136 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



NOVEMBER 6, 1833. 



MISCELLANY. 



From the Token, for 1894. 

 THE PLAGUE IN THE FOREST — A FABLE. 



By John Quincy Adams. 



Time was when round the Lion's den, 



A peopled city raised ils head ; 

 'Twas not inhabited by men, 



But by four-footed beasts instead. 

 The lynx, the leopard and the bear, 

 The tiger and the wolf were there; 



The hoof-defended steed ; 

 The bull, prepared with horns to gore— 

 The cat with claws, the tusky boar, 



And all the canine breed. 



In social compact thus combin'd, 



Together dwelt the beasts of prey ; 

 Their murd'rous weapons all resign'd, 



And vow'd each other not to slay. 

 Among them, Reynard thrust his phiz ; 

 Nor hoof, nor horn, nor tusk was his — 



For warfare all unfit ; 

 He whispered to the royal dunce, 

 And gained a settlement at once ; 



His weapon was — his wit. 



One summer, by some fatal spell, 



(Phcebus was peevish for some scoff,) 

 The plague upon that city fell, 



And swept the beasts by thousands off. 

 The lion, as became his part, 

 Lov'd his dear people from his heart. 



And taking counsel sage, 

 His peerage summon'd to advise 

 And offer up a sacrifice, 



To soothe Apollo's rage. 



Quoth lion, 'We are sinners all ; 



And even, it must be confess'd, 

 If among sheep I chance to fall — 



I, I, am guilty as the rest. 

 To me the sight of lamb is curst, 

 It kindles in my heart a thirst, 



I struggle to refrain, 

 Poor innocent ! his blood so sweet ! 

 His flesh so delicate to eat! 



I find resistance vain. 



'Now to be candid, I must own, 



The sheep are weak, and I am strong — 

 But when we find ourselves alone, 



The sheep have never done me wrong. 

 And, since I purpose to reveal 

 All my offences, nor conceal 



One trespass from your view ; 

 My appetite is made so keen, 

 That, with the sheep, the time has been 



I took — the shepherd too. 



'Then let us all our sins confess, 



And whose soe'er the blackest guilt, 

 To ease my people's deep distress, 



Let his atoning blood be spilt. 

 My own confession now you heap- 

 Should none of deeper dye appear, 

 ■ Your ^sentence freely give : 

 And if on me should fall the lot, 

 Make me the victim on the spot ; 



And let my people live.' 



The council with applauses rung, 

 To hear the Codrus of the wood; 



Though still some doubt suspended hung, 

 If he would make his promise good — 



Quoth Reynard, 'Since the world was made 



Was ever love like this displayed ? 

 • Let us, like subjects true, 



Swear, as before your feet we fall, 



Sooner than you should die for all, 

 We all will die for you. 



'But, please your majesty, I deem, 



Submissive to your royal grace, 

 You hold iii far too high esteem 



That paltry poltroon, sheepish race : 

 For oft reflecting iu the shade, 

 I ask myself why sheep were made 



By all-creating power 1 

 And howsoe'er I tax my mind. 

 This, the sole reason I can find — 



For lions to devour. 



'And as for eating, now and then, 



As well the shepherd as the sheep ; 

 How can that braggart breed of men 



Expect with you the peace to keep 1 

 'Tis time their blustering boast to stein, 

 That all the world was made for thein, 



And prove creation's plan ; 

 Teach them, by evidence profuse, 

 That man was made for lion's use, 



Not lions made for man. 



And now the noble peers begin ; 



And, cheer'd with such example bright, 

 Disclosing each his secret sin, 



Some midnight murder brought to light. 

 Reynard was counsel for them all ; 

 No crime the assembly could appal, 



But he could botch, with paint ; 

 Hark ! as the honeyed accents roll, 

 Each tiger is a gentle soul ; 



Each blood-hound is a saint. 



When each had told his tale in turn, 



The long-ear'd beast of burden came, 

 And meekly said— 'My bowels yearn 



To make confession of my shame: 

 But I remember on a time, 

 I pass'd, not thinking of a crime, 



A hay-slack on my way ; 

 His lure some tempting devil spread — 

 I stretched across the fence my head, 



And cropp'd— a lock of hay. 



'Oh monster! villain!' Reynard cried — 



'No longer seek the victim, sire ; 

 Nor why your subjects thus have died, 



To expiate Apollo's ire.' 

 The council, with one voice, decreed, 

 All joined to execrate the deed — 



•What ! steal another's grass!' 

 The blackest crime their lives could show, 

 Was washed as white as virgin snow ; 



The victim was— the ass. 



There are few wants more distressing than the 

 want of some useful occupation, for activity of the 

 faculties is the fountain of enjoyment. 



Cunning is the most silly of all things, for those 

 who often undertake to outwit others, and become 

 notorious for being sharp folks, eventually outwit 

 themselves, and honest men will shun them as 

 they would a contagious disorder. 



The most trifling promise a parent can make to 

 children should always be adhered to ; for negli- 

 gence in that particular teaches a lesson of deceit. 



Carefully observe every action of a child, which 

 is praisewortlry, and let if possible a reward ac- 

 company it ; for the encouragement of one virtu- 

 ous impulse will have a happier effect than the 

 correction of a hundred faults. 



A person bemoaning the uncomfortable pros- 

 pect of celibacy, and comparing the respective 



situations of married and single pet sons, exclaimed, 

 " What can make the bitter cup of a bachelor go 

 down ?" A wit in the company, assuming the 

 tone and manner of the complainant, exclaimed 

 " a lass ! a lass !" 



A gallant officer of the American navy on visit- 

 ing the i^tate Prison of Massachusetts with a friend, 

 observed that he should have no objections to such 

 a crew as could be formed of the prisoners. 

 "True," replied his companion, "and you would 

 have this advantage, thev would be all tried men." 



FRESH FALL GOODS. 



ELIAB STONE BREWER. No. 414 Washington street, 

 has received an extensive assortment of fresh Fall and Winter 

 goods which he offers, wholesale and retail, for cash only, con- 

 siderably lower than can be bought in the city. Among which 

 are 4 cases English, French and American cloths, consisting of 

 superior, extra superior, middling and low priced, black, blue. 

 mused, and every variety of colors. 50 pieces Cassimeres, of 

 all colors— 2 cases pelisse cloths, an excellent article for chaise 

 lining (very low)— 1 case very nice Habit cloth, Brown. Blue, 

 Claret. *c".— 7 cases Satinetls, Striped, and plain of various 

 colors— 5 cases 6-4 Eng. Merino, a very superior article, and 

 all the most desirable colors, imported expressly for the sub- 

 scriber 4 cases 3-4 Eng. do. of various colors and qualities — 



4 cases Circassians, very superior qualities and various colors 

 —1 case superior Goats Hair Camblel— !■ bales 4-4 5-4 and b-4 

 Bocking, green and mixed— 12 bales splendid Tamftville 

 Hearth rugs— 5 bales Eng. low priced do. do.— 54 bales Do- 

 metts white, yellow, red, &c— lObales Flannels, Eng. V\ elsn, 

 and American— 10 bales Cotton Carpeting, striped and blocked 

 —6 bales Russia Diaper— 1 bale Canton Flannel, lower than 

 the cost of importation— 3 bales American Cotton Flannels, 

 bleached and unbleached— 1 bale White Counterpanes, all 

 sizes— 10 bales superior London Row Blankets from 10-4 to 

 14.4—7 bales real Indigo Checks from 3-4 to 5-4—3 bales 

 American Gingham— 2 cases Eng. Gingham— 29 bales cotton 

 Baiting— 25 beles Piliisse Wadding, 12 bales black W adding— 



5 cases Embossed Furniture Dimcly— 2 cases Embossed 

 Camhrick, for stage lining— 20 cases Prints, all patterns and 

 prices, Eng. French, and American— 35 cases Bleached Col- 

 tons— 50 bales unbleached cotton— 10 bales Ticking o-4, 7-b 



and 4-4, some very superior quality — 2 cases Sinchaws 



cases Sarsnets— 2 cases Satin Levantines, superior quality— 

 3 cases Levantines, low priced— 7 cases Crape Dresses, all 

 colors— 5 cases Linens, Lawns, and Shirtings 4-4 to 10-4 with 

 a very extensive assortment of Cambrics and Cambric Muslins. 

 Bobbinette and Grecian lace, 4-4 and 6-4 Swiss nonsook, Book 

 Jaconett plain and figured muslins— Hosiery and every varie- 

 ty of seasonable Dry Goods. . 



Country merchants will do well to call and examine for 

 hemselves. se P 118 ' 



BLACK CURRANT WINE. 



A few Bottles of this wine, so highly esteemed by all ac- 

 quainted with its medicinal properties, just received by Geo. 

 C. Barrett, 51 and 52, North Market street. aug-o 



BUCKTHORNS. 



10,000 Buckthorns of thrifty growth, from two to threefeet 

 high, for sale — apply at this office. 



14 



THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



Is published every Wednesday Evening, at £3 per annum, 

 payable at the end of the year— but those who pay within 

 sixty days from the time of subscribing, are entitled to a deduc- 

 tion of fifty cents. 



[LT No paper will be sent to a distance without payment 

 being made in advance. 



AGENTS. 



New York—G. Thorbcrn & Sons, 67 Liberty-street. 

 Albany— Wm. Thoreurn, 347 Market-street. 

 Philadelphia— D. & C. Lahhreth, 85 Chesnut-street. 

 Baltimore— -I. I. Hitchcock, Publisher of American Farmor. 

 Cincinnati— S. C. Parkhurst, 23 Lower Market-street. 

 Flushing, N. F.—Wm. Prince & Sons, Prop. Lin. Bol.Gar. 

 Middlebury. Vt. — Wight Chapman, Merchant. 

 Hartford— Goovw is & Co. Booksellers. 

 Newburyport— Ebenezer Stedman, Bookseller. 

 Portsmouth, N. If. — J. W. Foster, Bookseller. 

 Portland, Me. — Colman, Holden & Co. Booksellers. 

 Bangor, Me.— Wm. Mann, Druggist. 



Halifax, N. S.—F.l. Holland, Esq. Editor of Reoowter. 

 Montreal, L. C— Geo. Bent. 

 St. Louis — Geo. Holton. 



Printed for Geo. C. Barrett by Ford & Damrell 

 whoexecute every description of Book and Fancy Print- 

 main a-ood style, and with promptness. Orders for print- 

 ing may be left with Geo. C. Barrett, at the Agrioul 

 tuxal Warehouse, No. 52, North Market Street. 



