Truth from his lips prevail'd with double sway,

And fools, who came to scoff, remain'd to pray.
The service past, around the pious man,

With ready zeal each honest rustic ran :

Een children follow'd with endearing wile,

And pluck'd his gown, to share the good man's smile;

His ready smile a parent's warmth express'd,

Their welfare pleased him, and their cares distress'd: To them his heart, his love, his griefs, were given, But all his serious thoughts had rest in heaven.

As some tall cliff, that lifts its awful form,

Swells from the vale. and midway leaves the storm,

Though round its breast the rolling clouds are spread, Eternal sunshine settles on its head.

Beside yon straggling fence that skirts the way

With blossom'd furze, unprofitably gay,

There, in his noisy mansion, skill'd to rule,

The village master taught his little school:

A man severe he was, and stern to view;

I knew him well, and every truant knew:

Well had the boding tremblers learn'd to trace
The day's disasters in his morning face:
Full well they laugh'd with counterfeited glee
At all his jokes, for many a joke had he;

Full well the busy whisper, circling round,
Convey'd the dismal tidings when he frown'd;
Yet he was kind, or if severe in aught,
The love he bore to learning was in fault:

The village all declared how much he knew; 'Twas certain he could write and cipher too :

Lands he could measure, terms and tides presage,
And e'en the story ran that he could gauge :

In arguing too the parson own'd his skill,
For e'en though vanquish'd, he could argue still;

While words of learned length, and thundering sound, Amazed the gazing rustics ranged around;

And still they gazed, and still the wonder grew

That one small head could carry all he knew.

But past is all his fame: the very spot,

Where many a time he triumph'd, is forgot.

Near yonder thorn that lifts its head on high, Where once the sign-post caught the passing eye, Low lies that house where nut-brown draughts inspired, Where grey-beard mirth and smiling toil retired,

Where village statesmen talked with looks profound,

And news much older than their ale went round.

Imagination fondly stoops to trace

The parlour splendours of that festive place;

The white-wash'd wall, the nicely-sanded floor,

The varnish'd clock that click'd behind the door;
The chest contrived a double debt to pay,
A bed by night, a chest of drawers by day;
The pictures placed for ornament and use,
The twelve good rules, the royal game of goose;

The hearth, except when winter chill'd the day, With aspen boughs, and flowers, and fennel gay; While broken tea-cups, wisely kept for show, Ranged o'er the chimney, glisten'd in a row.

Vain, transitory splendours! could not all
Reprieve the tottering mansion from its fall!
Obscure it sinks, nor shall it more impart
An hour's importance to the poor man's heart: