Why, he was weeping! Surely gone

Sternness and strength: with eyes to ground And voice a broken monotone

66

Only be as you were! Abound

In foibles, faults, laugh, robed and crowned

"As Folly's veriest queen, - care I

One feather-fluff? Look pity, Love, On prostrate me your foot shall try

This forehead's use - mount thence above, And reach what Heaven you dignify!"

Now, what could bring such change about?
The thought perplexed: till, following
His gaze upon the ground,-why, out
Came all the secret! So, a thing
Thus simple has deposed my king!

For, spite of weeds that strove to spoil
Plain reading on the lettered slab,

"Fear nothing! Who employs me requires the plain truth. Pelf

that swineherd's son:

myself.

See!" And he drew his hood back, let the close vesture ope, Showed face, and where on tippet the cross lay: 't was the Pope.

Imagine the joyful wonder! "How shall the like of us

Poor souls-requite such blessing of our rude bean-feast?" Thus

Thus amply!" laughed Pope Sixtus. "I early rise, sleep late:

Who works may eat: they tempt me, your beans there spare a plate!"

Down sat he on the door-step: 't was they this time said grace:

He ate up the last mouthful, wiped lips, and then, with face

Turned heavenward, broke forth thankful: "Not now, that earth obeys

Thy word in mine, that through me the peoples know Thy ways—

"But_that_Thy care extendeth to Nature's homely wants,

And, while man's mind is strengthened, Thy goodness nowise scants

Man's body of its comfort, - that I whom kings and queens

Crouch to, pick crumbs from off my table, relish beans!

The thunders I but seem to launch, there plain

A week did he bide in the cold and the dark - Not hunger: for duly at morning

In flitted a lass, and a voice like a lark Chirped, "Muckle-mouth Meg still ye 're scorning?

"Go hang, but here's parritch to hearten ye first!"

"Did Meg's muckle-mouth boast within some Such music as yours, mine should match it or burst:

No frog-jaws! So tell folk, my Winsome!" Soon week came to end, and, from Hole's door set wide,

Out he marched, and there waited the lassie : "Yon_gallows, or Muckle-mouth Meg for a bride!

Consider! Sky's blue and turf's grassy :

"Life 's sweet: shall I say ye wed Mucklemouth Meg?"

"Not I," quoth the stout heart: too eerie The mouth that can swallow a bubblyjock's

A. You blame me that I ran away?

Why, Sir, the enemy advanced:
Balls flew about, and who can say
But one, if I stood firm, had glanced
In my direction? Cowardice?
I only know we don't live twice,
Therefore-shun death, is my advice.

B. Shun death at all risks? Well, at some!
True, I myself, Sir, though I scold
The cowardly, by no means come
Under reproof as overbold

- I, who would have no end of brutes
Cut up alive to guess what suits
My case and saves my toe from shoots.

STOP rowing! This one of our bye-canals
O'er a certain bridge you have to cross
That's named, "Of the Angel: " listen why!
The name "Of the Devil" too much appalls
Venetian acquaintance, so- his the loss,
While the gain goes... look on high!

An angel visibly guards yon house :
Above each scutcheon- -a pair-stands he,
Enfolds them with droop of either wing:
The family's fortune were perilous
Did he thence depart you will soon agree,
If I hitch into verse the thing.

For, once on a time, this house belonged
To a lawyer of note, with law and to spare,
But also with overmuch lust of gain:
In the matter of law you were nowise wronged,
But alas for the lucre! He picked you bare
To the bone. Did folk complain?

"I exact," growled he, "work's rightful due:
'Tis folk seek me, not I seek them.
Advice at its price! They succeed or fail,
Get law in each case- and a lesson too:
Keep clear of the Courts is advice ad rem:
They 'll remember, I 'll be bail!"

So, he pocketed fee without a qualm.
What reason for squeamishness? Labor done,
To play he betook him with lightened heart,

Now it happened at close of a fructuous week "I must ask," quoth he, some Saint to dine: I want that widow well out of my ears With her ailing and wailing. Who bade her seek

Redress at my hands? She was wronged!' Folk whine

If to Law wrong right appears.

"Matteo da Bascio - he 's my man!
No less than Chief of the Capucins:
His presence will surely suffumigate
My house-fools think lies under a ban
If somebody loses what somebody wins.
Hark, there he knocks at the grate!

I

"Come in, thou blessed of Mother Church! and prepare to bid, that is, go My trusty and diligent servitor

Get all things in readiness. Vain the search
Through Venice for one to compare with this
My model of ministrants: for-

"For once again, nay, three times over,
My helpmate's an ape! so intelligent,
I train him to drudge at household work:
He toils and he moils, I live in clover:
Oh, you shall see! There's a goodly scent
From his cooking, or I 'm a Turk !

"Scarce need to descend and supervise :
I'll do it, however: wait here awhile!"
So, down to the kitchen gayly scuttles
Our host, nor notes the alarmed surmise
Of the holy man. "O depth of guile!
He blindly guzzles and guttles,