man's struggle for food. 13 



God Almighty first planted a garden ; and indeed it is the purest of human 

 pleasures. It is the greatest refreshment to the spirits of man, without which 

 buildings and palaces are but gross handiworks; and a man shall ever see 

 that when ages grow to civility and elegancy, men come to build stately, sooner 

 than to garden finely, as if gardening were the greater perfection. 



— Francis Bacon. 



THE SOWER'S SONG. 



Now hands to seed-sheet, boys! 



We steiJ and we cast; old Time's on wing; 

 And would we partake of harvest's joys, 

 The corn must be sown in spring. 



Fall gently and still, good corn, 



Lie warm in thy earthy bed; 

 And stand so yellow some morn, 

 For beast and man must be fed. 



Old earth is a pleasure to see 



In sunshiny cloak of red and green ; 

 The furrow lies fresh; this year will be 

 As j^ears that are past have been. 



Fall gently and still, good corn, 



Lie warm in thy earthy bed ; 

 And stand so yellow some morn. 

 For beast and man must be fed. 



Old earth, receive this corn. 



The son of six thousand golden sires; 

 All these on thy kindly breast were born ; 

 One more thy poor child requires. 



Fall gently and still, good corn, 



Lie warm in thy earthy bed , 

 And stand so yellow some morn, 

 For beast and man must be fed. 



Now steady and sure again, 



And measure of stroke and step we keep; 

 Thus up and down we cast our grain ; 

 Sow well and you gladly reap. 



Fall gently and still, good corn, 

 Lie warm in thy earthy bed ; 

 And stand so yellow some morn. 

 For beast and man must be fed. 



— Thomas Caelyle. 



And I must work thro' months of toil. 



And years of cultivation. 

 Upon my proper patch of soil 



To grow my own plantation. 

 I'll take the showers as they fall, 



I will not vex my bosom : 

 Enough if at the end of all 



A little garden blossom. 



— ^Alfred Tennyson. 



