The Classic and the Beautiful from the Literature of Three Thousand Years

DERMOT O'DOWD.

HEN Dermot O'Dowd coorted | Says Dermot, "Your eyes are as bright as the

Molly M'Can,

They were sweet as the honey and soft as

the down;

But when they were wed they began to find out

That Dermot could storm

and that Molly could frown;

They would neither give in

-so the neighbors

gave out;

morn,

But your brow is as black as a big thunder-cloud;

If your lip is a rose, sure your tongue is a thorn

That sticks in the heart of poor Dermot O'Dowd."

Says Molly, "You once said my voice was

a thrush,

But now it's a rusty ould hinge with a creak."

Both were hot till a coldness came over Says Dermot, "You called me a duck when

the two,

And Molly would flusther, and Dermot would

blusther,

I coorted,

But now I'm a goose every day in the week.

Stamp holes in the flure and cry out, But all husbands are geese, though our pride Wirrasthru !

I'm sleepless and speechless; no word can Ould Adam himself was the first o' the flock.

"Faix, you're ready enough still to fly The locks once comely in a virgin's sight

And my lips like the rose-now no longer And Time's strong pressure to subdue the

I rode or walked as I was wont before,
But now the bounding spirit was no more:
A moderate pace would now my body heat,
A walk of moderate length distress my feet.
I showed my stranger-guest those hills sub-
lime,

But said, "The view is poor: we need not climb."

At a friend's mansion I began to dread
The cold neat parlor and the gay glazed bed;
At home I felt a more decided taste,

And must have all things in my order placed;
I ceased to hunt; my horses pleased me less,
My dinner more; I learned to play at chess;
I took my dog and gun, but saw the brute
Was disappointed that I did not shoot;

My morning walks I now could bear to lose, And blessed the shower that gave me not to choose.

In fact, I felt a languor stealing on;

The active arm, the agile hand, were gone;
Small daily actions into habits grew,
And new dislike to forms and fashion new;
I loved my trees in order to dispose;
I numbered peaches, looked how stocks arose,
Told the same story oft-in short, began to
prose.

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While knowing postilions his pedigree trace

A STAUNCH AND FLEET HORSE.

EE the course thronged with gazers: the Tell his dam won this sweepstakes, his sire sports are begun;

fleet horse,

that race,

And what matches he won, too, the hostlers

When fairly run down, the fox yields up his HOW poor, how rich, how abject, how

breath,

The high-mettled racer is in at the death.

august,

How complicate, how wonderful, is man,
Distinguished link in being's endless chain,
Midway from nothing to the Deity,

Grown aged, used up, and turned out of the Dim miniature of greatness absolute,

stud,

An heir of glory, a frail child of dust,

Lame, spavined and wind-galled, but yet Helpless immortal, insect infinite,

with some blood,

THE GREAT MAN'S BOARD.

FROM THE LATIN OF DECIMUS JUNIUS JUVENALIS (JUVENAL).
THE FIFTH SATIRE.

F, hardened by affronts and, | And say, "Sup with me," thou hast thy desire:
Be thankful, mortal, and no more require.

still the same,

and of shame,

Lost to all sense of honor Thus blest, must Trebius to his levees run
When the stars languish near the rising sun;
Break off sweet slumbers drowsy and un-

Thou yet canst love to haunt

the great man's board

And think no supper good but with a lord,

and suffer more

dressed

To show his zeal and to prevent the rest;
Run to prevent the fawning, humble train,
yet thou canst hold out While slow Boötes drives his frozen wain:
Perhaps the gen'rous entertainment may
For all the state and dear attendance pay.
For him is kept a liquor more divine:
You sponges must be drunk with lees of

Than lewd Sarmentus or

vile Galba bore,

Thy solemn oath ought to be set aside;
But, sure, the stomach's easily supplied.
Suppose what frugal nature would suffice;
Suppose that wanting-hunger is not nice-
Is no. bridge vacant, no convenient seat,
Where thou mayst cringe and gnaw thy
broken meat,

wine

Drunk for your patron's pleasure and his jest.
Then, raving like a Corybas possessed,
Thou and the freedmen first begin to jar;
From mutual jeers, the prelude to the war,
Thou and thy fellow-parasites engage,

And, with a mat and crutch and tied-up And battle with a troop of servants wage.

Such bold Helvidius drank and Thrasea | The grim attendance he assighs t' affright Rather than wait; rogues who would scare

crowned

With garlands when the flowing bowl went round

On Brutus' birthday; and to raise delight, To please at once the taste and charm the sight,

He in bright amber drinks, or brighter gold,

And cups with shining beryls set doth hold. Thou art not suffered or to touch or taste; And if thou dar'st, a guard on thee is placed

To watch the gems. This may perhaps surprise,

by night

If met among the tombs, the ghastly slaves
Look as if newly started from their graves.
Before himself the flower of Asia stands
To watch his looks and to receive com-
mands-

A boy of such a price as had undone
Old Roman kings and drained the treasure
of a crown.

If thou or any of thy tribe want wine, Look back and give thy Ganymedes the sign:

The lovely boy, and bought at such a rate,

But, sir, you'll pardon they are stones of Is much too handsome and too proud to

price,

For Virro does, as many do of late,

Gems from his fingers to his cups translate

wait

On the despised and poor. Will he descend To give a glass to a declining friend?

Which the bold youth to Dido's love pre- No; his good mien, his youth and blooming

ferred

Wore on the scabbard of his shining sword.

Thou mayst at distance gaze and sigh in

vain;

face,

Tempt him to think that with a better grace Himself might sit and thou supply his place.

A cracked black pot's reserved for thee to Behold, there yet remains, which must be drain.

borne,

Proud servants' more insufferable scorn.

With what disdain another
With what disdain another gave thee bread!
The meanest wretches are with better fed:
Th' impenetrable crust thy teeth defies,
And, petrified with age, securely lies.
Hard, mouldy, black. If thou presume t' in-

vade

With sacrilegious hands thy patron's bread,
There stands a servant ready to chastise
Your insolence and teach you to be wise;
Will you, a bold intruder, never learn
To know your basket and your bread dis-

cern?

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The Classic and the Beautiful from the Literature of Three ..., Volume 2