Short Poems

MISTRESS M ARY , quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With cockle-shells, and silver bells,
And pretty maids all in a row.

Bonnie Katie Brannie stands at the wa',
Gi'e her little, gi'e her muckle, she licks up a':
Gi'e her stanes, she eats them—but water, she'll dee,
Come, tell this bonnie riddleum to me.

When the Pye was opened,
The birds began to sing,
And was not that a dainty dish,
To set before a king?

Heart, it is nothing—
Be not so afraid,
One beat—another—
Feel! we live!
‘That is my fear.’
The traitor said.

Lay lilies on dead innocence,
Strew roses on the bier of love,
But let my grave of penitence
Be sweet with violets above.

Rainbow at night
Is the sailor's delight;
Rainbow at morning,
Sailors, take warning.

When Faction threaten'd Britain's land,
Thy new-made friends—a desperate band,
Like Ahab—stood reprov'd:
Pitt's powerful tongue their rage could check;
His counsel sav'd, 'midst general wreck,
The Israel that he loved.

Miraculous love's wounding!
E'en those darts my sweet Phyllis
So fiercely shot against my heart rebounding,
Are turned to roses, violets and lilies,
With odour sweet abounding.

Erthe tok of erthe erthe with woh;
Erthe other erthe to the erthe droh;
Erthe leide erthe in erthene throh.
Tho hevede erthe of erthe erthe inoh.

A yong wyf and an harvest gos,
Moche gagil with bothe;
A man that hath hem in his clos,
Reste schal he wrothe.