Ir happy you would be tomorrow Today must be a day of sorrow,
For Fortune's never tired of ranging And Lúck of all things loves place-changing: Today good luck, tomorrow bad;
Sórry today, tomorrow glad;
Take úp, put down; now none, now all; So spins teetotum, twirls the ball; Lúcky, we bless kind Providence, Unlucky, with no jot more sense Upbraid the Author of all ill, For mán must be religious still,
And have his Oberon and his Puck,
Thát for his good, this for his ill luck.
TAUERNHAUS, FEHRLEITEN, at the foot of the GROSS-GLOCKNER, July 16, 1854.
THE first draught of cold water when you 're thirsty
Is not delicious only but divine,
Bálsam and nectar or whatever more
The grateful heart can say or think of praise; The sécond draught falls short of the delicious, Though not unpleasant, though even pleasant still; The third palls on the taste and you turn fróm it Averse, and will no more, not even one drop; Fórced to the fourth you swallow with displeasure,
Loathing and pain the odious beverage, Which, forced upon you still, becomes at last Your dírest enemy, your deadliest poison, The water all the while being the same, And the last draught refreshing as the first, Hadst thoú thyself not in the meantime changed.
Go tó! go tó! ye that an absolute good Or ábsolute bád find in the outward world And look not in yourselves for that which makes The indifferent, outward object good or bad.
ALPNACH in the valley of SARNEN, Sept. 23, 1854.
cát that in a barn the day Had moúsing spent among the hay Without success, and thought her fast Was likely now till morn to last, Spied, with her eyes half closed to sleep, Out of a hole a fát rat creep
And joyful cried, with claw and fang As on th' unhoped-for prey she sprang: "Who could believe with common sense There's no such thing as Providence? What but a special Providence sent. This fat rat for my nourishment?" "Áh," squeaked the rát loud, "it's a good
Providence gives rats to cats for food!"
LICHTENSTEIN in SAXONY, June 19, 1854.
"THERE's nothing like experience"
An old fly to a young one say, as both
About my study buzzed in the golden sunbeams: "Only experience teaches what to follow
And what to shun; only experience guides In safety through th' intricacies of life. Bút for experience Í had months ago
![[ocr errors]](https://books.google.sk/books/content?id=0m0UAAAAQAAJ&hl=sk&output=html_text&pg=PA24&img=1&zoom=3&q=truth&cds=1&sig=ACfU3U0SrDNQgcaKOtm3n4JsuUFp74U8Ng&edge=0&edge=stretch&ci=760,721,24,6)
![[ocr errors]](https://books.google.sk/books/content?id=0m0UAAAAQAAJ&hl=sk&output=html_text&pg=PA24&img=1&zoom=3&q=truth&cds=1&sig=ACfU3U0SrDNQgcaKOtm3n4JsuUFp74U8Ng&edge=0&edge=stretch&ci=819,344,25,6)
The préy been of that fell and cunning spider; Bút for experience' salutary counsel I'd limed perhaps both foot and wing ere now In yón pestiferous dish of viscid flý-trap. List éver to experience, child, and thank God That he's vouchsafed us the unerring guide But aren't you lonely in this wide room here? Cóme and let's pay a visit to the blackbird That sings so sweetly in the cage in the window." "Let's go by áll means if it 's only safe," Replied the young fly; "what says your experience?" "Nóthing on this point; I have never yét been Inside a blackbird's cage; it 's plain it 's pleasant, We'll never younger learn whether it's safe; Expérience can be got only by trying.”
So said, and through the bars direct they flew, With cívil buzz of greeting, to the blackbird Who in the midst of his song made so long pause As was required to snap at and down swallow First óne and then the other of th' intruders,
Then, taking up his song again, praised God
That only after the evil comes experience.
While travelling with the Postboy from NEUSTADT to GEISSENFELD (BAVARIA), July 3, 1854.
"PSHAW!" said a wise, grave moth that, as it flitted About my candle that same evening, heard me Télling a friend the story thou 'st just read, "They were a pair of fools or worse, those flies; Instinct's the only guide, the sure safe rule Supplied to every creature by its kind And provident creator; never lét me, While I have life, forsake or disobey thee, Unérring counsellor, monitor and friend; And whither first?" "Direct into the light That spreads such bright warm radiance all around." "I'm but too happy" said the moth and into
The flame flew straight and, in the wick entangled,
Was burned into a cinder on the instant.
SATTEL, Canton Schwyz, Sept. 19, 1854.
IT happened as a fox and wolf together
Were travelling by the way and both were hungry, They saw a man approaching, and to the wolf
Thus said the fox: "Here comes one of those ugly, Vicious, malignant creatures who for pastime Hunt wolves and foxes, and assert that God Made this fair world and all that it contains For their sole use and interest and profit. Cóme, let us shew that God has some care too For wolves and foxes; nót that flesh of man
To mé 's particularly sweet or dainty,
And were I not by hunger pressed I 'd hold it Almost beneath me to defile my blood
With éven the least admixture of the blood. of the foul, lying, hypocritical monster;
But húnger has no law; so fall thou on him And tear him to the ground, whilst I keep watch Lest any of his fellows come to his aid." "The counsel 's excellent," replied the wolf, "And I'm quite ready to perform my part; The more as, unlike you, I find the flesh Of that sleek, pampered animal a bónne bouche, And hold it for mere cowardice in our kind That they prefer to prey on harmless lambs And leave their direst and most cruel foe To riot as he will, untouched, unpunished.' He said, and on the man sprang with a howl, And tóre him down, then called the fox to supper;
And thús both, mocking, said as in his vitals
They fléshed their tusks: "Where's now the Providence That made us and all creatures for thy use?”
PRIMIERO, in the Italian TYROL, July 31, 1854.
F thou would'st lead a quiet life Respéct my corns, my creed, my wife
The same points to respect in thee.
ETZELBERG, in the Canton SCHWYZ, in Switzerland, Sept. 18, 1854.
« PredošláPokračovať » |