“This is my tale, heard twenty years ago From Uncle Reuben, as the logs burned low, Touching the walls and ceiling with that bloom That makes a rose’s calyx of a room. I could not give his language, wherethrough ran The gamy flavor of the bookless man Who shapes a word before the fancy cools, As lonely Crusoe improvised his tools. I liked the tale,--’twas like so many told By Rutebeuf and his brother Trouvères bold; Nor were the hearers much unlike to theirs, Men unsophisticate, rude-nerved as bears. Ezra is gone and his large-hearted kind, The landlords of the hospitable mind; Good Warriner of Springfield was the last; An inn is now a vision of the past; One yet-surviving host my mind recalls,-- You’ll find him if you go to Trenton Falls.” THE ORIGIN OF DIDACTIC POETRY. When wise Minerva still was young And just the least romantic, Soon after from Jove’s head she flung That preternatural antic, ’Tis said, to keep from idleness Or flirting, those twin curses, She spent her leisure, more or less, In writing po----, no, verses. How nice they were! to rhyme with _far_ A kind _star_ did not tarry; The metre, too, was regular As schoolboy’s dot and carry; And full they were of pious plums, So extra-super-moral,-- For sucking Virtue’s tender gums Most tooth-enticing coral. A clean, fair copy she prepares, Makes sure of moods and tenses, With her own hand,--for prudence spares A man-(or woman-)-uensis; Complete, and tied with ribbons proud, She hinted soon how cosy a Treat it would be to read them loud After next day’s Ambrosia. The Gods thought not it would amuse So much as Homer’s Odyssees, But could not very well refuse The properest of Goddesses; So all sat round in attitudes Of various dejection, As with a _hem!_ the queen of prudes Began her grave prelection. At the first pause Zeus said, “Well sung!-- I mean--ask Phœbus,--_he_ knows.” Says Phœbus, “Zounds! a wolf’s among Admetus’s merinos! Fine! very fine! but I must go; They stand in need of me there; Excuse me!” snatched his stick, and so Plunged down the gladdened ether. With the next gap, Mars said, “For me Don’t wait,--naught could be finer, But I’m engaged at half past three,-- A fight in Asia Minor!” Then Venus lisped, “I’m sorely tried, These duty-calls are vip’rous; But I _must_ go; I have a bride To see about in Cyprus.” Then Bacchus,--“I must say good bye, Although my peace it jeopards; I meet a man at four, to try A well-broke pair of leopards.” His words woke Hermes. “Ah!” he said, “I _so_ love moral theses!” Then winked at Hebe, who turned red, And smoothed her apron’s creases. Just then Zeus snored,--the Eagle drew His head the wing from under; Zeus snored,--o’er startled Greece there flew The many-volumed thunder. Some augurs counted nine, some, ten; Some said ’twas war, some, famine, And all, that other-minded men Would get a precious----.