Page images
PDF
EPUB

1

322

THE LILY AND THE ROSE.

Each thinks his neighbour makes too free,

Yet likes a flice as well as he ;

With fophiftry their fauce they sweeten,

'Till quite from tail to fnout 'tis eaten.

THE LILY AND THE ROSE.

I.

THE nymph must lose her female friend

If more admir'd than fhe

But where will fierce contention end

If flow'rs can disagree?

[blocks in formation]

III.

The rose foon redden'd into rage,

And fwelling with disdain,

Appeal'd to many a poet's page

To prove her right to reign.

IV.

The lily's height befpoke command,

A fair imperial flow'r,

She feem'd defign'd for Flora's hand,
The fceptre of her pow'r.

V.

This civil bick'ring and debate
The goddess chanc'd to hear,

And flew to fave, ere yet too late,

The pride of the parterre,

VI.

Your's is, fhe faid, the nobler hue,

And your's the ftatelier mien,

And 'till a third furpaffes you,

Let each be deem'd a queen.

[blocks in formation]

VI.

Thus fcoth'd and reconcil'd, each seeks

The fairest British fair,

The feat of empire is her cheeks,

They reign united there.

IDEM LATINE REDDITUM.

I.

HEU inimicitias quoties parit æmula forma,

Quam raro pulchræ, pulchra placere poteft?

Sed fines ultrà folitos difcordia tendit,

Cum flores ipfos bilis et ira movent.

II.

Hortus ubi dulces præbet tacitofque receffûs,
Se rapit in partes gens animofa duas,

Hic fibi regales amaryllis candida cultûs,

Illic purpureo vindicat ore rofa..

III.

Ira rofam et meritis quæfita fuperbia tangunt,
Multaque ferventi vix cohibenda finû,

Dum fibi fautorum ciet undique nomina vatûm,
Jufque fuum, multo carmine fulta, probat.

IV.

Altior emicat illa, et celfo vertice nutat,

Ceu flores inter non habitura parem, Faftiditque alios, et nata videtur in ufûs

Imperii, fceptrum, Flora quod ipfa gerat.

V.

Nec Dea non fenfit civilis murmura rixæ,
Cui curæ eft pictas pandere ruris opes.
Deliciafque fuas nunquam non prompta tueri,
Dum licet et locus eft, ut tueatur, adeft.

VI

Et tibi forma datur procerior omnibus, inquit,
Et tibi, principibus qui folet effe, color,
Et donec vincat quædam formofior ambas,
Et tibi reginæ nomen, et efto tibi.

[blocks in formation]

His ubi fedatus furor eft, petit utraque nympham

Qualem inter Veneres Anglia fola parit,

Hanc penés imperium eft, nihil optant amplius, hujus Regnant in nitidis, et fine lite, genis.

THE NIGHTINGALE AND GLOW-WORM.

A Nightingale that all day long

Had cheer'd the village with his fong,
Nor yet at eve his note fufpended,

Nor yet when even tide was ended,
Began to feel as well he might
The keen demands of appetite;
When looking eagerly around,
He spied far off upon the ground,

A fomething fhining in the dark,
And knew, the glow-worm by his spark,

So

« PreviousContinue »