How suddenly he skims the glassy pool,
How quaintly dips, and with a bullet's speed
Whisks by.

I love to be awake, and hear
His morning song twitter'd to young-eyed day.

But most of all it wins

my

admiration,
To view the structure of this little work,
A bird's nest. Mark it well, within, without,
No tool, had he that wrought, no knife to cut,
No nail to fix, no bodkin to insert,
No glue to join ; his little beak was all.
And yet how neatly finish'd. What nice hand
With ev'ry implement and means of art,
And twenty years apprenticeship to boot,
Could make me such another ? Fondly then
We boast of excellence, whose noblest skill
Instinctive genius foils.

The bee observe ;
She too an artist is, and laughs at man
Who calls on rules the fightly hexagon
With truth to form ; a cunning architect,
That at the roof begins her golden work,
And builds without foundation. How she toils,
And still from bud to bud, from flow'r to flow'r,
Travels the livelong day. Ye idle drones
That rather pilfer than your bread obtain
By honest means like these, look here, and learn
How good, how fair, how honourable 'tis
To live by industry,' The busy tribes
Of bees fo emulous, are daily fed
With heaven's peculiar manna. 'Tis for them,

Unwearied

Unwearied alchymists, the blooming world
Nectarious gold distils. And bounteous heav'n
Still to the diligent and active good,
Their

very labour makes the certain cause Of future wealth.

But see, the setting fun
Puts on a milder countenance, and skirts
The undulated clouds that cross his way
With glory visible. His axle cools,
And his broad disk, tho’ fervent, not intense,
Foretells the near approach of matron night.
" 'e fair, retreat! Your drooping flowers need
Wholesome refreshment. Down the hedge-row path
We haften home, and only lack our speed
To gaze a moment at the custom'd gap
That all so unexpectedly presents
The clear cerulean prospect down the vale
Dispers?d along the bottom flocks and herds,
Hayricks and cottages, beside a stream
That filverly meanders here and there ;
And higher up, corn-fields, and pastures, hops,
And waving woods, and tufts, and lonely oaks,
Thick interspers’d as Nature best was pleas’d.

Happy the man who truly loves his home, And never wanders farther from his door

have

gone to day ; who feels his heart Still drawing homeward, and delights like us

more to rest his foot on own threhold.

Than we

BOOK

IT

T was some time in the summer of that year in which

Dendermond was taken by the allies, which was about seven years before

my

father came into the country,--and about as many after the time, that my uncle Toby and Trim had privately decamped from my father's houfe in town, in order to lay some of the finest fieges to some of the finest for. tified cities in Europe-when my uncle Toby wasone evening getting his supper, with Trim fitting behind him at a small fideboard ;--The landlord of a little inn in the village came into the parlour with an empty phial in his hand to beg a glass or two of fack. ; 'Tis for a poor gentleman, -I think, of the army, said the landlord, who has been taken ill at my house four days ago, and has never held up his head since, or had a desire to taste any thing, till jufl now, that he has a fancy for a glass of sack and a thin toat)

I think, says he, taking his hand from his forehead, it would comfort me.

-If I could neither beg, borrow, or buy such a thing, --added the landlord, I would almoft steal it for the poor gentleman, he is so ill.

I hope in God he will still mend, continued he-we are all of us concerned for him.

Thou art a good-natured soul, I will answer for thee, cried my uncle Toby; and thou shalt drink the poor gentleman's health in a glass of sack thyself,--and take a couple of bottles with my fervice, and tell him he is heartily welcome to them, and to a dozen more if they will do him good.

Though I am persuaded, said my uncle Toby, as the landlord shut the door, he is a very compassionate fellow Trim,-yet I cannot help entertaining a high opinion of his guest too ; there must be something more than common in him, that in fo short a time should win so much upon the affections of his hoit ;And of his whole family, added the corporal, for they are all concerned for him.-Step after him, said my uncle Toby,-do Trim,--and alk if he knows his name,

I have quite forgot it, truly, said the landlord, poming back into the parlour with the corporal, but I can alk his son again -Has he a fon with him then ? said my uncle Toby.—A boy, replied the landlord, of about eleven

years

of
age

:--but the poor creature has tafted almost as little as his father ; he does nothing but mourn and lament for him night and day : He has not stirred from the bed-lide these two days.

My uncle Toby laid down his knife and fork, and thruft his plate from before him, as the landlord gave him the ae

count ;

or twelve

in my

your

count; and Trim, without being ordered, took them away without saying one word, and in a few minutes after brought him his pipe and tobacco. Stay in the room a little, said my

uncle TobyTrim !-faid my uncle Toby, after he lighted his pipe, and smoaked about a dozen* whiffs.Trim came in front of his master and made his bow ;--my uncle Toby smoaked on, and said no more.

Corporal ! faid

my

uncle Toby-the corporal made his bow. My uncle Toby proceeded no farther, but finished his pipe.

Trim ! faid my uncle Toby, I have a project in my head, as it is a bad night, of wrapping myself up warm roquelaure, and paying a visit to this poor gentleman.

-Your honour's roquelaure, replied the corporal, has not once been had on, since the night before honour received your wound, when we mounted guard in the trenches before the gate of St. Nicholas and besides it is so cold and rainy a night, that what with the roquelaure, and what with the weather, 'twill be enough to give your honour your death, and bring on your honour's torment in your groin. I fear fo, replied my uncle Toby : but I am not at rest in my mind, Trim, since the account the landlord has given me.- -I wish I had not known so much of this affair,-added my uncle Toby,-or that I had known more of it ; -How shall we manage it !- Leave it, an't please your honour, to me, quoth the corporal ; I'll take my hat and stick, and go to the house and reconnoitre, and act accordingly ; and I will bring your honour a full account in an hour. -Thou shalt go, Trim, said my

uncle Toby, and here's a shilling for thee to drink with his fervant. -I shall get it all out of him, said the corporal, shutting the door.