She chose the tallest tree in all the wood, What then could bring her down? Or make the prize his own? Nothing but flatt'ry could. He soon the silence broke, And thus ingenious hunger spoke: Whose glossy plumage oft has stirr'd Thy form was Nature's pleasing care, If both in these together meet, Of form so fair, of voice so sweet. With notes that I would die to hear!" She scream'd as if the de'el was in her; Her vanity became so strong That, wrapt in her own frightful song, She quite forgot, and dropt her dinner: The morsel fell quick by the place Where Reynard lay, Who seized the prey And eat it without saying grace. He, sneezing, cried "The day's my own, My end's obtain'd, The prize is gain'd, And now I'll change my note. Vain, foolish, cheated Crow, Of course my flatt'ry's done: And spoke so well only to hear you croak? And a keen appetite to eat, That first inspir'd, and carried on the cheat. And richly worth a slice of cheese." THE PIG AND MAGPIE. COCKING his tail, a saucy prig, A Magpie hopped upon a Pig, PETER PINDAR. To pull some hair, forsooth, to line his nest; Was by himself, and not the Pig, possessed. The Boar looked up as thunder black to Mag, The Pig set up a dismal yelling: Followed the robber to his dwelling, Who like a fool had built it 'midst a bramble: In manfully he sallied, full of might, Determined to obtain his right, And 'midst the bushes now began to scramble. He drove the Magpie, tore his nest to rags, ADVICE TO YOUNG WOMEN; OR, THE ROSE AND STRAWBERRY. PETER PINDAR. YOUNG Women! don't be fond of killing, Yet, yet, if prudence be not near The dimple smile, and pouting lip, But, ah! if prudence be not nigh, Those lips where all the Cupids lie, May give a passage to a groan. A Rose, in all the pride of bloom, Flinging around her rich perfume, Her form to public notice pushing, Amid the summer's golden glow, Peeped on a Strawberry below, Beneath a leaf, in secret blushing. "Miss Strawberry," exclaimed the Rose, "What's beauty that no mortal knows? What is a charm, if never seen? You really are a pretty creature: Then wherefore hide each blooming feature? Come up, and show your modest mien." "Miss Rose," the Strawberry replied, "I never did possess a pride That wished to dash the public eye: Indeed, I own that I'm afraidI think there's safety in the shade, Ambition causes many a sigh." "Go, simple child," the Rose rejoined, "See how I wanton in the wind: I feel no danger's dread alarms: And then observe the god of day, How amorous with his golden ray, To pay his visits to my charms!" No sooner said, but with a scream A clown had on her fixed his pat. In vain she screeched-Hob did but smile; Rubbed with her leaves his nose awhile, Then bluntly stuck her in his hat. ECONOMY. ECONOMY's a very useful broom; PETER PINDAR Yet should not ceaseless hunt about the room That squeezes even the little guts of mice, That peep with fearful eyes, and ask a crumb. Proper Economy's a comely thing- Yet pushed too far, it dulls each finer feeling- To over-reaching, perjury, and stealing. Even when the heart should only think of grief, And swallows up th' affections all so mild Witness the Jewess, and her only child : THE JEWESS AND HER SON. Poor Mistress Levi had a luckless son, Dead in a minute as a nit: In short, he broke his pretty Hebrew neck; The mother was distracted, raving, wild- She cast about her eyes in thought profound: "Sher, I'm de moder of de poor Chew lad, Sher, I muss haf de shilling back, you know, But as for Avarice, 'tis the very devil; The cancer of the heart-the worst of ills: Like aconite, where'er it spreads, it kills. |