The garden roller, dreaded foe!
Came growling by, and did not fail,
To crush our hero, head and tail,

-Just when the duck devoured the snail.

Thus says the fable:-learn from hence,
It argues want of common sense,
To think our trials and our labors,
Harder and heavier than our neighbors':
Or that 't would lighten toils and cares,
To give them ours in change for theirs;
For whether man's appointed lot
Be really equalized or not,

(A point we need not now discuss,).
Habit makes ours the best to us.

XXVIII.

NOW AND THEN.

IN distant days of wild romance,

Of magic mist and fable;

When stones could argue, trees advance,
And brutes to talk, were able;

When shrubs and flowers were said to preach,
And manage all the parts of speech:

"T was then, no doubt, if 't was at all'
(But doubts we need not mention).
That THEN and Now, two adverbs small,

Engaged in sharp contention;
But how they made each other hear
Tradition doth not make appear.

THEN, was a sprite of subtile frame,
With rainbow tints invested;
On clouds of dazzling light she came,
And stars her forehead crested;
Her sparkling eye of azure hue,

Seemed borrowed from the distant blue.

Now, rested on the solid earth,
And sober was her vesture;
She seldom either grief or mirth
Expressed by word or gesture;
Composed, sedate and firm she stood,
And looked industrious, calm and good.

THEN, sang a wild, fantastic song,
Light as the gale she flies on:
Still stretching, as she sailed along,
Towards the fair horizon;

Where clouds of radiance, fringed with gold,

O'er hills of emerald beauty rolled.

Now, rarely raised her sober eye

To view that golden distance;

Nor let one idle minute fly

In hope of THEN's assistance;
But still, with busy hands, she stood,
Intent on doing present good.

She ate the sweet but homely fare
That passing moments brought her;
While THEN, expecting dainties rare,

Despised such bread and water:
And waited for the fruits and flowers
Of future, still receding hours.

Now, venturing once to ask her why,
She answered with invective;
And pointed, as she made reply,
Towards that long perspective
Of years to come, in distance blue,
Wherein she meant to live and do.

"Alas," says she, "how hard you toil!
With undiverted sadness:
Behold yon land of wine and oil—
Those sunny hills of gladness;
Those joys I wait with eager brow: ".
"And so you always will," said Now.

"That fairy land that looks so real,
Recedes as you pursue it;
Thus while you wait for times ideal,
I take my work and do it;
Intent to form, when time is gone,
A pleasant past to look upon."

"Ah, well," said THEN, "I envy not
Your dull fatiguing labors;
Aspiring to a brighter lot,

With thousands of my neighbors, Soon as I reach that golden hill ;' "But that," says now, "you never will."

"And e'en suppose you should," said she ("Though mortal ne'er attained it)— Your nature you must change with me

The moment you had gained it :
Since hope fulfilled (you must allow)
Turns Now to THEN, and THEN to Now.

XXIX.

THE PILGRIMAGE OF LEARNING.

THE temple of knowledge, that spacious and magnificent structure, towards which so many weary steps have been directed, appears at this moment a bright object in the distant horizon. The setting sun now illuminating its fair marble columns, reveals something of its elegance and splendor. Having pitched my tent beneath a spreading shade, in order to take needful repose, I have amused myself by noting down some of the adventures that befell me, more especially in the early part of my pilgrimage: although, being now advanced in years, and having commenced this adventure in early childhood, I retain but an imperfect remembrance of many circumstances, and can offer no more than a brief sketch of the journey.

Nothing could be more easy and agreeable than my condition, when I was first summoned to set out on this career. Sporting upon flowery lawns, surrounded with glittering baubles, over

whelmed with caresses, and meeting smiles in every face. Strange was the hour when I was snatched from the midst of these indulgences, to commence a toilsome pilgrimage; though at that time little aware of the lengthened and difficult course that lay before me. It was not, however, without letting fall a few ominous tears that I set the first step. Several companions of my own age and condition accompanied me in the outset; and we travelled pleasantly together a good part of the way.

Our path, at first, lay through a ploughed field, which we no sooner entered than we were accosted by three diminutive strangers, who assumed a formidable aspect towards us. These we presently discovered to be the advanced guard of a Liliputian army, which was seen advancing towards us in battle array. Their forms were singularly grotesque; some were striding across the path, others standing with their arms akimbo, some hanging down their heads, others quite erect, some standing on one leg, others on two, and one, strange to say, on three; another had his arms crossed, and one was remarkably crooked; some were very slender, and others as broad as they were long. But notwithstanding this diversity of figure, when they were all marshalled in line of battle, they had a very orderly and regular appearance. Feeling disconcerted by their numbers, we were presently for sounding a re