EXPOSTULATION

AND

REPLY.

“ Why, William, on that old gray stone,
“ Thus for the length of half a day,
“ Why, William, sit you thus alone,
“ And dream your time away ?

“ Where are your books ?—that light bequeath'd “ To beings else forlorn and blind ! “ Up! up! and drink the spirit breath'd - From dead men to their kind.

“You look round on your mother earth, " As if she for no purpose bore you ; “ As if you were her first-born birth, “And none had lived before you!"

One morning thus, by Esthwaite lake,
When life was sweet, I knew not why,
To me my good friend Matthew spake,
And thus I made reply :

“ The eye it cannot choose but see;
“ We cannot bid the ear be still ;
“Our bodies feel, where'er they be,
“ Against, or with our will.

“ Nor less I deem that there are powers " Which of themselves our minds impress; “ That we can feed this mind of ours “ In a wise passiveness.

“ Think you, mid all this mighty sum
“Of things for ever speaking,
“ That nothing of itself will come,
“But we must still be seeking ?

"-Then ask'not wherefore, here, alone, “Conversing as I may, “ I sit upon this old gray stone, “ And dream my time away.”

THE TABLES TURNED;

An EVENING SCENE, on the same Subject.

Up! up! my Friend, and clear your looks;
Why all this toil and trouble ?
Up! up! my Friend, and quit your books,
Or surely you'll grow double.

The sun, above the mountain's head,
A freshening lustre mellow
Through all the long green fields has spread,
His first sweet evening yellow.

Books! 'tis a dull and endless strife :
Come, hear the woodland Linnet,
How sweet his music! on my life
There's more of wisdom in it. .

And hark! how blithe the Throstle sings !
And he is no mean preacher :
Come forth into the light of things,
Let Nature be your teacher.

She has a world of ready wealth,
Our minds and hearts to bless-
Spontaneous wisdom breathed by health,
Truth breathed by cheerfulness.

One impulse from a vernal wood
May teach you more of man,
Of moral evil and of good,
Than all the sages can,