When William was our king declar'd, With this new wind about I steer'd, Set conscience at a distance; Passive obedience was a joke, A jest was non-resistance. And this is law-that I'll maintain, Until my dying day, sir, That whatsoever king shall reign, When royal Anne became our queen, I blamed their moderation; And thought the church in danger was, By such prevarication. And this is law-that I'll maintain, Until my dying day, sir, That whatsoever king shall reign, Still I'll be vicar of Bray, sir. When George in pudding-time came o'er, My principles I chang'd once more, And thus preferment I procur'd The Pope and the Pretender. And this is law-that I'll maintain, Th' illustrious house of Hanover, For in my faith and loyalty, And George my lawful king shall be-- And this is law—that I'll maintain, That whatsoever king shall reign, THE TWO WEAVERS. As at their work two weavers sat "What with my babes and sickly wife," "How glorious is the rich man's state! "In spite of what the Scripture teaches, "Where'er I look, howe'er I range, And all the wicked are the blest." Quoth John, "Our ignorance is the cause, "Seest thou that carpet, not half done, Which thou, dear Dick, hast well begun ? Behold the wild confusion there! So rude the mass, it makes one stare! "A stranger, ignorant of the trade, Quoth Dick, "My work is yet in bits: Besides, you reason like a lout; Why, man, that carpet 's inside out." Says, John, "Thou sayest the thing I mean, And now I hope to cure thy spleen : This world, which clouds thy soul with doubt, Is but a carpet inside out. "As when we view these shreds and ends, "No plan, no pattern, can we trace; All wants proportion, truth, and grace; The motley mixture we deride, Nor see the beauteous upper side. "But when we reach the world of light, U "What now seem random strokes, will there Then shall we praise what here we spurned, "Thou'rt right," quoth Dick, "no more I'll That this world is so strange a jumble; HANNAH MORE. THE NIGHTINGALE AND THE GLOWWORM. A NIGHTINGALE, that all day long |