Followed a season of concern; Latin I was made to learn; And if I missed, I was a dunce, And must be beaten for the nonce. So manners changed, as hands severe Trained me to knowledge and to fear. Yet lessons done, when I was free, Quiet I could never be, But fought with my own mates, and thus Was vanquished or victorious; And many a time it was my fate To come home in a ragged state And meet reproof and chastisement; But, after all, 'twas pains misspent; For, let a comrade come in sight, That moment I had taken flight, And none could hinder; in that hour Pleasure unto me was power, Though oft I found, as I find still, The two inadequate to my will. Thus I did the time employ-- So may Heaven give me joy-- That all things tended to my pleasure, Both my labor and my leisure, Being alert and being still; Hours had I at my own will. Then a wreath of violets, To give maids for coronets, Was to me of more account Than the present of a count, Twenty marks, would be to-day; I had a heart content and gay, And a soul more free and light Than the verse may well recite. So, to fashion form and feature, Co-operated Love and Nature: Nature made the body strong, And forces that to Love belong, Soft and generous the heart; Truly, if in every part Of the body soul did live, I should have been sensitive! Not a splendor upon earth I esteemed so seeing-worth As clustered violets, or a bed Of peonies or roses red. When approached the winter-time, And out-of-doors was cold and rime, No loss had I what to do, But read romances old and new, And did prefer, the rest above, Those of which the theme was love, Imagining, as on I went, Everything to my content. Thus, since infantine delight Oft inclines the heart aright, After his own living form Love my spirit did inform, And pleasure into profit turned; For the fortitude I learned, And the soul of high emprise, Hath such merit in my eyes, That its worth and preciousness Words of mine cannot express. FOOTNOTES: [1] Boston. [2] See Nos. 40 and 58. [3] See No. 21. [4] See No. 2. [5] See No. 1. [6] More than three fourths of all children's games in the German collections are paralleled (it may be in widely varying forms) in the present volume. Allowing for the incompleteness of collections, the resemblance of French games is probably nearly as close. The case is not very different in Italy and Sweden, so far at least as concerns games of any dramatic interest. Not till we come to Russia, do we find anything like an independent usage. Taken altogether, our American games are as ancient and characteristic as any, and throw much light on the European system of childish tradition. [7] See Nos. 150-153. [8] Barley-break. See No. 101. [9] No. 90.