PREFACE. 



Of the science that thou teachest ; 



Spence, unrivalled as a teacher 



Deftly skilled in England's language ; 



Spence the wise, of all men living 



The hest qualified to judge thee ; 



Spence espied thee, and he read thee 



Through and through, and then pronounced thee 



All " unrivalled as a first book " 



In the science that thou teachest. 



Yet he knew not then the author ; 



So he wrote to aU the teachers 



Of the history of insects. 



Begging them to say the author 



Of these simple childlike verses ; 



" Let me know, that I may thank him :" 



Thus he wrote to all the teaehers ; 



But the men of Science knew not. 



Seeing, then, that Spence approved thee ; 

 Spence the true and noblehearted ; 

 Spence for whom we still are mourning ; 

 Spence who, full of years and honour, 



