Still on they went, and as they went,
More rough the billows grew,-
And rose and fell, a greater swell,
And he was swelling too!

And lo! where room had been for seven, For six there scarce was space!

For five-for four!-for three!-not more Than two could find a place!

There was not even room for one!
They crowded by degrees—
Aye-closer yet, till elbows met,
And knees were jogging knees.

"Good sir, you must not sit a-stern,
The wave will else come in!"
Without a word he gravely stirr'd,
Another seat to win.

"Good sir, the boat has lost her trim,

You must not sit a-lee!"

With smiling face, and courteous grace,

The middle seat took he.

But still, by constant quiet growth,

His back became so wide,

Each neighbour wight, to left and right,

Was thrust against the side.

Lord! how they chided with themselves,

That they had let him in;

To see him grow so monstrous now,

That came so small and thin.

On every brow a dew-drop stood,
They grew so scared and hot,-
"I' the name of all that's great and tall,
Who are ye, sir, and what?"

Loud laugh'd the Gogmagog, a laugh
As loud as giant's roar-

"When first I came, my proper name
Was Little-now I'm Moore!"

"THE LAST MAN."

'TWAS in the year two thousand and one,
A pleasant morning of May,

I sat on the gallows-tree all alone,
A-chaunting a merry lay,—

To think how the pest had spared my life,

To sing with the larks that day!

When up the heath came a jolly knave,
Like a scarecrow, all in rags:

It made me crow to see his old duds
All abroad in the wind, like flags:-

So up he came to the timbers' foot

And pitch'd down his greasy bags.—

Good Lord! how blithe the old beggar was!

At pulling out his scraps,—

The very sight of his broken orts

Made a work in his wrinkled chaps :

"Come down," says he, "you Newgate-bird, And have a taste of my snaps !"

Then down the rope, like a tar from the mast,
I slided, and by him stood;

But I wished myself on the gallows again
When I smelt that beggar's food,

A foul beef-bone and a mouldy crust;
"Oh!" quoth he, "the heavens are good!"

Then after this grace he cast him down :
Says I, "You'll get sweeter air

A pace or two off, on the windward side,"
For the felons' bones lay there.

But he only laugh'd at the empty skulls,
And offered them part of his fare.

"I never harm'd them, and they won't harm me: Let the proud and the rich be cravens !"

I did not like that strange beggar man,
He look'd so up at the heavens.

Anon he shook out his empty old poke;

"There's the crumbs," saith he, "for the ravens !"

It made me angry to see his face,

It had such a jesting look ;

But while I made up my mind to speak,

A small case-bottle he took :

Quoth he, "though I gather the green water-cress

My drink is not of the brook!"

Full manners-like he tender'd the dram;

Oh, it came of a dainty cask!

But, whenever it came to his turn to pull,
"Your leave, good Sir, I must ask ;

But I always wipe the brim with my sleeve,
When a hangman sups at my flask!"

And then he laugh'd so loudly and long,
The churl was quite out of breath;

I thought the very Old One was come

To mock me before my death,

And wish'd I had buried the dead men's bones

That were lying about the heath!

But the beggar gave me a jolly clap

66

Come, let us pledge each other,

For all the wide world is dead beside,
And we are brother and brother-
I've a yearning for thee in my heart,
As if we had come of one mother.

"I've a yearning for thee in my heart That almost makes me weep,

For as I pass'd from town to town

The folks were all stone-asleep,

But when I saw thee sitting aloft,

It made me both laugh and leap!"

Now a curse (I thought) be on his love,

And a curse upon his mirth,—

An' it were not for that beggar man

I'd be the King of the earth,—

But I promis'd myself an hour should come

To make him rue his birth

So down we sat and bous'd again

Till the sun was in mid-sky,

When, just as the gentle west-wind came,

We hearken'd a dismal cry;

"Up, up, on the tree," quoth the beggar man,

"Till these horrible dogs go by!"

And, lo! from the forest's far-off skirts,
They came all yelling for gore,

A hundred hounds pursuing at once,
And a panting hart before,

Till he sunk adown at the gallows' foot,
And there his haunches they tore !

His haunches they tore, without a horn
To tell when the chase was done;
And there was not a single scarlet coat
To flaunt it in the sun!-

I turn'd, and look'd at the beggar man,
And his tears dropt one by one!

And with curses sore he chid at the hounds, Till the last dropt out of sight,

Anon, saith he, “let's down again,

And ramble for our delight,

For the world's all free, and we may choose

A right cozie barn for to-night!"

With that, he set up his staff on end,
And it fell with the point due West;
So we far'd that way to a city great,
Where the folks had died of the pest-
It was fine to enter in house and hall,
Wherever it liked me best;

For the porters all were stiff and cold,

And could not lift their heads;

And when we came where their masters lay,

The rats leapt out of the beds;

The grandest palaces in the land

Were as free as workhouse sheds.