908 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1S09. 



The jest meanwliile, or story of old times, 



Goes cliceiy round; or, from some well-soiled page. 



Are read the deeds of heroes, by the light 



Mayhap ot brands, whereon — when greenwood trees 



Were ail ihtir canopy — their armour hung. 



RECOMMENDATION OF PLANTING WILLOWS FOR 

 BASKET-MAKING. 



[From the same.] 



THE man bowed down with age, the sickly youth, 

 The widowed mother with her little child, 

 That lends its aid and loves to be employed, 

 Find, from this easy toil, a help in need. 

 The blind man's blessing ligtits on him who plants 

 An osier bed: Oh ! I have seen a smile 

 Of mild content upon the assembled group 

 Of piteous visages, whose dextrous hands, 

 Taught by the public care, plied the light task ; 

 And I have heard, their hour of labour done, 

 That simple, sacred strain, By Babel's streams, 

 Rise from the sightless band, with such a power 

 Of heart-dissolving melody, — move such a host 

 Of strong o'erwhelming feelings in the breast, 

 As wrung a tear from most obdurate eyes. 



Once I beheld a captive, whom these wars 

 Had made an inmate of the prison-house, 

 Cheering with wicker-work (that almost seemed 

 To him a sort of play) his dreary hours. 

 I asked his story : in my native tongue 

 (Long use had made it easy as his own) 

 He answered thus : Before these wars began, 

 1 dwelt upon the willowy banks of Loire : 

 I married one who, from my boyish days. 

 Had been my play-mate. One morn, — I'll ne'er forget! — 

 While busy choosing out the prettiest twigs, 

 To warp a cradle for our child unborn. 

 We heard the tidings, that the conscript-lot 

 Had fallen on me ; it came like a death-knell. 

 The mother perished, but the babe survived ; 

 And, ere my parting day, his rocking couch 

 I made complete, and saw him sleeping smile,— 

 The smile that played upon the cheek of her 

 Who lay clay-cold. Alas ! the hour soon came 

 That forced my fettered arms to quit my child; 

 And whether now he lives to deck with flowers 

 The sod upon his mother's grave, or lies 

 Beneath it by her side, I ne'er could learn : 



I think 



