“Wilful was rich, and he the storm defied; Wilful is poor, and must the storm abide;” Said the stern lady;--“’tis in vain to feel; Go and prepare the chicken for our meal.” 420 Susan her task reluctantly began, And utter’d as she went--“The poor old man!”-- But while her soft and ever-yielding heart Made strong protest against her lady’s part, The lady’s self began to think it wrong, To feel so wrathful and resent so long. “No more the wretch would she receive again, No more behold him--but she would sustain; Great his offence, and evil was his mind-- But he had suffer’d, and she would be kind: 430 She spurn’d such baseness, and she found within A fair acquittal from so foul a sin; Yet she too err’d, and must of Heaven expect To be rejected, him should she reject.” Susan was summon’d--“I’m about to do A foolish act, in part seduced by you: Go to the creature--say that I intend, Foe to his sins, to be his sorrow’s friend; Take, for his present comforts, food and wine, And mark his feelings at this act of mine; 440 Observe if shame be o’er his features spread, By his own victim to be soothed and fed; But, this inform him, that it is not love That prompts my heart, that duties only move. Say, that no merits in his favour plead, But miseries only, and his abject need; Nor bring me grov’ling thanks, nor high-flown praise; I would his spirits, not his fancy raise. Give him no hope that I shall ever more A man so vile to my esteem restore; 450 But warn him rather, that, in time of rest, His crimes be all remember’d and confess’d: I know not all that form the sinner’s debt, But there is one that he must not forget.” The mind of Susan prompted her with speed To act her part in every courteous deed: All that was kind she was prepared to say, And keep the lecture for a future day; When he had all life’s comforts by his side, Pity might sleep, and good advice be tried. 460 This done, the mistress felt disposed to look, As self-approving, on a pious book: Yet, to her native bias still inclined, She felt her act too merciful and kind; But when, long musing on the chilling scene So lately past--the frost and sleet so keen-- The man’s whole misery in a single view-- Yes! she could think some pity was his due. Thus fix’d, she heard not her attendant glide With soft slow step--till, standing by her side, 470 The trembling servant gasp’d for breath, and shed Relieving tears, then utter’d---“He is dead!” “Dead!” said the startled lady; “Yes, he fell Close at the door where he was wont to dwell; There his sole friend, the ass, was standing by, Half-dead himself, to see his master die.”