Four voyagers to parts unknown,On shore, not far from naked, thrownBy furious waves,–a merchant, now undone,A noble, shepherd, and a monarch’s son,–Brought to the lot of Belisarius,[A]Their wants supplied on alms precarious.To tell what fates, and winds, and weather,Had brought these mortals all together,Though from far distant points abscinded,Would make my tale long-winded.Suffice to say, […]

‘Twixt elephant and beast of horned noseAbout precedence a dispute arose,Which they determined to decide by blows.The day was fix’d, when came a messengerTo say the ape of JupiterWas swiftly earthward seen to bearHis bright caduceus through the air.This monkey, named in history Gill,The elephant at once believedA high commission had receivedTo witness, by his […]

A Scythian philosopher austere,Resolved his rigid life somewhat to cheer,Perform’d the tour of Greece, saw many things,But, best, a sage,–one such as Virgil sings,–A simple, rustic man, that equal’d kings;From whom, the gods would hardly bear the palm;Like them unawed, content, and calm.His fortune was a little nook of land;And there the Scythian found him, […]

To Madame De La Sabliere. A temple I reserved you in my rhyme:It might not be completed but with time.Already its endurance I had groundedUpon this charming art, divinely founded;And on the name of that divinityFor whom its adoration was to be.These words I should have written o’er its gate–TO IRIS IS THIS PALACE CONSECRATE;Not […]

Love and Folly[1] Love bears a world of mystery–His arrows, quiver, torch, and infancy:‘Tis not a trifling work to soundA sea of science so profound:And, hence, t’ explain it all to-dayIs not my aim; but, in my simple way,To show how that blind archer lad(And he a god!) came by the loss of sight,And eke […]

To His August Highness, Monseigneur The Prince De Conti.[1] The gods, for that themselves are good,The like in mortal monarchs would.The prime of royal rights is grace;To this e’en sweet revenge gives place.So thinks your highness,–while your wrathIts cradle for its coffin hath.Achilles no such conquest knew–In this a hero less than you.That name indeed […]

A bush, duck, and bat, having found that in trade,Confined to their country, small profits were made,Into partnership enter’d to traffic abroad,Their purse, held in common, well guarded from fraud.Their factors and agents, these trading alliesEmploy’d where they needed, as cautious as wise:Their journals and ledgers, exact and discreet,Recorded by items expense and receipt.All throve, […]

To Monseigneur The Duke De Bourgogne.[1] Dear prince, a special favourite of the skies,Pray let my incense from your altars rise.With these her gifts, if rather late my muse,My age and labours must her fault excuse.My spirit wanes, while yours beams on the sightAt every moment with augmented light:It does not go–it runs,–it seems to […]

A man was planting at fourscore.Three striplings, who their satchels wore,‘In building,’ cried, ‘the sense were more;But then to plant young trees at that age!The man is surely in his dotage.Pray, in the name of common sense,What fruit can he expect to gatherOf all this labour and expense?Why, he must live like Lamech’s father!What use […]

Three saints, for their salvation jealous,Pursued, with hearts alike most zealous,By routes diverse, their common aim.All highways lead to Rome: the sameOf heaven our rivals deeming true,Each chose alone his pathway to pursue.Moved by the cares, delays, and crossesAttach’d to suits by legal process,One gave himself as judge, without reward,For earthly fortune having small regard.Since […]

An Imitation Of Theocritus. To Madame De La Mesangere.[1] Offspring of her to whom, to-day,While from thy lovely self away,A thousand hearts their homage pay,Besides the throngs whom friendship binds to please,And some whom love presents thee on their knees!A mandate which I cannot thrust asideBetween you both impels me to divideSome of the incense […]

A mouse was once in mortal fearOf a cat that watch’d her portal near.What could be done in such a case?With prudent care she left the catship,And courted, with a humble grace,A neighbour of a higher race,Whose lordship–I should say his ratship–Lay in a great hotel;And who had boasted oft, ’tis said,Of living wholly without […]

To Madame Harvey.[1] Sound reason and a tender heartWith thee are friends that never part.A hundred traits might swell the roll;–Suffice to name thy nobleness of soul;Thy power to guide both men and things;Thy temper open, bland and free,A gift that draweth friends to thee,To which thy firm affection clings,Unmarr’d by age or change of […]

‘You villain!’ cried a man who foundAn adder coil’d upon the ground,‘To do a very grateful deedFor all the world, I shall proceed.’On this the animal perverse(I mean the snake;Pray don’t mistakeThe human for the worse)Was caught and bagg’d, and, worst of all,His blood was by his captor to be spiltWithout regard to innocence or […]

A fool pursued, with club and stone,A sage, who said, ‘My friend, well done!Receive this guinea for your pains;They well deserve far higher gains.The workman’s worthy of his hire,‘Tis said. There comes a wealthy squire,Who hath wherewith thy works to pay;To him direct thy gifts, and theyShall gain their proper recompense.’Urged by the hope of […]

A foolish Dog, who carried in his jawA juicy bone,Looked down into a stream, and there he sawAnother one,Splash! In he plunged.. The image disappeared–The meat he had was gone.Indeed, he nearly sank,And barely reached the bank.

Once there was a country bumpkinWho observed a great big pumpkinTo a slender stem attached;While upon an oak tree nourished,Little acorns grew and flourished.“Bah!” said he. “That’s badly matched.” “If, despite my humble station,I’d a hand in this Creation,Pumpkins on the oaks would be;And the acorn, light and little,On this pumpkin stem so brittleWould be […]

To this lesson in greed,Pray, little ones, heed: Each day, we are told,A most wonderful HenLaid an egg made of goldFor this meanest of men. So greedy was he,He was not satisfied.“What is one egg to me?I want all that’ inside!” He cut off her head,And began to explore.But the poor hen was dead.And could […]

There was a little FogWhose home was in a bog,And he worried ’cause he wasn’t big enough.He sees an ox and cries:“That’s just about my size,If I stretch myself–Say Sister, see me puff!” So he blew, blew, blew,Saying: “Sister, will that do?”But she shook her head. And then he lost his wits.For he stretched and […]

Mr. Raven was perched upon a limb,And Reynard the Fox looked up at him;For the Raven held in his great big beakA morsel the Fox would go far to seek. Said the Fox, in admiring tones: “My word!Sir Raven, you are a handsome bird.Such feathers! If you would only sing,The birds of these woods would […]