1811] , 
€¢ There over each head 
spread, - 
«€ And my sons from your firebrands no mis- 
chief shall dread ; 
«¢ But at leisure proceed in contrivine to 
yoke 
*¢ The palm of Religion with Liberty’s oak.” 
Vv. 
Next Patrick arose with his risible phiz: 
«6 By my shoul! brave Saint Andrew, I’m all 
of your mind. 
6¢ Saint George is a fool, if he care for this. 
quiz. 
*¢ My test-acts I gave long ago to the wind. 
«© Come, Saint George, be not jealous of 
these honest fellows 5 
«¢ Low churchmen are safer than such as are 
zealous: 
Their bigoted bishops unwillingly yoke 
is a covenant 
«6 The palm of Religion with Liberty's oak.” 
VI. 
$¢ My lads,” quoth Saint George, ¢¢ all the 
while I was young 
«¢Saint Peter and 1 remain’d very good 
friends : 
“t°Tis true we'd a quarrel, two centuries 
agone, 
*¢ But, by pleasing him now, I shall make him 
_ . amends. 
«When the Pope was in fashion, I laugh’d at 
the passion ; 
«© Now that others desert him I yearn with 
compassion 5 
¢ And, like him,'will oppose every sect that 
would yoke 
* The palm of Religion with iene s cak.” 
ee ee 
However, my friends, let us join hand in 
hand, 
Preserve unanimity, tolerance, and love : 
?Tis ours to support what’s so happily Boge ts 
Perseverance will win, tho’ the great disap- 
prove. 
While thus we agree, our toast let it be, 
© May every fashien of worship be free, 
€ And Catholic, Jew, and Dissenter, all yoke 
6 The palm of Religion with Liberty’s oak.” 
a 
THOUGHTS ON LIFE. 
IN IRREGULAR VERSE.—=PART If. 
AY’ST thou, short-sighted, sinful man! 
In sad complaint, ¢ Oh what is life ?’ 
“€ Must Heaven’s all-wise, all-gracious 
plan, 
$* To calm thy soul’s unlawful strife, 
f€ Be sent by seraphs from the skies, 
*€ And all unveil’d before thy wondring eyes? 
$€ Vain, impious wish! thy feeble sight 
«  ** Would shrink before the bright de- 
sign; 
$* Whelm’d by the dazzling flood of light, 
£* That streams from cach refulgeat line. 
Original Poetry. 
45 
<¢ Bow, humbly bow, before that God 
‘¢ Whose goodness crowns thy fleeting 
days, 
«6 Who, when he lifts the chastening rod, 
«¢ A father’s tenderest love displays. 
** Yet, complaining mortal, say, 
«6 Art thou left a hopeless prey, 
‘« To sorrow, Care, or torturing pain ? 
«¢ What! is every pleasure fled, 
Every comfort cold, or dead, 
«¢ And will they never bloom again ?” 
Oh! cease thou faithful monitor within, 
Nor rend this weak deluded heart 5 
Low inthe dust [ mourn my sin, 
And long to see its hated form depart. 
Ungrateful wretch! have not mine eyes 
Beheld with anguish and surprise 
The deathly pallid-cheek, the dim sunk eye, 
Wildly upraised.ta:speechless agony ? 
Has not my startled ear shrunk,from the 
groan 
That, rushing from the heart, appall’d my 
own ; 
And listened with unfeign’d distress 
To the sad “fade of human wiet Navicate ? 
Oh! could I then indulge a murmuring sigh ? 
Did selfish sorrow then suffuse mine eye? 
Ah no! the tear that trickled down my 
cheek 
Proclaim’d the gratitude no. words could 
speak, 
Then stretch thy thoughts abroad, my gro- 
velling mind, 
These strong incitements still remain: 
Call up to view the miseries of mankind, 
Explore the wretched haunts of grief and pain 5 
And Jet the ilis thy fellow-men endure, 
Be to each murmuring thought a sovereign 
cure. 
Enough! ’tis done! I need no more ! 
The doleful scenes one rapid glance surveys, 
Constrain my humbled spirit te adore 
‘The God whose goodness claims my highest 
praise. 
Yes! 1 would praise Him till my latest 
breath, 
My better choughts condemn desponding 
sighs ; 
And when IJ sink within the arms of Death, 
My nobler praise sball mount the lofty 
skies. 
What though my humble name 
Will never to the world be known ; 
And far from grandeur, power, or fame, 
The vale of lire I pass alone ; 
T covet not the splendour of the great, 
Nor sigh to join the world’s most favor’d 
throng ; 
No vain desires their blazon’d names create, 
Their gay parade unenvied moves along ; 
Alas ! they strive for gilded toys, 
That prove too oft a treacherous snare; 
The best delights, the sweetest joys, 
Thrive in a mild, a purer air. 
Take 
