And, happy spirit! early died. If thou couldst know who dwell below In deep unutterable woe; Or wing with me thy journey far Above, where shines the morning star; And hear the bright angelic choirs (Casting their crowns before His feet,) In choral hymns His praise repeat, And strike their golden lyres-- Another sun would never rise, And gild the azure vault of heaven, Ere thy petition reach'd the skies To be forgiven.” Was it a dream?--The mournful man Next morn his alter'd course began. To his kindred he restor'd What unjustly swelled his hoard. With a meek, contented mind, He liv'd in peace with all mankind; And thus would gratefully prolong To heaven his morn and evening song;-- I have no time to pray, to plead For all the blessings that I need; For what I have, a patriarch's days Would only give me time to praise!-- He died in hope. Yon narrow cell Guards his sleeping ashes well. The rest can holy angels tell!.... “This will I carry with me to my pillow,” said Uncle Timothy. “My friends, good night.” CHAPTER XII. |A chubby young gentleman, a “little _Jack Horner_ eating his Christmas pie,” abutting from “_The Fortune of War_,” at Pie-Corner, marks the memorable spot where the Great Fire of London concluded its ravages. The sin of _gluttony_, * to which, in the original inscription (now effaced,) the fire was attributed, is still rife; a considerable trade in eatables and drinkables being driven, and corks innumerable drawn, in defiance, under the chubby young gentleman's bottle nose. * “There was excessive spending of venison, as well as other victuals, in the halls. Nay, and a great consumption of venison there was frequently at taverns and cooks' shops, insomuch that the Court was much offended with it. Whereupon, anno 1573, that the City might not continue to give the Queen and nobility offence, the Lord Mayor, Sir Lionel Ducket, and Aldermen, had by act of Common Council forbidden such feasts hereafter to be made; and restrained the same only to necessary meetings, in which, also, no venison (!!) was permitted.”--Stow. Venison was also prohibited in the taverns and cooks' shops. Our modern civic gourmands and gourmets, wiser grown! have propitiated the Court by occasional invitations to take part in their gluttony.