The Christian's Warfare,

DAVID VEDDER, 1790-1854.

The Temple of Nature,

MRS SIGOURNEY, 1791-1865.

The Mother's Sacrifice,

REV. CHARLES WOLFE, 1791-1823.

Burial of Sir John Moore,

Song, If I had thought,

HENRY HART MILMAN, 1791-1868.

Hymn of the Captive Jews,

PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY, 1792-1822,

A Calm Winter's Night,

The Pine Forest by the Sea,

JOHN CLARE, 1793-1864.

Dawnings of Genius,

WILLIAM M COMB, 1793-1873.

The Still Small Voice,

MRS HEMANS, 1793-1834.

The Battle of Morgarten,

Roman Girl's Song,

The Graves of a Household,

WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT, 1794-

The Indian at Burying Place,

454

JOHN KEATS, 1795-1820.

From Hyperion, "Deep in the shady sadness,"

Autumn-"Seasons of Mists,"

470

471

WILLIAM and MARY HOWITT, W., 1795-; M., 1803-

From The Forest Minstrel, "Away with the pleasure," 472

THOMAS NOON TALFOURD, 1795-1854.

From Ion-"Ion, our sometime darling,"

473

HARTLEY COLERIDGE, 1796-1849.

Address to Gold Fishes,

THOMAS HAYNES BAYLY, 1797-1839.

We met, 'twas in a crowd,

The Mistletoe Bough,

WILLIAM MOTHERWELL, 1797-1838.

Jeanie Morrison,

HERBERT KNOWLES, 1798-1817.

Lines on Churchyard of Richmond,

ROBERT GILFILLAN, 1798-1850.

The Exile's Song- "Oh, why left I my hame,

480

GLEANINGS

FROM THE

ENGLISH POETS.

Geoffry Chaucer.

Born 1328,

Died 1400.

THE Father of English Poetry, as Chaucer is called, was born in London in the year 1328. Very little is known of his parentage, but he seems to have lived in comfortable circumstances, having been educated at Cambridge and afterwards sent to travel in Italy. The literature of Italy and a meeting with Petrarch in Padua seem to have inspired the traveller to write in his own rude northern tongue. His life seems to have been fortunate beyond that of most poets. Edward III. made him Comptroller of Customs, and gave him a handsome house near Woodstock, where he lived amid all the luxuries of the age. About the same time he made the acquaintance of John of Gaunt, to whom he afterwards became related by marriage. So much did this connection raise his position, that he was afterwards sent to negotiate a marriage between the King and the Princess Mary of France. He mixed constantly in political affairs, and was one of the most stirring men of the time. In 1386 Chaucer became involved in the troubles which befell his patron, and had to flee to Holland. He soon made his peace, for in 1389 he was again taken into favour, and Henry IV. doubled his pension. In his sixtyfourth year he retired to Woodstock, to write his great poem, "The Canterbury Tales." He died in London on 25th October 1400, aged seventy-two years, and was the first poet who was buried in the since famous Poet's Corner, in Westminster Abbey.

THE GOOD PARSON.

(From the "Canterbury Tales.")

A GOOD man ther was of religiòun,

That was a pouré PERSONE of a toun:

But riche he was of holy thought and werk.
He was also a lerned man, a Clerk,
That Cristés gospel trewely woldé preche.
His parishens devoutly wolde he teche.
Benigne he was, and wonder diligent,

parson

parishioners

A

And in adversitee ful patient :

give

And swiche he was yprevéd often sithes. proved, since
Ful loth were him to cursen for his tithes,
But rather wolde he yeven, out of doute,
Unto his pouré parishens aboute,
Of his offring, and eke of his substànce
He coude in litel thing have suffisance.
Wide was his parish, and houses fer asonder,
But he ne left nought for no rain ne thonder,
In sikenesse and in mischief to visìte
The ferrest in his parish, moche and lite,
Upon his fete, and in his hand a staf.
This noble ensample to his shepe he yaf,
That first he wrought, and afterward he taught.
Out of the Gospel he the wordés caught,
And this figure he added yet therto,

trouble

farthest, little

gave

That if gold rusté, what shuld iren do?

give

For if a preest be foule, on whom we trust,
No wonder is a lewed man to rust.
Wel ought a preest ensample for to yeve,
By his cleennessé, how his shepe shulde live.
He setté not his benefice to hire,
And lette his shepe acombred in the mire,
And ran unto Londòn, unto Seint Poules,
To seken him a chanterie for soules, singing endowment
Or with a brotherhede to be withold;

left

unpitying sparing, proud

But dwelt at home, and kepte wel his fold,
So that the wolf ne made it not miscarie.
He was a shepherd, and no mercenàrie.
And though he holy were, and vertuous,
He was to sinful men not dispitòus,
Ne of his speché dangerous ne digne,
But in his teching discrete and benigne.
To drawen folk to heven with fairéness,
By good ensample, was his besinesse :
But it were any persone obstinat,
What so he were of highe, or low estat,

Him wolde he snibben sharply for the nonés. occasion
A better preest I trowe that nowher non is.

He waited after no pompe ne reverence,
Ne makéd him no spicéd consciènce,
But Cristés lore, and his apostles twelve,
He taught, but first he folwed it himselve.