And, ere the day, three hundred horse had met on Clifton Down. The sentinel on Whitehall gate looked forth into the night, And saw o'er hanging Richmond Hill, that streak of blood-red light. The bugle's note, and cannon's roar, the deathlike silence broke, went; And roused, in many an ancient hall, the gallant squires of Kent: Southward, for Surrey's pleasant hills, flew those bright coursers forth; [north; High on black Hampstead's swarthy moor, they started for the And on, and on, without a pause, untired they bounded still; All night from tower to tower they sprang, all night from hill to hill; Till the proud peak unfurled the flag o'er Derwent's rocky dales; Macaulay. 11.-AN ELEGY ON THE DEATH OF A MAD DOG. Good people all, of every sort, Give ear unto my song; In Islington there was a man, Of whom the world might say, A kind and gentle heart he had, And in that town a dog was found, Both mongrel, puppy, whelp, and hound, And curs of low degree. This dog and man at first were friends; But when a pique began, The dog, to gain his private ends, Went mad, and bit the man. Around from all the neighbouring streets The wondering neighbours ran, And swore the dog had lost his wits, To bite so good a man. The wound it seemed both sore and sad To every christian eye: And while they swore the dog was mad, They swore the man would die. But soon a wonder came to light, Goldsmith. 12. FAITHLESS NELLIE GRAY. BEN BATTLE was a soldier bold, And used to war's alarms: But a cannon-ball took off his legs, Now as they bore him off the field, The army-surgeons made him limbs: "But there's as wooden Members quite, "As represent my legs!" Now Ben he loved a pretty maid, Her name was Nelly Gray; So he went to pay her his devoirs, But when he called on Nelly Gray, And when she saw his wooden legs, 66 Oh, Nelly Gray! Oh, Nelly Gray! "Is this your love so warm? "The love that loves a scarlet coat "Should be more uniform!" Said she "I loved a soldier once, "Before you had those timber toes, "But then, you know, you stand upon "Another footing now!" "Oh, Nelly Gray! Oh, Nelly Gray! "For all your jeering speeches, "At duty's call, I left my legs, "In Badajos's breaches!" 66 Why then," said she, "you've lost the feet "Of legs in war's alarms, "And now you cannot wear your shoes "Upon your feats of arms!" 66 Oh, false and fickle Nelly Gray! "I know why you refuse: Though I've no feet-some other man "Is standing in my shoes! "I wish I ne'er had seen your face; 66 But, now, a long farewell! "For you will be my death; alas! “You will not be my Nell!” Now when he went from Nelly Gray His heart so heavy got And life was such a burthen grown, It made him take a knot! So round his melancholy neck, A rope he did entwine, And, for his second time in life, Enlisted in the Line! One end he tied around a beam, And, as his legs were off,—of course, And there he hung, till he was dead As For though distress had cut him up, It could not cut him down! A dozen men sat on his corpse, To find out why he died And they buried Ben in four cross roads, Hood. 13.-BISHOP HATTO. THE summer and autumn had been so wet, Every day the starving poor At last Bishop Hatto appointed a day Rejoiced such tidings good to hear, The poor folk flock'd from far and near; Of women and children, and young and old. |