130

THE HAUNTED SPRING.

"O lady fair," the hunter cried,
"Be thou my love, my blooming
bride, -

A bride that well might grace a king!
Fair lady of the haunted spring."

In the fountain clear she stooped,
And forth she drew a ring;
And that loved knight

His faith did plight

Down by the haunted spring.

But since that day his chase did stray,
The hunter ne'er was seen,
And legends tell he now doth dwell
Within the hills so green;

But still the milk-white doe appears,
And wakes the peasants' evening fears,
While distant bugles faintly ring
Around the lonely haunted spring.

LOVER.

A FAIRY'S SONG.

Over hill, over dale,

Through bush, through briar,
Over park, over pale,

Through flood, through fire,
I do wander everywhere,
Swifter than the moon's sphere;
And I serve the Fairy Queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green.
The cowslips tall her pensioners be;
In their gold coats spots you see,
These be rubies, fairy favors,

In those freckles live their savors.

I must go seek some dew-drops here,
And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.

SHAKESPEARE.

132

NOSE AND EYES.

NOSE AND EYES.

Between Nose and Eyes a strange contest arose;
The spectacles set them unhappily wrong;
The point in dispute was, as all the world knows,
To which the said spectacles ought to belong.

So the Tongue was the lawyer, and argued the cause
With a great deal of skill, and a wig full of learning;
While Chief-justice Ear sat to balance the laws,

So famed for his talent in nicely discerning.

"In behalf of the Nose, it will quickly appear,

And your lordship," he said, "will undoubtedly find, That the Nose has had spectacles always in wear, Which amounts to possession time out of mind.”

Then holding the spectacles up to the court,

"Your lordship observes they are made with a straddle As wide as the ridge of the Nose is; in short, Designed to sit close to it, just like a saddle.

"Again, would your lordship a moment suppose
('Tis a case that has happened, and may be again)
That the visage or countenance had not a Nose,

Pray who would or who could wear spectacles then?

"On the whole it appears, and my argument shows, With a reasoning the court will never condemn, That the spectacles plainly were made for the Nose, And the Nose was as plainly intended for them."

Then, shifting his side, as a lawyer knows how,
He pleaded again in behalf of the Eyes;
But what were his arguments few people know,
For the court did not think they were equally wise.

So his lordship decreed, with a grave, solemn tone,
Decisive and clear, without one if or but,
That whenever the Nose put his spectacles on,

By daylight or candle-light, Eyes should be shut.

COWPER.

134

THE WIND IN A FROLIC,

THE WIND IN A FROLIC.

The wind one morning sprang up from sleep,
Saying, "Now for a frolic! now for a leap!
Now for a madcap galloping chase!

I'll make a commotion in every place!"

So it swept with a bustle right through a great town,
Creaking the signs, and scattering down

Shutters, and whisking, with merciless squalls,
Old women's bonnets and gingerbread stalls.
There never was heard a much lustier shout,
As the apples and oranges tumbled about;
And the urchins, that stand with their thievish eyes
Forever on watch, ran off each with a prize.

Then away to the fields it went blustering and humming,

And the cattle all wondered whatever was coming.
It plucked by their tails the grave, matronly cows,
And tossed the colts' manes all about their brows,
-Till, offended at such a familiar salute,

They all turned their backs and stood silently mute.
So on it went, capering and playing its pranks;
Whistling with reeds on the broad river banks;