Esther, holy name and sweet, Smoothly runs on even feet, To the mild Acrostic bending; Hebrew recollections blending. Ever keep that Queen in view-- Royal namesake--bold, and true! Firm she stood in evil times, In the face of Haman's crimes.-- Ev'n as She, do Thou possess Loftiest virtue in the dress, Dear F----, of native loveliness. [TO MRS. WILLIAMS] (1830) Go little Poem, and present Respectful terms of compliment; A gentle lady bids thee speak! Courteous is _she_, tho' thou be weak-- Evoke from Heaven as thick as manna Joy after joy on Grace Joanna: On Fornham's Glebe and Pasture land A blessing pray. Long, long may stand, Not touched by Time, the Rectory blithe; No grudging churl dispute his Tithe; At Easter be the offerings due With cheerful spirit paid; each pew In decent order filled; no noise Loud intervene to drown the voice, Learning, or wisdom of the Teacher; Impressive be the Sacred Preacher, And strict his notes on holy page; May young and old from age to age Salute, and still point out, 'The good man's Parsonage!' TO THE BOOK Little Casket! Storehouse rare Of rich conceits, to please the Fair! Happiest he of mortal men,-- (I crown him monarch of the pen,)-- To whom Sophia deigns to give The flattering prerogative To inscribe his name in chief, On thy first and maiden Leaf. When thy pages shall be full Of what brighter wits can cull Of the Tender or Romantic, Creeping Prose or Verse Gigantic,-- Which thy spaces so shall cram That the Bee-like Epigram (Which a two-fold tribute brings, Honey gives at once, and stings,) Hath not room left wherewithal To infix its tiny scrawl; Haply some more youthful swain, Striving to describe his pain, And the Damsel's ear to seize With more expressive lays than these, When he finds his own excluded And these counterfeits intruded; While, loitering in the Muse's bower, He overstayed the eleventh hour, Till the tables filled--shall fret, Die, or sicken with regret Or into a shadow pine: While this triumphant verse of mine, Like to some favoured stranger-guest, Bidden to a good man's Feast Shall sit--by merit less than fate-- In the upper Seat in State.