Obrázky na stránke
PDF
ePub

WILL AND THOUGHT.

SIR Will once on a time, being in need,

Called loúd to Thought: -"Good Thought, I pray come hither."
When Thought nor came nor answered, Will repeated
Loúder the call: - "Good Thought, I say come hither."
When Thought, as marble statue stiff and dumb,
No word replied, showed never a sign of hearing,
Will thús in soothing tone began to coax him:
"Nay, náy, good Thought, you surely wont be pettish,
Ór for an idle humor lose a friend;

[ocr errors]

Come, cóme, I say." Still Thought nor stirred nor answered:"Thén as I see fair words are of no use

Cóme, I command you; come this instant, slave.”
As Thought immóvable sat and either heárd not,
Or made as if he heard not, Will's commands,
Will, growing angry, rose and went away
Ánd at the court of Reason lodged complaint
Against his servant Thought for disobedience.
Thought took defence and thus in open court
His own case pleaded: "I am not Will's servant,
And néver was; if Will says otherwise,

Lét him produce his witnesses to prove it."

So Will called witness Popular Misconception,

Who swóre in plain, round terms that Thought was then, And from all time had been, Will's bounden servant.

Bút the Judge frowning said: "The evidence

Is bád in law, being but of opinion;

Remove the witness if she cannot prove

Either a contract or some act of service."

So Pópular Misconception being removed
And Will to the question, had he other witness
Whereon to rest his case, replying:
"No,"

[ocr errors]

The Judge declared the plaintiff was nonsuited,
And, bówing on all sides, dissolved the court.
That night in bed thus said Thought to himself: -
"Well, it's a wicked world! my old bondslave,
To whóm from immemorial time I 've been
So kind, so loving, so indulgent master,
Séts himself up not for a freéman only
Bút to be máster of his rightful lord.
Let me but see tomorrow's light I'll try
If still some further justice may be found

In that same court which judged today so soundly."
So 'twas not long before Chief-justice Reason

Agaín in coúrt sat the cross case to try:

Thought versus Will; and thus swore Thought's first witness, A learned Doctor grave, hight Metaphysics,

With small, bright eyes, white beard, and furrowed cheeks:"Well known to me from earliest youth, my lord,

Both plaintiff and defendant in this action,
And scárcely has a day passed of my life
In which I've not had opportunity

To see them in their mutual relation

Of sláve and master dealing with each other,
Will, menial slave, obeying master Thought,
And Thought commanding most obedient Will.
A thousand times I 've heard Thought say to Will:
"Cóme," and he came; "Go," and forthwith he went;
"Dó," and he did it; "Cease," and he left off;
And never have I seen so much as once

Will act except at the command of Thought;
And so well used am I to see Will acting

Álways in consequence of Thought's command
That I doubt not Will's recent suit was brought"
"Stop there," said the Chief-justice; "until now
Your évidence has been direct and valid,

Bút in a court of justice the opinion

Éven of wise Metaphysics has no weight.

Go down." "My Lord," then thus said the defendant: "This Métaphysics is my ancient foe,

His évidence the outpourings of a malice
Which never ceases to abuse all ears
With stories of my slavery and dependance.
This honorable court, I hope, my lord,
Will not lend ear to the calumniator."
But here the auditory with one voice
Begán to cry: "Will never was a servant,
And never shall be; Metaphysics lies;
Punish the pérjurer and let Will go free;"

And when the Judge would nót, but with loud voice
Commánded Will to be bound hand and foot

And to his rightful lord delivered over,

Aróse such uproar that the Judge his safety

Sought in precipitous flight through a postern door;
Whereón the mob with fury fell on Thought
And Metaphysics; trod them under foot,
And for dead left them; then upon a chair

Uplifted on their shoulders Will, and bore him
With shouts of triumph round and round the city.

Walking from AZOLO to MESTRE near VENICE, Aug. 5—6, 1854.

PASKEWITSCH.

PRINCE Påskewitsch to Turkey went
His ráge upon the rogues to vent
Who vowed they never would consent
Czar Nick should have the management
Of their Greek church;

But júst as he arrived before
Silistria's barricaded door,

Néver let schoolboy such a roar

Out of his moúth, at the first sore
Skélp of the birch,

As Páskewitsch, when trundling slow
A cánnon ball so bruised his toe
That stooping down he cried "Oh! oh!"
And right aboút faced, home to go,

And in the lurch

Left lying there his haversack
And boót pulled off without a jack
And traín-oil-drinking Don Cosaque,
And ón Silistria turned his back

And the Greek church.

Walking from SCHÖNAU to LICHTENSTEIN (SAXONY), June 19, 1854.

RÉSTLESS as billows of the sea

And agile be thy feet,
Firm as a rock thy purpose be,

Nor from the right retreat.

Walking from ARCO to TENNO in the Italian TYROL, Aug. 24, 1854.

TRUE FRIENDS.

РОЕТ.

NEVER tell me there 's no such thing as friends,
Steády, true, constant, without selfish ends;
Óf my long life 't has been the happiness

To have had some five and twenty, more or less.
READER.

Aye, to be sure; friends of the summer day,
That at the approach of winter fled away.

POET.

Nó; sterling friends that ever ready were
The worst inclemencies for me to bear
Of wintry weather, hail and rain and snow,
No less than sultry summer's burning glow.
Alás! those valued friends are dead and gone,
Dropped off one after another all but one
Néwest and last but not least stout and true

Thou 'st never seen a better parapluie.

Walking from HAAG to HAINBACH near AMBERG (BAVARIA), June 25, 1854.

TICK TICK TICK.

SOMETIMES it's slow, sometimes it 's quick,

But still the clock goes tick tick tick;

And tick tick tick from morn to night

1854.

Goes still the heart, be it sad or light;

But sád or light and slow or quick,

Both soon shall cease their tick tick tick.

TAUERNHAUS, FEHRLEITEN, at the foot of the GROSSGLOCKNER, July 15,

« PredošláPokračovať »