FullReads

‘MID poverty oft Fred’rick sighed and wept;
A toothless hag–his only servant kept;
His kitchen cold; (where commonly he dwelled;)
A pretty decent horse his stable held;
A falcon too; and round about the grange,
Our quondam ‘squire repeatedly would range,
Where oft, to melancholy, he was led,
To sacrifice the game which near him fed;
By Clytia’s cruelty the gun was seized,
And feathered victims black chagrin appeased.

‘TWAS thus the lover whiled his hours away;
His heart-felt torments nothing could allay;
Blessed if with fortune love he’d also lost,
Which constantly his earthly comforts crossed;
But this lorn passion preyed upon his mind:–
Where’er he rode, BLACK CARE would mount behind.

DEATH took at length the husband of the fair;
An only son appointed was his heir,
A sickly child, whose life, ’twas pretty plain,
Could scarcely last till spring returned again,
Which made the husband, by his will, decree,
His wife the infant’s successor should be,
In case the babe at early years should die,
Who soon grew worse and raised the widow’s sigh.

TOO much affection parents ne’er can show:–
A mother’s feelings none but mothers know.

FAIR Clytia round her child with anxious care,
Watched day and night, and no expense would spare;
Inquired if this or that would please his taste;
What he desired should be procured with haste;
But nothing would he have that she proposed;
An ardent wish howe’er the boy disclosed,
For Fred’rick’s Falcon, and most anxious grew:–
Tear followed tear, and nothing else would do.
When once a child has got a whim in brain,
No peace, no rest, till he the boon obtain.

WE should observe our belle, near Fred’rick’s cot,
A handsome house and many lands had got;
‘Twas there the lovely babe had lately heard,
Most wondrous stories of the bird averred;
No partridge e’er escaped its rapid wing:–
On every morn down numbers it would bring;
No money for it would its owner take;
Much grieved was Clytia such request to make.
The man, for her, of wealth had been bereft;
How ask the only treasure he had left?
And him if she were led to importune,
Could she expect that he’d accord the boon?
Alas! ungratefully she oft repaid,
His liberal treats, his concerts, serenade,
And haughtily behaved from first to last:
How be so bold, (reflecting on the past,)
To see the man that she so ill had used?
And ask a favour?–could she be excused?
But then her child!–perhaps his life ‘twould save;
Naught would he take; the falcon she must crave.

THAT her sweet babe might be induced to eat,
So meant the bird of Fred’rick to intreat;
Her boy was heard continually to cry,
Unless he had the falcon, he should die.

THESE reasons strongly with the mother weighed;
Her visit to the ‘squire was not delayed;
With fond affection for her darling heir,
One morn, alone she sought the lorn repair.

TO Fred’rick’s eye an angel she appeared;
But shame he felt, that she, his soul revered,
Should find him poor:–no servants to attend,
Nor means to give a dinner to a friend.
The poverty in which he now was viewed,
Distressed his mind and all his griefs renewed.
Why come? said he; what led you thus to trace,
An humble slave of your celestial face?
A villager, a wretched being here;
Too great the honour doubtless must appear;
‘Twas somewhere else you surely meant to go?
The lady in a moment answered no.
Cried he, I’ve neither cook nor kettle left;
Then how can I receive you, thus bereft?
But you have bread, said Clytia:–that will do;–
The lover quickly to the poultry flew,
In search of eggs; some bacon too he found;
But nothing else, except the hawk renowned,
Which caught his eye, and instantly was seized,
Slain, plucked, and made a fricassee that pleased.