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Facile credo, plures esse Naturas invisibiles quam visibiles in rerum universitate. Sed horum omnium familiam quis nobis enarrabit? et gradus et cognationes et discrimina et singulorum munera? Quid agunt? quæ loca habitant? Harum rerum notitiam semper ambivit ingenium humanum, nunquam attigit. Juvat, interea, non diffiteor, quandoque in animo, tanquam in Tabula, majoris et melioris mundi imaginem contemplari: ne mens assuefacta hodiernæ vitæ minutiis se contrahat nimis, et tota subsidat in pusillas cogitationes. Sed veritati interea invigilandum est, modusque servandus, ut certa ab incertis, diem a nocte, distinguamus.

T. BURNET: ARCHEOL. PHIL. p. 68.

THE RIME

OF

THE ANCIENT MARINER.

IN SEVEN PARTS.

It is an ancient Mariner,

And he stoppeth one of three.

'By thy long grey beard and glittering eye, "Now wherefore stopp'st thou me?

"The Bridegroom's doors are opened wide, "And I am next of kin;

"The guests are met, the feast is set:

May'st hear the merry din."

He holds him with his skinny hand,

"There was a ship," quoth he.

"Hold off! unhand me, grey-beard loon!"

Eftsoons his hand dropt he.

An ancient Mariner meeteth three Gallants bidden to a weddingfeast, and detaineth one.

The wedding- He holds him with his glittering eyeguest is spell

bound by the The wedding-guest stood still,

eye of the old sea-faring

man, and constrained to

hear his tale.

And listens like a three

years

The Mariner hath his will.

child :

The wedding-guest sat on a stone:

He cannot chuse but hear;

And thus spake on that ancient man,

The bright-eyed mariner.

The ship was cheered, the harbour cleared,

Merrily did we drop

Below the kirk, below the hill,

Below the light house top.

The Mariner The Sun came up upon the left,

tells how the

ship sailed southward with a good

Out of the sea came he!

wind and fair And he shone bright, and on the right

weather, till

it reached the Went down into the sea.

line.

Higher and higher every day,

Till over the mast at noon

The Wedding-Guest here beat his breast,

For he heard the loud bassoon.

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