"Whatever fate

WILLIAM WORDSWORTH. Michael.

MOMENTS. [EXTRACT.]

WHEN a sudden gust hath tumbled
Hope's bright architecture down;
When some prouder fair hath humbled
Thy proud passion with a frown;
When thy dearest friends deceive thee,
And cold looks thy love repel,
And the bitter humours grieve thee,
That make God's fair earth a hell;

O these are moments, trying moments
Meant to try thee-use them well!

When a flash of truth hath found thee,
Where thy foot in darkness trod ;
When thick clouds dispart around thee,
And thou standest nigh to God;
When a noble soul comes near thee,

In whom kindred virtues dwell,
That from faithless doubts can clear thee,
And with strengthening love compel;

O these are moments, rare fair moments;
Sing and shout, and use them well!
J. S. BLACKIE
Lyrical Poems. (D. Douglas, Edinburgh.)

FLOWERS of joy for thee,

Fair of fairest faces;

May no grief or care

Leave by thee their traces:

Sunlight, round thee shining,

Glad with fancies free,

Angel-fingers lining

Silver clouds for thee.

BRUTUS hath riv'd my heart :

A friend should bear his friend's infirmities,
But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.
WILLIAM SHAKSPERE.

ROWLAND BROWN.

SONG.

Julius Cæsar.

THERE'S a sleek thrush sits in the apple-tree
When it blooms all over with rosy snow,
And hark! how he opens his heart to me,
Till its inmost hopes and desires I know!
Blow, wind, blow,

For the thrush will fly when the bloom must go. O a friend I had, and I loved him well,

And his heart was open and sang to mine, And it pains me more than I choose to tell, That he cares no more if I laugh or pine. Friend of mine,

Can the music fade out of love like thine!

EDMUND W. Gosse. New Poems. (K. Paul.)

THE dearest friend to me, the kindest man, The best-condition'd and unwearied spirit In doing courtesies.

WILLIAM SHAKSPERE. Merchant of Venice.

WISH me partaker in thy happiness,

When thou dost meet good hap; and in thy

danger,

If ever danger do environ thee,

Commend thy grievance to my holy prayers,

For I will be thy bead's-man, Valentine.

WILLIAM SHAKspere. Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Proteus. ALL happiness bechance to thee in Milan !

Valentine. As much to you at home! and so,

farewell.

WILLIAM SHAKSPERE. Two Gentlemen of Verona.

INTO mid-heaven's azure deeps
The gold-shot shadows often pass!
They rest upon the fairest flowers,
They kiss the moss and waving grass;
A life of smiles would weary all;
Shadows throw out the brightest rays;
And I'll not wish an idle wish,
A life of rainless, cloudless days,
But I will wish that very bright,
And good, and fair, thy lot may be,
Few ills to cure, few fights to fight,
And God's great love to shadow thee!
FANNIE ROCHAT.

BLOSSOMS bright and gay, dear, Snow upon the ground, Wintertime and May, dear

So the year goes round.

Yet take a wish to-day, dear,

For life with garlands crowned, And song from every spray, dear, The whole year round.

For hearts where love hath sway, dear, And sunny hopes abound,

Will make the seasons May, dear,

The glad year round.

COUNSELS.

FREDERICK LANGBRIDGE.

LIFE, and light, and joy are found
In the presence of the Lord,-
Life with richest blessings crown'd,

Light from many fountains pour'd ;

Life, and light, and holy joy,
None can darken or destroy.

Bring to Him life's brightest hours,

He will make them still more bright;

Give to Him your noblest powers,

He will hallow all your might:
Come to Him with eager quest,
You shall hear His high behest.
All your questions large and deep,

All the open thought of youth,
Bring to Him; and you shall reap
All the harvest of His truth;-
You shall find, in that Great Store,
Largest love and wisest lore.
Then, when comes life's wider sphere,

And its busier enterprise,

You shall find Him ever near ;—
Looking, with approving eyes,
On all honest work and true
His dear servants' hands can do.
And, if care shall dim your eye,
And life's shadows come apace,
You shall find Him ever nigh

In the glory of His grace :-
Changing sorrow's darkest night
Into morning clear and bright!

C. E. MUDIE. Stray Leaves. (Macmillan.)

And here's a hand to help thee,

And here's a heart to guide

My friend, my friend of olden days,
Come closer to my side.

G. F. ARMSTRONG. Poems: Lyrical and Dramatic. (Longmans.)

WHAT Soul could dream of better bliss,
Of richer happiness than this-
To act its simple natural part,

All unconstrained and light of heart,
And yet to know its voice, its air,
Its very presence, anywhere,
Was redolent of joy and hope

To all that breathed within its scope?
Ah, bliss like that is owned by few,
But oh dear heart, 'tis owned by you.
FREDERICK LANGBRIDGE.

TO A FRIEND LEAVING ENGLAND FOR A YEAR'S RESIDENCE IN AUSTRALIA.

As parting now he goes

From snow-time back to snows,

So back to spring from summer may next year
Restore him, and our hearts receive him here,
The best good gift that spring
Had ever grace to bring

At fortune's happiest hour of star-blest birth,
Back to love's homebright earth,

To eyes with eyes that commune, hand with hand,
And the old warm bosom of all our mother-land.
A. C. SWINBUrne.
Studies in Song. (Chatto and Windus.)

FORGET me slowly, youthful Friend!

I dare not say "remember "—

Then slowly, slowly let me glide

Adown the unreverting tide

Of those memorial thoughts that blend

Thy May with my November!

AUBREY DE Vere.

Poems: Meditative and Lyrical. (K. Paul.)

I GIVE my hand; the world is wide; Then farewell memories of yore, Between us let strife be no more; Turn as you choose to either side;

Say Fare-you-well, shake hands, and saySpeak loud, and say with stately grace, Hand clutching hand, face bent to faceFarewell for ever and a day.

JOAQUIN MILLER. Songs of the Sierras. (Longmans.)

A COMPLAINT.

THERE is a change—and I am poor;
Your love hath been, nor long ago,
A fountain at my fond heart's door,
Whose only business was to flow;
And flow it did; not taking heed
Of its own bounty, or my need.
What happy moments did I count!
Bless'd was I then, all bliss above!
Now, for this consecrated fount
Of murmuring, sparkling, living love,
What have I-shall I dare to tell?
A comfortless and hidden WELL.
A well of love-it may be deep;

I trust it is, and never dry;
What matter? if the waters sleep
In silence and obscurity.
-Such change, and at the very door
Of my fond heart, hath made me poor.
W. WORDSWORTH.

Be mine thy mantle; and impart
Thy spirit, patient and serene,

Thine own pure singleness of heart,

And make me all that thou hast been:

Teach me to know, and feel, and see

Thy worth, the paths which thou hast trodMy beacon on life's ocean be,

To lead my trembling steps to God.

UNKNOWN.

COME, here's a health to thee and thine!

Trust me, whate'er we may be told, Few things are better than old wine,

When tasted with a friend that's old.

UNKNOWN.

My own friend, my old friend!
Time's a soldier bold, friend!
Of his lofty prowess
Many a tale is told, friend!
Nations are his puppets,

To be bought and sold, friend!
He can mock the conqueror,
Raze his strongest hold, friend!
Fool the stern philosopher,
Win the miser's gold, friend!
But though earthly nature
Has so frail a mould, friend!
What the tyrant cannot do
Is to make us cold, friend!

LORD HOUGHTON.
Poetical Works. (Murray.)

WHAT shall preserve thee, beautiful child?
Keep thee as thou art now?
Bring thee a spirit undefiled

At God's pure throne to bow?
The world is but a broken reed,

And life grows early dimWho shall be near thee in thy need, To lead thee up to Him? He who Himself was "undefiled"? With Him we trust thee, beautiful child! N. P. WILLIS. Poetical Works. (Routledge.)

OUR hands in one, we will not shrink
From life's severest due,-

Our hands in one, we will not blink
The terrible and true;

What each would feel a heavy blow
Falls on us both as autumn snow.

LORD HOUGHTON.
Poetical Works. (Murray.)

TAKE my greeting, friend.
By the Summers laid to sleep,
By their memories green for aye-
Holy memories, hoarded deep-
By the friends whose love we keep,
By the low mounds where we weep

Over dear ones passed away;
By our sweetly-blended youth,
By our present trust and truth,
By our mutual pray'rs that meet
At the Father's mercy-seat,

Take, O friend, to-day,

Take all greeting true and tender
Loving heart to heart may render—
Take my greeting, friend.

FREDERICK LANGBRIDGE.

BELOVED! amid the earnest woes
That crowd around my earthly path-
(Drear path, alas! where grows
Not even one lonely rose),

My soul at least a solace hath
In dreams of thee, and therein knows
An Eden of bland repose.