Confessions of a Coward. APRIL, 



word for another; you were talking of La/lite, and L. thought you 

 were talking of La Fayette." How lightly sat my bosom's lord upon 

 his throne after this edaircissement ! So overjoyed was I at my deli- 

 verance from a " misunderstanding/' that I thought but little of the 

 hair's-breadth escape of my reputation ; faithful in this to the fifth article 

 of my creed, which, you will remember, runs thus " I believe life to 

 be the first consideration, and honour the second ; and I hold the con- 

 trary to be a false heresy/' 



I have little to add, but that I lead the life of a hare, in continual 

 trepidation, regarding all mankind (ladies alone excepted) as my natural 

 enemies, and in daily expectation of being started, hunted, and slain 

 no slain is going rather too far at least I shall never be accessory to 

 my own murder. Often I wish myself transported to some solitary isle 

 in the Pacific Ocean ; or ejaculate with Byron, 



" Oh ! that the desert were my dwelling-place, 

 With owe fair spirit for my minister 1" 



I, too, cast a longing eye upon the olden time ; but it is on the pastoral 

 ages, when the only weapon was the shepherd's crook, the code of 

 honour was not, and in all Arcady there was neither a challenger nor a 

 cartridge. 



LEARNING AND LOVE. 



SAID Nature one day, " For the peace of mankind, 

 Let Woman and Man have their kingdoms apart : 



To Man I assign the cold regions of mind 

 To Woman, the sunny domains of the heart." 



The partition was fair, and the boundaries plain, 



Between Learning and Love between beauty and books ; 



Contented was Man, in his black-letter reign, 

 And he left laughing Woman her love-darting looks. 



But restless Zitella must kindle a feud, 



And stir up a war of the studies and bowers; 

 Too proud for the limits wise Nature deemed good, 



From her own rightful empire she burst upon ours. 



We thought ourselves safe in our Latin and Greek, 



But Plato has yielded, and Tully is taken ; 

 What we can but read, dread Zitella can speak 



Her books of the boudoir are Berkely and Bacon. 



Sweet pedant, beware ! all the world is arrayed 

 To check your ambition, your schemes to oppose ; 



The Scholar, if routed, will soon have the aid 

 Of a legion of dames to a woman, your foes. 



The kingdom of hearts is enough for your share ; 



Oh ! unharness your owl, and depend on your dove : 

 There is Learning enough in this world and to spare 



But, ah ! my Zitella ! there's too little Love ! M. W. S. 



