THE FOUNTAIN AND THE STEAM ENGINE. A FABLE. WI ITHIN a royal garden plac'd, With all the art of sculpture grac'd, A beauteous FOUNTAIN stood; Forth from a vase of ample size, A tow'ring rock was seen to rise, Emerging from the flood: Where rais'd on high (from BACON's hand) A Triton old was seen to stand, And from his twisted shell, With effort vast, he seem'd to rise A crystal column to the skies, In gentle showers which fell. In snowy parian stone beneath, The lovely NAIADS seem'd to breathe Within a veil of light; Which IRIS wove of solar rays, Refracted in resplendent blaze, Of rain-bow colours bright. Hid in the shade, with smoke bedy'd, (For modest merit loves to hide, The verdant scenes among; To the gay FOUNT and nodding grove In sportive mood, the Urchins drove The murkey cloud along. A NAIAD from the lucid bower, Endu'd with speech by wond'rous power, Address'd the offending neighbour: "Thou filthy, vile, mechanic slave, "Give o'er my labour!-Mistress wise!” The indignant ENGINE quick replies, |