His eye was on the bell and float: Quoth he, "My men put out the boat, And row me to the Inchcape rock, And I'll plague the priest of Aberbrothock." The boat is lower'd, the boatmen row, And to the Inchcape rock they go : And cut the warning bell from the float. Down sunk the bell with a gurgling sound, The bubbles arose, and burst around; Quoth Sir Ralph, "The next who comes to this rock, Will not bless the priest of Aberbrothock.” Sir Ralph the Rover sail'd away, He scour'd the seas for many a day; So thick a haze o'erspread the sky, "Canst hear," said one," the breakers roar? 'Yonder, methinks, should be the shore: "Now where we are I cannot tell, "But I wish we could hear the Inchcape bell." They hear no sound, the swell is strong, Though the wind hath fallen, they drift along, Till the vessel strikes with a shiv'ring shock— Oh, Heavens! it is the Inchcape rock! Sir Ralph the Rover tore his hair, And the vessel sinks beneath the tide. Conversation. SOUTHEY, I CANNOT talk with civit in the room, A fine puss-gentleman that's all perfume; Perhaps might prosper with a swarm of bees; A graver coxcomb we may sometimes see, The solemn fop; significant and budge, But when unpack'd your disappointment groans Some men employ their health, an ugly trick, In making known how oft they have been sick, And give us in recitals of disease, A doctor's trouble, but without the fees; Nothing is slightly touch'd much less forgot, They thought they must have died, they were so bad; Their peevish hearers almost wish they had. Some fretful tempers wince at every touch, You always do too little or too much : That's worse the drone pipe of an humble bee. He likes yours little, and his own still less. COWPER. The Erl-King. WHO is it that rides through the forest so fast, While night frowns around him, while shrill roars the blast? The father, who holds his young son in his arm, And close in his mantle has wrapp'd him up warm. Father."Why trembles my darling? why shrinks he with fear?" Child.-"Oh, father! my father! the Erl-King is near ! "The Erl-King, with his crown and his beard long and white!" F.-"Oh! night!" your eyes are deceived by the vapours of Erl King." Come, baby, sweet baby, with me go away! "Fine clothes you shall wear, we will play a fine play; "Fine flowers are growing, white, scarlet, and blue, "On the banks of yon river, and all are for you." C.-"Oh! father! my father! and dost thou not hear "What words the Erl-King whispers low in mine ear?" |