THE Sage, awaked at early day, Through the deep forest took his way; And nightingales abhorr'd his sight; All animals before him ran, To shun the hateful sight of man. "Whence is this dread of every creature? A vice peculiar to the kind. The sheep, whose annual fleece is dyed The swarms who, with industrious skill, (1) It is strange how the plumage of one goose, serves the passion of another, and the feather of the bird aids the enunciation of the venomous spleen of the man! The quill is, "Torn from its parent-bird to form a pen, That mighty instrument of little men!"-BYRON. Does it not lovers' hearts explain, He takes the quills, and eats the goose. Be sure we Pheasants must be spitted." 1 (1) Listeners hear no good of themselves, and the sage in the fable, obtained more knowledge of the real state of man's nature, as exhibited towards the brutes and to his fellow, than he perhaps had ever procured before, from his own contemplation. With sin came fear, and our first fall separated man from the Creator on one side, and from creation on the other. Our language towards the first, breathes fear and insincerity, and our acts to the other, combine selfishness and tyranny! Here it is evident that the phase of human nature turned to meet the rebuke of the Pheasant, is ingratitude, and "if a man be accused of this vice," say the Latins, "he is accused of every crime." A PIN who long had served a beauty, Had form'd her sleeve, confined her hair; At length from all her honours cast, Through various turns of life she past: Now glitter'd on a tailor's arm, "Tis plain each thing so struck her mind, "And pray what's this, and this, dear Sir?" She knew the name; and thus the fool "A needle with that filthy stone, 66 Friend," says the Needle, "cease to blame; Know'st thou the loadstone's power and art, (1) This was originally the house of the celebrated founder of the Royal Exchange, who not content with other munificent acts towards his fellowcitizens, converted his own dwelling into a museum. The Royal Society originated here in 1645. For an account of the building, see a most excellent work called "The Curiosities of London," by John Timbs, Esq., F.S.A. |