He held them up, and in his turn,
Thus showed his ready wit:

My head is twice as big as yours,
They therefore needs must fit.

"But let me scrape the dirt away
That hangs upon your face ;
And stop and eat, for well you may
Be in a hungry case."

Said John, "It is my wedding day,
And all the world would stare,
If wife should dine at Edmonton,
And I should dine at Ware."

So turning to his horse, he said, "I am in haste to dine;

'T was for your pleasure you came here, You shall go back for mine."

Ah! luckless speech, and bootless boast,
For which he paid full dear;

For while he spake, a braying ass
Did sing most loud and clear;

Whereat his horse did snort, as he
Had heard a lion roar,

And galloped off with all his might,
As he had done before.

Away went Gilpin, and away
Went Gilpin's hat and wig:
He lost them sooner than at first,
For why they were too big.

Now Mistress Gilpin, when she saw
Her husband posting down

Into the country far away,

She pulled out half a crown;

And thus unto the youth she said,

That drove them to the Bell, "This shall be yours, when you bring back

My husband safe and well."

The youth did ride, and soon did meet

John coming back amain ;

Whom in a trice he tried to stop

By catching at his rein;

But not performing what he meant,
And gladly would have done,
The frighted steed he frighted more,
And made him faster run.

Away went Gilpin, and away
Went postboy at his heels,

The postboy's horse right glad to miss
The lumbering of the wheels.

Six gentlemen upon the road,
Thus seeing Gilpin fly,

With postboy scampering in the rear,

They raised the hue and cry:

“Stop thief! stop thief! - a highwayman!"

Not one of them was mute;

And all and each that passed that way

Did join in the pursuit.

And now the turnpike-gates again

Flew open in short space;

The toll-men thinking as before,

That Gilpin rode a race.

And so he did, and won it too,
For he got first to town;

Nor stopped till where he had got up
He did again get down.

Now let us sing long live the King,

And Gilpin, long live he;

And when he next doth ride abroad,
May I be there to see!

PAIRING-TIME ANTICIPATED.

A FABLE.

SHALL not ask Jean Jacques Rous

seau

If birds confabulate or no ;

"T is clear that they were always able
To hold discourse, at least in fable;
And e'en the child who knows no better
Than to interpret by the letter

A story of a cock and bull

Must have a most uncommon skull.

It chanced then on a winter's day,

But warm and bright and calm as May,
The birds, conceiving a design
To forestall sweet St. Valentine,
In many an orchard, copse, and grove
Assembled on affairs of love,

And with much twitter and much chatter
Began to agitate the matter.

At length a Bullfinch, who could boast
More years and wisdom than the most,
Entreated, opening wide his beak,
A moment's liberty to speak;
And, silence publicly enjoined,
Delivered briefly thus his mind :
"My friends! be cautious how ye treat
The subject upon which we meet ;
I fear we shall have winter yet."

A Finch, whose tongue knew no control, With golden wing and satin poll,

A last year's bird, who ne'er had tried What marriage means, thus pert replied: "Methinks the gentleman," quoth she, "Opposite in the apple-tree,

By his good-will would keep us single
Till yonder heaven and earth shall mingle;
Or (which is likelier to befall)