There is a grave-faced folly, and verily a laughter loving wisdom; And what, if surface judges, account it vain frivolity? There is indeed an evil in excess, and a field may lie fallow too long; Yet merriment is often as a froth, that mantleth on the strong mind: And note thou this for a verity,—the subtlest thinker when alone, From ease of thoughts unbent, will laugh the loudest with his fellows: And well is the loveliness of wisdom mirrored in a cheerful countenance, Justly the deepest pools are proved by dimpling eddies; For that, a true philosophy commandeth an innocent life, And the unguilty spirit is lighter than a linnet's heart; Yea, there is no cosmetic like a holy conscience; The eye is bright with trust, the cheek bloomed over with affection, The brow unwrinkled with a care, and the lip triumphant in its gladness.[1] [Footnote 1: Of Ridicule, 1st Series. On my acquainting Mrs. Southey with my intention of quoting these lines, she wrote me word back: “That very passage I had noted, as singularly applicable to him _we_ knew so well,—whom the world, the children of this generation,—knew so little!”] The only liberty taken with the original MS. is the omission of, now and then a name, or even a paragraph, which might have given pain to the living. Such passages were thrown off playfully, and were, as Mrs. Southey can testify, erased by the author continually. It was no custom of Southey to cast “fire-brands, arrows, and death,” and to say, “Am I not in sport?” _(Proverbs, xxvi. 18, 19.)_ It only remains to add that the Editor has carefully verified all references,—that he is responsible for the headings of the chapters (some few excepted,)—for the Mottoes to cc. clxxx. and clxxxi.,—and for the casual foot notes. JOHN WOOD WARTER. _Vicarage House,_ _West-Tarring, Nov. 25th._ PRELUDE OF MOTTOES. Two thyngys owyth every clerk To advertysyn, begynnyng a werk, If he procedyn wyl ordeneely, The fyrste is _what_, the secunde is _why_. In wych two wurdys, as it semyth me The Foure causys comprehendyd be Wych as our philosofyrs us do teche, In the begynnyng men owe to seche Of every book; and aftyr there entent, The fyrst is clepyd cause efficyent: The secunde they clepe cause materyal, Formal the thrydde; the fourte fynal. The efficyent cause is the auctour, Wych aftyr hys cunnyng doth hys labour To a complyse the begunne matere, Wych cause is secunde; and the more clere That it may be, the formal cause Settyth in dew ordre clause be clause. And these thre thyngys, longyn to what, Auctour, matere and forme ordinat, The fynal cause declaryth pleynly Of the werk begunne the cause why; That is to seyne what was the entent Of the auctour fynally, and what he ment. OSBERN BOKENAM.