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Chapter VIII: Letter III (6)

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When lurking love in ambush lies,
Under friendship's fair disguise:
When he wears an angry mien,
Imitating strife and spleen:
When, like sorrow, he seduces,
When, like pleasure, he amuses:
Still, howe'er the parts are cast,
It is but lurking love at last.

4. The Farmer's Creed.

Let this be held the farmer's creed:
For stock look out the choicest breed—
In peace and plenty let them feed—
Your land sow with the best of seed—
Enclose and drain it with all speed,
And you will soon be rich indeed.

5. On a Slanderous Coquette.

Hast thou not seen a lively bee,
Rove through the air, supremely free,
Its slender waist, and swelling breast,
In nature's beauteous colors drest,
While on its little, pointed tongue,
All Hybla's luscious sweets were hung:
Such Nancy is—but, oh the thing,
Wears, like the bee, a poisonous sting.

6. On Content.

It is not youth can give content,
Nor is it wealth can fee;
It is a dower from heav'n sent,
But not to thee or me.

It is not in the monarch's crown
Though he'd give millions for 't—
It is not in his lordship's frown
Nor waits on him to court.

It is not in a coach and six,
It is not in a garter;
'Tis not in love or politics,
But 'tis in Hodge the Carter.

7. On a Dandy.

They say, my friend, that you admire
Yourself with all a lover's fire.
Men who possess what they desire
Like you, are happy fellows.
But you can boast one pleasure more,
While blest with all that you adore,
That no one will be jealous.

{504}

_Editorial_.

CRITICAL NOTICES.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

_Random Recollections of the House of Lords, from the year 1830 to 1836. By the author of “Random Recollections of the House of Commons.” Philadelphia: Republished by E. L. Carey & A. Hart._

This is an exceedingly interesting volume, written by Mr. Grant, a young Scotch reporter—a man of sound sense, acute observation, and great knowledge of mankind. Its manner is correct, fluent, and forcible—occasionally rising into a high species of eloquence. It has too, that rare merit in compositions of this nature—the merit of strict impartiality—an impartiality so rigidly observed, that it is nearly impossible to form, from any thing comprehended in the book itself, an estimate of the political principles of the writer.

The work commences, in pursuance of the author's plan adopted in his book on the other House of Parliament, with an account of the interior of the building in which the Lords assembled prior to its partial destruction by fire in October 1834. This account is full of interest. “The present house,” says the author, “is a small, narrow apartment. Last year it was but very imperfectly lighted. It is more cheerful now, owing to the new windows added to it during the recess. It is incapable of containing more than two hundred and fifty of their lordships with any degree of comfort. It is right to mention, however, that it is but seldom a greater number are present, and it is not often there are so many.”

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The southern literary messenger, Vol. II., No. 8, July, 1836Chapter VIII: Letter III (6)

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