At first, when he began to read, Their heads the assembly downward hung. But he with boldness did proceed, And thus he read, and thus they sung. THE PSALM. With vast amazement we survey Where mackerel swim, and porpoise play, Fish of all kinds inhabit here, And throng the dark abode. Here haddock, hake, and flounders are, From raging winds and tempests free, The shining surface seems to be But when the winds and tempests rise, Our heads the tottering motion feel, Giddy as new-dropp'd calves, and reel What praises then are due that we And tribe of Penobscot. A MOURNFUL LAMENTATION FOR THE DEATH OF MR OLD TENOR.* A DOLEFUL tale prepare to hear, As ever yet was told: The like, perhaps, ne'er reach'd the ear Of either young or old. *A New England currency. "T is of the sad and woeful death Who lately hath resign'd his breath; In vain ten thousands intercede, The powers decree, and die he must, But his good deeds, when he 's in dust, He made our wives and daughters fine, He gave the rich their costly wine, In ease maintain'd the great: To fruitful fields, by swift degrees, He turn'd our desert land: Where once nought stood but rocks and trees, Now spacious cities stand. He built us houses, strong and high, Of wood, and brick, and stone; The furniture he did supply; But now, alas! he's gone. The merchants too, those topping folks, Their ruffles, lace, and scarlet cloaks, He launch'd their ships into the main, To visit distant shores; And brought them back, full fraught with gain, Led on by him our soldiers bold, And took, in spite of wet and cold, VOL. I. Who from that fort the French did drive, From house to house, and place to place, In paper doublet clad, He pass'd, and where he show'd his face, But cruel death, that spareth none, Who through the land so long hath gone, In senate he, like Cæsar, fell, Pierced through with many a wound, He sunk, ah, doleful tale to tell! The members sitting round: And ever since that fatal day, Oh! had it never been, Closely confined at home he lay, And scarce was ever seen, Until the last of March, when he In anno regis twentythree, For ever gloomy be that day, When he gave up the ghost; For by his death, oh! who can say, What hath New England lost? Then, good Old Tenor, fare thee well, In all the land, there ne'er was known Of every rank are many seen, Thy downfal to deplore; For 't is well known that thou hast been A friend to rich and poor. We'll o'er thee raise a silver tomb, And so God bless our noble state, LAW bears the name, but money has the power. The cause is bad whene'er the client's poor. Those strict-lived men, who seem above our world, Are oft too modest to resist our gold; So judgment like our other wares is sold. And the grave knight, that nods upon the laws, EXTEMPORE ON THE FOURTH LATIN SCHOOL BEING TAKEN DOWN TO MAKE ROOM FOR ENLARGING THE CHAPEL CHURCH. the town, A FIG for your learning, I tell you To make the church larger must pull the school down. "Unluckily spoken," replied Master Birch, "Then learning, I fear, stops the growth of the church." WILLIAM LIVINGSTON, WILLIAM LIVINGSTON, governor of New Jersey, was descended from a Scotch family which settled in New York. He was born in New York about the year 1723, and studied at Yale college, where he received a degree in 1741. He afterwards became a distinguished lawyer, and upon his re moval to New Jersey, was chosen a member of the first Congress in 1774, having previously signalized himself by his public writings against the encroachments of Britain. In 1776 the inhabitants of New Jersey deposed their colonial governor, and formed a new constitution, under which Livingston was chosen first chief magistrate, and continued to be re-elected to the office till his death. He was a delegate in 1787 to the grand convention which formed the constitution of the United States. He died at his seat near Elizabethtown July 25th, 1790, aged 67. Governor Livingston, besides his political writings, was the author of various essays upon miscellaneous topics: a poem entitled "Philosophic Solitude, or the choice of a Rural Life," published in 1747, when he was about 24 years of age; and a few short poetical effusions of a subsequent date. PHILOSOPHIC SOLITUDE. LET ardent heroes seek renown in arms, And dunces cringe to be esteem'd at court: 4 From noise remote, and ignorant of strife; Fops, fiddlers, tyrants, emperors, and czars. Full in the centre of some shady grove, By nature form'd for solitude and love; On banks array'd with ever blooming flowers, No costly furniture should grace my hall; |