I saw that God regardeth them,
Those creatures weak and small :
Their table in the wild is spread
By Him who cares for all!
THE RISE AND EXPANSE OF A RIVER,
BEHOLD the rivulet, from its parent source,
Steal through the thicket with unheeded course;
Of future greatness yet unconscious stray,
Like infant princes, in their infant play;
O'er its rough bed in Julling murmurs flow,
Or through the breezy sedge meandering slow.
And now in waves impelling soft, it roves
Through sunny banks, or deep involving groves;
From sister streams receives enriching aid,
And wonders at the progress it has made.
Now tufty isles the doubtful stream divide,
The sacred haunts of Cygnus' plumy pride :
O'er the clear crystal hangs the woody scene,
The weeping willow, or bright evergreen.
The trembling branches, all inverted, seem
To point to other skies below the stream.
The sun reflected gilds the illusive deep,
Or shadowy winds the mantling surface sweep.
Here thick'ning grass invites the mower's scythe,
The busy groups of men and maidens blithe;
Here the shorn meadow brightens to the eye,
The scattered herds lie ruminating nigh:
Each rising charm the bounteous stream bestows,
The grass that thickens, and the flower that blows.
And while the vale the humid wealth imbibes
The fostering wave sustains the finny tribes;
The carp, with golden scales, in wanton play;
The trout in crimson-speckled glory gay ;
The red-finned roach, the silver-coated eel ;
The pike, whose haunt the twisted roots conceal;
The healing tench, the gudgeon, perch, and bream;
And all the sportive natives of the stream.
The vigorous stream now drives the busy mill,
And now disdains the little name of rill :
The clustering cots adorn its flowery sides,
Where blest content, with rosy health, abides;
Or here the villa's simple charms invite,
Where rural ease and elegance unite.
There, gaudy Art her cumbrous pomp displays,
Where gay caprice bedecks the verdant maze;
The palace, column, temple, statue, rears,
While Nature fashionably drest appears ;
And now the bridge, by busy mortals trod,
High overarches the ambitious flood:
Now crowded cities, lofty turrets rise,
And smoking columns mingle with the skies;
Where the rash nymphs their limbs exulting lave;
Where oars innumerous beat the astonished wave,
On the proud surface swells the impatient sail,
And gladdened coasts the welcome streamers hail.
Expanding still the roughening waters glide,
In haste to mingle with the briny tide;
Till sea-like grown, they now disdain all bound,
And, rushing to the deep, resistless pour around.
The more we contemplate the works of Nature, and observe the means she employs in her ordinary operations, the more will our admiration be excited. In the hands of Nature nothing is lost :-Vapours raised from the sea, and floating in the upper regions of the air, collect into clouds; these on a reduction of temperature, yield their contents to the thirsty earth: the waters, after fulfilling their appointed office, pass from the mountains by a thousand rills, into the plains; here, by their junction, they form rivers, which taking a circuitous course, empty themselves into the ocean. Hence we see Nature engaged in running a perpetual round, and the waters, after cooling the atmosphere and refreshing the earth, return to that source whence they originally sprung; and thus is beautifully illustrated a passage in Holy Scripture, (Isa. lv. 10, 11,) that not a drop of rain shall return unto Him void, but shall accomplish the purposes for which it was sent.
THOU cheerful bee! come freely come,
And travel round my woodbine bower,
Delight me with thy wandering hum,
And rouse me from my musing hour.
Oh! try no more yon tedious fields,
Come taste the sweets my garden yields;
The treasure of each blooming mine,
The bud-the blossom-all are thine!
And careless of the noontide heat,
I'll follow, as thy rambling guides,
To watch thee pause and chafe thy feet,
And sweep them o'er thy downy sides;
Then in a flower-bell nestling lie,
And all thy busiest ardour ply;
Then o'er the stem, though fair it grow,
With touch rejecting, glance and go.
O Nature kind! O Labourer wise!
That roam'st along the summer ray,
Glean'st every bliss thy life supplies,
And meet'st prepar'd, thy wintry day ;—
Go-envied, go-with crowded gates
The hive thy rich return awaits :
Bear home thy store in triumph gay,
And shame each idler on thy way!
"A Bee amongst flowers in Spring," says Dr. Paley, "is one of the most cheerful objects that can be looked upon. Its life appears to be all enjoyment: so busy, and so pleased; yet it is only a specimen of insect life, with which, by reason of the animal being half-domesticated, we happen to be better acquainted than we are with that of others."-Nat. Theol., chap. 26.
Herbert thus pleasingly though quaintly alludes to the "busy bee."
Bees work for man: and yet they never bruise
Their master's flower, but leave it, having done.
As fair as ever, and as fit for use:
So both the flower doth stay, and honey run.
UNEQUAL to my theme, with desperate feet
I sought the Muses' bower;
Anxious to see, though all-asham'd to meet
Some bland, inspiring power :
When fleet along the rising gale,
The queen, fair Fancy past,
And through her rainbow-tinged veil
A glance benignant cast:
Then beck'ning to a secret glade,
"Come see," she cried, "the train,
"Who own, beneath this mystic shade,
My visionary reign!"
Proud to obey the glad command,
I took with silent awe my stand:-
Meanwhile, in many a varying vest
Of rich expression aptly drest,
Ideal myriads seemed to rove
Promiscuous through the cultured grove,
And each, as in-bred impulse led,
From every flower-embroider'd bed,
Some certain plant, whose blossoms rose
Significantly pleasing, chose.
With frank, firm look, and light though steady tread Came Courage first, and crop'd a dew-charged rose ;
For in the tender rose might best be read
His very essence-bloom that gently glows.
Impell'd by gentle breath; prone to dispense
To all, all sweetness; yet alert to show,
If rash invasion ruder deeds commence,
That warm resentment points a thorn below.
Retiring from the public eye,
The maiden meek, Humility,
Was seen to turn with mildest grace
To heaven her thoughts, to earth her face;
And all unconscious what fair fame
Merit like hers might well assume,
Preferred to every juster claim
The lowly Daisy's simple bloom.
Some bauble each moment arranging,
Admiring, exploding, or changing,
The coquette Affectation skimm❜d wantonly by,
On her breast a Narcissus she bore,
As if with Narcissus of yore,
For a form like her own she could languish and die.
Heedless of the scorner's joke,
Smiling at the ruffian's stroke,
Persevering Patience stood;
Conquering evil still with good;
Binding for her brow the while
Artless wreaths of Camomile ;
Hardy plant, whose vigorous shoot
Springs beneath the trampler's foot.
Pure constant Love (whose hallow'd fires,
Time still exalts, and truth inspires,
In spite of absence, grief, or pain,)
Approv'd the faithful Marigold,
Whose leaves their saffron blaze unfold,
When first the Sun asserts his reign;
Hail his glad progress through the day,
Close gradual with his parting ray,
Nor open, till he shines again.
Superstition came telling her steps, and her beads;
Like Jack-in-a-bush hung all over the green,
Agnus-castus by wholesale she culled from the meads,
And stuck with due care Holy Thistle between;
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