YE little snails,
With slippery tails,
Who noiselessly travel
Along this gravel,
By a silvery path of slime unsightly,
I learn that you visit my pea-rows nightly.
Felonious your visit, I guess!
And I give you this warning,
That, every morning,
I ’ll strictly examine the pods;...
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From the Ancient Irish by William Hamilton Drummond
From “The Breach of the Plain of Muirhevney”THE CAR, 1 light-moving, I behold,
Adorned with gems and studs of gold;
Ruled by the hand of skilful guide,
Swiftly—and swiftly—see it glide!* * * * *
Comes thundering on, unmatched in speed,
The gallant gray, high-... -
The Sea crashed over the grim gray rocks,
It thundered beneath the height,
It swept by reef and sandy dune,
It glittered beneath the harvest moon,
That bathed it in yellow light.Shell, and sea-weed, and sparkling stone,
It flung on the golden sand.
Strange relics torn from its deepest caves,
Sad trophies of wild... -
This Indian weed, now withered quite,
Though green at noon, cut down at night,
Shows thy decay,—
All flesh is hay:
Thus think, and drink 1 tobacco.The pipe, so lily-like and weak,
...
Does thus thy mortal state bespeak;
Thou art e’en such,—
Gone with a touch:
Thus think, and drink tobacco. -
[The Ms. of this poem, which appeared in 1820, was said to have been found in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons, in London, near a perfect human skeleton. It was published in the Morning Chronicle. The author was never discovered, although a reward of fifty guineas was offered.]
BEHOLD this ruin! ’T was a skull
Once of ethereal spirit full.
This narrow cell... -
From “The Kaléder of Sheperdes,” 1528
HE that many bokes redys,
Cunnyinge shall he be.
Wysedome is soone caught;
In many leues it is sought:
But slouth, that no boke bought,
For reason taketh no thought;
His thryfte cometh behynde. -
To the Idol of My Eye and Delight of My Heart, Anne Hathaway 1
WOULD ye be taught, ye feathered throng,
With love’s sweet notes to grace your song,
To pierce the heart with thrilling lay,
Listen to mine Anne Hathaway!
She hath a way to sing so clear,
Phœbus might wondering stop to hear.
To melt the sad, make blithe the gay,
And... -
Lord Lovel he stood at his castle gate,
Combing his milk-white steed;
When up came Lady Nancy Belle,
To wish her lover good speed, speed,
To wish her lover good speed.“Where are you going, Lord Lovel?” she said,
“Oh! where are you going?” said she;
“I ’m going, my Lady Nancy Belle,
Strange countries for to see, to see... -
Come, listen to me, you gallants so free,
All you that love mirth for to hear,
And I will tell you of a bold outlaw,
That lived in Nottinghamshire.As Robin Hood in the forest stood,
All under the greenwood tree,
There he was aware of a brave young man,
As fine as fine might be.The youngster was clad in scarlet-red,...
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O PADDY 1 dear, an’ did you hear the news that ’s goin’ round?
The shamrock is forbid by law to grow on Irish ground;
St. Patrick’s Day no more we ’ll keep; his colors can’t be seen:
For there ’s a cruel law agin’ the wearin’ of the green.
I met with Napper Tandy, and he tuk me by the hand,
And he said, “How ’s poor ould Ireland, and how does she stand...