds.

BOMBYX, a very great Officer.

JOHN BLACK, the Pannel.

BAMBOOZLE,

FLAW-FINDER,

}

Orators for the Pannel.

Judges, Jurymen, Sheriffs, Bailies, Serjeants, Mob, etc.

SCENE.-An Inn.

CALIENDROSUS MAXIMUS et HYSTRIX.

DUET-AIR-Saw ye my father?

Cal. Saw ye my Trumpeter?

Or saw ye my Macer?

Or saw ye my man John?

Hyst. I have not seen your Trumpeter;
I have not seen your Macer;
And drunk is your man John!

Enter a WAITER.

[Martial Music.

• AIR-Hey Jenny come down to Jock.

Waiter. The Bailies are waitin', the Provost is come, Twal1 permanent Serjeants, a fife and a drum;

Twa Sherras, wi' swords (but they're peaceable men); And some twa-three mair-and the clock's chappit ten.

1 Twelve.

[A Grand Procession.

• Struck.

Enter CALIENDROSUS MAXIMUS, BOMBYX, HYSTRIX, BAMBOOZLE, FLAW-FINDER, MACER, JURYMEN, MOв,

etc.

* AIR-Fye, let us a' to the weddin'.

Hyst. Ge-en-tlemen o' the Jury,

Ye'll answer until a' your names.

Walter Balwhid o' Pitlurie.

Jurym. Here.

Hyst. Matthew Powloosie o' Kames.

Jurym. Here.

Hyst. Duncan Macwhey o' Todwiddock.

Jurym. Here.

Hyst. Jacob Ba'four o' Howbrig.

Jurym. Here.

Hyst. John Macindo o' Glenpuddock.

Jurym. Here.

Hyst. Hew Gib in Bog o' Daljig.

Jurym. Here.

Hyst. Patrick Macrone o' Craig-gubble.

Jurym. Here.

Hyst. George Yellowlees in Cowshaw.
Jurym. Here.

Hyst. Ralph Mucklehose in Blindrubble.

Jurym. Here.

Hyst. Robert Macmurdoch in Raw.
Jurym. Here.

Hyst. Andrew Mackissock in Shalloch.
Jurym. Here.