There is a bird, who by his coat, And by the hoarseness of his note, Might be supposed a crow; A great frequenter of the church, Where bishop-like he finds a perch, And dormitory too. Above the steeple shines a plate, That turns and turns, to indicate From what point blows the weather; Look up--your brains begin to swim, 'Tis in the clouds; that pleases him, He chooses it the rather. Fond of the speculative height, Thither he wings his airy flight, And thence securely sees The bustle and the raree-show That occupy mankind below, Secure and at his ease. You think, no doubt, he sits and muses Of future broken bones and bruises, If he should chance to fall; No! not a single thought like that Employs his philosophic pate, Or troubles it at all. He sees that this great roundabout The world, with all its motley rout, Church, army, physic, law, Its customs and its businesses Is no concern at all of his, And says--what says he?--Caw. Thrice happy bird! I too have seen Much of the vanities of men, And sick of having seen 'em, Would cheerfully these limbs resign For such a pair of wings as thine, And such a head between 'em. * * * Of fowls with black and glossy coat, One dear familiar bird I note; In towers and ancient piles he dwells, Above the din of sacred bells; High fanes he seeks; with daring flight Aspires, despising aught but height; He sits where mortals mount with pain Of reeling pulse and dizzy brain; And where you shudder with alarm, He's perched aloft, and free from harm. The vane that on the steeple shows Whither and whence the free wind blows, He choosing, owns no care at all, Much less is careful lest he fall; And thence in lofty ease surveys Mankind's inexplicable ways. He sees the streets, the concourse dim, They hold no interest for him; And if some murmur upward floats He heeds not, but with pensive notes Beguiles the hour. Blest bird, I'd be A winged and airy thing, like thee! From human things I'd sit aloof Like thee, above the minster-roof. Next shall come Lamb's favourite, the Epitaph on the Beggar's Dog. Lamb's rendering is very fairly exact.