Elate with flattery and conceit,
He seeks his royal sire's retreat;
Forward and fond to show his parts,
His Highness brays; the lion starts.
"Puppy! that curs'd vociferation:
Betrays thy life and conversation:
Coxcombs, an ever-noisy race,
Are trumpets of their own disgrace."
Why so severe?" the cub replies;
“Our senate always held me wise!"

66

"How weak is pride," returns the sire: "All fools are vain when fools admire! But know, what stupid asses prize, Lions and noble beasts despise."

JOHN GAY.

In Merry

Mood

Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog

Good people all, of every sort,

Give ear unto my song;
And if you find it wondrous short-
It cannot hold you long.

In Islington there was a Man,

Of whom the world might say. That still a godly race he ran— Whene'er he went to pray.

In Merry
Mood

A kind and gentle heart he had,

To comfort friends and foes:
The naked every day he clad,—
When he put on his clothes.

And in that town a Dog was found,
As many dogs there be,

Both mongrel, puppy, whelp, and hound,
And curs of low degree.

This Dog and Man at first were friends;
But when a pique began,

The Dog, to gain some private ends,
Went mad, and bit the Man.

Around from all the neighbouring streets
The wondering neighbours ran,
And swore the Dog had lost his wits,
To bite so good a Man!

The wound it seem'd both sore and sad

To every Christian eye:

And while they swore the Dog was mad,
They swore the Man would die.

But soon a wonder came to light,
That show'd the rogues they lied:-
The Man recover'd of the bite,

The Dog it was that died!

OLIVER GOLDSMITH.

The Walrus and the Carpenter

The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make

The billows smooth and bright—
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done—
"It's very rude of him," she said,
"To come and spoil the fun!"

The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead-
There were no birds to fly.

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand:
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:

"If this were only cleared away,

They said, "it would be grand!"

In Merry
Mood

In Merry
Mood

"If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year,

Do you suppose," the Walrus said,
"That they could get it clear?"
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.

"O Oysters, come and walk with us!"
The Walrus did beseech.

"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:

We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each."

The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head-
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.

But four young Oysters hurried up,
All eager for the treat:

Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,

Their shoes were clean and neat-
And this was odd, because, you know,

They hadn't any feet.

Four other Oysters followed them,

And yet another four;

And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more-
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.

The Walrus and the Carpenter

Walked on a mile or so,

And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:

And all the little Oysters stood

And waited in a row.

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:

Of shoes-and ships-and sealing-wax-
Of cabbages-and kings-

And why the sea is boiling hot-
And whether pigs have wings."

"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
66 Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"

66

No hurry!" said the Carpenter.

They thanked him much for that.

"A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,
"Is what we chiefly need:

Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed-

In Merry

Mood