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THERE is a land, of every land the pride,
Beloved by heaven o'er all the world beside;
Where brighter suns dispense serener light,
And milder moons emparadise 1 the night;
A land of beauty, virtue, valour, truth,
Time-tutored age and love-exalted youth:
The wandering mariner whose eye explores
The wealthiest isles, the most enchanting shores,
Views not a realm so beautiful and fair,

Nor breathes the spirit of a purer air;

1 Emparadise, to beautify. The sun and moon seem more beautiful than in other lands.

F

In every clime the magnet of his soul,

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Touched by remembrance, trembles to that pole; 1
For in this land of heaven's peculiar grace,
The heritage of nature's noblest race,
There is a spot of earth supremely blest,
A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest,
Where man, creation's tyrant, casts aside
His sword and sceptre, pageantry and pride,
While in his softened looks benignly blend
The sire, the son, the husband, brother, friend;
Here woman reigns; the mother, daughter, wife,
Strew with fresh flowers the narrow way of life!
In the clear heaven of her delightful eye
An angel-guard of loves and graces lie;
Around her knees domestic duties meet,
And fireside pleasures gambol at her feet:
Where shall that land, that spot of earth, be found?
Art thou a man ?-a patriot ?-look around;
Oh, thou shalt find, howe'er thy footsteps roam,
That land thy country, and that spot thy home!

1 Like the needle of the compass, which always turns to the north, the recollection of the wanderer always turns to his native land.

THE CHAMELEON. (JAMES MERRICK.)

James Merrick, a clergyman and a poet, was born at Reading in 1720. His poems are chiefly of a religious character, though he wrote others on various subjects. He died in 1766.

OFT has it been my lot to mark
A proud, conceited, talking spark,
With eyes that hardly served at most
To guard their master 'gainst a post;
Yet round the world the blade has been,
To see whatever could be seen.
Returning from his finished tour,
Grown ten times perter than before,
Whatever word you chance to drop,
The travelled fool your mouth will stop:
'Sir, if my judgment you'll allow--
I've seen-and sure I ought to know.'
So begs you'd pay a due submission,
And acquiesce in his decision.
Two travellers of such a cast,
As o'er Arabia's wilds they passed,
And on their way, in friendly chat,
Now talked of this, and then of that,
Discoursed awhile, 'mongst other matter,

Of the chameleon's form and nature.

A stranger animal,' cries one,

'Sure never lived beneath the sun!

A lizard's body lean and long,
A fish's head, a serpent's tongue,
Its foot with triple claw disjoined;
And what a length of tail behind!

How slow its pace! and then its hue---
Who ever saw so fine a blue?'

'Hold there!' the other quick replies,
6 'Tis green;-I saw it with these eyes,
As late with open mouth it lay,
And warmed it in the sunny ray;
Stretched at its ease the beast I viewed,
And saw it eat the air for food.'
'I've seen it, sir, as well as you,

And must again affirm it blue ;
At leisure I the beast surveyed
Extended in the cooling shade.'

"Tis green, 'tis green, sir, I assure ye.'— 'Green!' cries the other, in a fury;

'Why, sir, d'ye think I've lost my eyes?'''Twere no great loss,' the friend replies; For if they always serve you thus, You'll find them but of little use.' So high at last the contest rose, From words they almost came to blows; When luckily passed by a third:

To him the question they referred, And begged he'd tell them, if he knew, Whether the thing was green or blue. 'Sirs,' cries the umpire, 'cease your pother; The creature's neither one nor t'other. I caught the animal last night And viewed it o'er by candle-light: I marked it well; 'twas black as jetYou stare-but, sirs, I've got it yet, And can produce it.'--' Pray, sir, do; I'll lay my life the thing is blue.'

'And I'll be sworn that when you've seen The reptile, you'll pronounce him green.' 'Well, then, at once to ease the doubt,' Replies the man, I'll turn him out: And when before your eyes I've set him,

If

you don't find him black, I'll eat him.' He said; then full before their sight Produced the beast, and lo!-'twas white! Both stared; the man looked wondrous wise. 'My children,' the chameleon criesThen first the creature found a tongue'You all are right, and all are wrong : When next you talk of what you view, Think others see as well as you; Nor wonder if you find that none Prefers your eyesight to his own.'