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" But let me scrape the dirt away

That hangs upon your face;
And stop and eat, for well you may

Be in a hungry case.”
Said John—“It is my wedding day,

And all the world would stare,
If Wife should dine at Edmonton,

And I should dine at Ware.”
So turning to his horse, he said,

“I am in haste to dine,
'Twas for your pleasure you came here,

You shall go back for mine.”
Ah luckless speech, and bootless boast !

For which he paid full dear,
For while he spake a braying ass

Did sing most loud and clear.
Whereat his horse did snort as he

Had heard a lion roar,
And gallop'd off with all his might

As he had done before.
Away went Gilpin, and away

Went Gilpin's hat and wig;
He lost them sooner than at first,

For why ? they were too big.
Now Mistress Gilpin, when she saw

Her husband posting down
Into the country far away,

She pull’d out half a crown; And thus unto the youth she said

That drove them to the Bell, “This shall be yours when you bring back

My husband safe and well.”

a

The youth did ride, and soon did meet

John coming back amain,
Whom in a trice he tried to stop

By catching at his rein.
But not performing what he meant,

And gladly would have done,
The frighted steed he frighted more,

And made him faster run.
Away went Gilpin, and away

Went post-boy at his heels,
The post-boy's horse right glad to miss

The lumbering of the wheels.
Six gentlemen upon the road

Thus seeing Gilpin fly,
With post-boy scampering in the rear,

They raised the hue and cry, “Stop thief! stop thief !-a highwayman !”

Not one of them was mute,
And all and each that pass'd that way

Did join in the pursuit.
And now the turnpike gates again

Flew open in short space,
The toll-men thinking as before

That Gilpin rode a race.
And so he did, and won it too,

For he got first to town,
Nor stopp'd till where he had got up

He did again get down.
Now let us sing, Long live the king,

And Gilpin long live he,
And when he next doth ride abroad,
May I be there to see!

COWPER. THE BATTLE OF BLENHEIM.

It was a summer evening,

Old Kaspar's work was done,
And he before his cottage door

Was sitting in the sun,
And by him sported on the green
His little grandchild, Wilhelmine.

She saw her brother Peterkin

Roll something large and round, Which he beside the rivulet,

In playing there, had found : He came to ask what he had found, That was so large, and smooth, and round.

Old Kaspar took it from the boy,

Who stood expectant by;
And then the old man shook his head,

And with a natural sigh, 66 'Tis some poor

fellow's skull,” said he, Who fell in the great victory.

“I find them in the garden,

For there's many hereabout; And often, when I go to plough,

The ploughshare turns them out! For many thousand men,” said he, “Were slain in that great victory.”

“Now tell us what 'twas all about,”

Young Peterkin he cries;
And little Wilhelmine looks up,

With wonder-waiting eyes;