NOSE AND EYES.- Cowper. BETWEEN Nose and Eyes a strange contest arose ; So the Tongue was the lawyer, and argued the cause "In behalf of the Nose, it will quickly appear, And your lordship," he said, "will undoubtedly find, That the Nose has had spectacles always in wear,Which amounts to possession time out of mind." Then holding the spectacles up to the court,- As wide as the ridge of the Nose is ; in short, "Again, would your lordship a moment suppose (T is a case that has happened, and may be again) That the visage or countenance had not a Nose, Pray who would or who could wear spectacles then? "On the whole it appears, and my argument shows, With a reasoning the court will never condemn, That the spectacles plainly were made for the Nose, And the Nose was as plainly intended for them." TRADITIONARY BALLAD. 69 Then, shifting his side, as a lawyer knows how, So his lordship decreed, with a grave solemn tone, TRADITIONARY BALLAD- Mary Howitt. THE FAIRIES OF THE CALDON-LOW. A MIDSUMMER LEGEND. “AND where have you been, my Mary, "And what did you see, my Mary, "And what did you hear, my Mary, 66 "O, tell me all, my Mary, All, all that ever you know; "Then take me on your knee, mother, "And merry was the glee of the harp-strings, And their dancing feet so small; But, O, the sound of the talking Was merrier far than all! " "And what were the words, my Mary, That you did hear them say?" “I'll tell you all, my mother, But let me have my way! "And some, they played with the water, And rolled it down the hill: 'And this,' they said, 'shall speedily turn The poor old miller's mill; "For there has been no water "O, the miller, how he will laugh "And some, they seized the little winds, That sounded over the hill, And each put a horn into his mouth, And blew so sharp and shrill: - TRADITIONARY BALLAD. "And there,' said they, 'the merry winds go, Away from every horn; And those shall clear the mildew dank From the blind old widow's corn! "O, the poor, blind old widow,— Though she has been blind so long, She'll be merry enough when the mildew's gone, And the corn stands stiff and strong!' "And some they brought the brown lint-seed, "O the poor, lame weaver, "And then upspoke a brownie, With a long beard on his chin: 'I have spun up all the tow,' said he, 'And I want some more to spin. "I've spun a piece of hempen cloth, And I want to spin another, A little sheet for Mary's bed, "And with that I could not help but laugh, And I laughed out loud and free; And then on the top of the Caldon-Low There was no one left but me. 71 “And all on the top of the Caldon-Low And nothing I saw but the mossy stones "But as I came down from the hill-top, I heard a jar below; How busy the jolly miller was, And how merry the wheel did go ! "And I peeped into the widow's field, "And down by the weaver's croft I stole, But I saw the weaver at his gate, "Now, this is all I heard, mother, So, prythee, make my bed, mother, TO THE LADY-BIRD.- Mrs. Southey. LADY-BIRD! lady-bird! fly away home,- |