Poetry.

ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.

THE CHOICE.

THE Gospel Vine hath taken root, and spread
In Britain's happy Land-there the right hand
Of GOD himself hath planted it, and fenced
Its precious fruit with works of Love Divine.
Here every Man may sit in peace, and taste
Of sweeter food than Israel of old,
Under his Vine and Fig-Tree:

Here may drink
Of purer waters than that pleasant stream
Which each, (from his own cistern) lov'd so well.
But no-this fruit they scorn-though sweeter far
Than Grapes of Eshcol-in their poison'd mouth
It turns to bitterness. A Plant has sprung,

A treacherous plant misnam'd by treach'rous tongues,
THE TREE of Liberty—

So, once in Paradise, together grew

One Tree with food for Heaven, and one for Hell.
The Gospel Vine-the precious "TREE OF LIFE,"
Bears fruits of Holiness-"Love, Joy, and Peace,
Faith, Charity, Long-suffering, Gentleness,
With Temperance," and "perfect Freedom" crown'd.
The other, like the "THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE," grows;
This too hath fruit, of varied taste and hue,
Which some will say is pleasant to the sight,
And good for food; a fruit to be desir'd
To make one wise, and live for evermore
O fatal praises these-and worst dispraise!
"Lust to the Eye-Lust to the" wilful "Flesh,
And pride of Life"-too closely character'd.
CHUSE then, this day-ye people of God's Name,
Ye Children of His Love-Whom will ye serve

The Lord, or Satan? CHUSE—but mark it well,
The Time is short, the night is now far spent,
The day at hand-ye CHUSE for Heaven, or Hell-
Those, who will live beneath the Gospel Light,
And faithfully obey its gracious Laws;
Those, who are grafted into God's true Vine-
His blessed Son-shall stand in Him complete,
Even at the Day of dread account to come,
And live for ever-glorified in Heaven.
Those, who reject His Gospel, scorn His Laws,
And in their own false light will walk awhile;
Shall find it darken soon the pleasant fruit
Shall turn to bitter pain-their Liberty,
To Bondage hard, and vile—and in the end,
Such Wages as the Prince of Darkness gives,
Shame and eternal Death, shall be their meed.

CHUSE then This Day and Heaven direct the eнOICE ! !*

LINES ON THE SETTING SUN.

BY JOHN CLARE.

THIS scene, how beauteous to the musing mind,
That now swift glides from my enchanted view!
The Sun sweet setting yon far hill behind,
In other worlds his visit to renew.

What spangling glories all around him shine,
What nameless colours, cloudless and serene!
A heavenly prospect, brightest in decline,
Attends his exit from this lovely scene.
So sets the Christian's Sun in glories clear;
So shines his soul at his departure here;

No cloudy doubts nor misty fears arise
To dim hope's golden rays of being forgiven;
His sun, sweet setting in the clearest skies,
In meek assurance wings the soul to heaven.

* The Editor respectfully solicits the future favors of this Cerrespondent,

THERE is a joy for those who weep,

A balm for aching bosoms found;
That lulls each anxious care to sleep,
And softens every rankling wound.
The storms that vex this lower sphere,
No more disturb his calm repose,
Whose constant hope is centre'd here,

Than Zephyr's breath that shuts the rose.
• There are, each dire assault to quell,
Arms of celestial temper giv'n

The foe's black malice to repel,

And win the way from earth to heav'n.

'Tis there Salvation's helmet laid,

And Faith's protecting buckler shine,
The Spirits keenly sharpen'd blade,
Effulgence of the word divine!

There is a rock, on whose bright head
Beams of eternal sunshine glow,

The way-worn Pilgrim thither led

Smiles at the storm that chafes below.

There is a pearl of higher price

Than all that gem the ocean's caves,
Brighter than all whose charms entice
To dive beneath opposing waves.
There is a Salutary rill

Whence drops of health and comfort fall,

That bid the throbbing heart be still,
And free the Captive from his thrall.

Then let us spurn each dull delay,

And haste the glorious prize to gain,
Which, when life's span has pass'd away,
Worlds would be giv'n to buy in vain.

C.

* Eph. vi. 11. 17. Matth, vii. 24--xvi. 18. Matth. xiii. 45. Iohn. iv. 14.

E-VOL. I.

A FABLE.

THE WOLF AND THE PORCUPINE.

The wolf to the Porcupine often applied

To request she would lay her sharp bristles aside :
For when people were friendly, and times were in peace,
The appearance of hostile intention should cease.

"And should times ever alter," he added," why then
You may easily put on your bristles again;

But 'tis foolish to keep yourself always prepar'd
With your arms in a state as if War was declar'd."

"I thank you,

," she said, "your advice is sincere ;

But you cannot persuade me they should not appear;

For as there can never be danger in care.

'Tis as well, my friend Wolf, you should see they are there."

'Tis thus with the army you wish to disband,

Those bristles which form the defence of our land;
And should any good Wolf with his cunning pretend
An army in peace cannot answer an end;

When he tells you they look inimical and grim,
You may safely conclude they are needful for him.

VERSES

Found in SIR WALTER RALEIGH'S Bible.
E'EN such is Time; which takes in trust

Our youth, our joys, and all we have!

And pays us nought but age and dust:
Which, in the dark and silent grave,
When we have wander'd all our ways,

Shuts up the story of our days:

And from which grave, and earth, and dust,
The Lord will raise me up I trust.

From an ancient Author.-Addressed to the modern Freethinker.
IF it should so fall out,-and who can tell,

That there may be a GOD,—a Heaven, a Hell!
Mankind had best consider well, for fear

It should be too late when their mistakes appear.

SUMMARY OF POLITICS.

JANUARY, 1820.

ON Thursday, December 30th, 1819, the House of Lords adjourned till Thursday, February 17th; and the House of Commons till Tuesday, February 15th ensuing.

We with pleasure call the attention of our readers to the proceedings of Parliament;-proceedings fraught with the most important consequences to the people of the British Empire.

The Times were awful! Awful indeed to every thinking mind. A spirit of wanton defiance to all constituted autho rities had shewn itself openly and undisguised. Our "FireSides" were polluted with Publications, filled with the most horrid Sedition and Blasphemy, and the Country appeared fast sinking into the wildest anarchy.

It was time to do something. The people therefore, with one voice, appealed to their Government to protect them from the machinations of those unprincipled men, who, to gain their own ends, would subvert all our existing institutions, and destroy that holy Religion, on which our dearest hopes are founded.

The appeal to Government was not made in vain; the duty, devolving on them as our Protectors, they firmly and conscientiously performed; submitting to Parliament, without delay, such measures, as in their judgment they thought essential to the safety of the realm, and the welfare of the People.

Five measures were proposed to the consideration of Parliament, (viz. )—

A Bill for abolishing the Right of Traverse in cases of Misdemeanors.

A Bill for preventing Seditious Assemblies.

A Bill to empower authorized persons to search for Arms