Ye free English hills, with your purest of rills,
Your purple, and berries of blue;

How stern was the tone, that your solitude lone,
In the winterly tempest-time knew:
But listen to-day for as merry a lay

As ever was sung out of doors;

The warble of glee, the delight of the free,
The song for the bilberry moors.

SONG. A LIGHT BRIGHT LAY.

SING a light bright lay,

On a light bright day;

In bowers where the flowers fair,

Of red and white, give out delight;
Oh, there! yes, there,

Where the hand of care

Has only been to make the scene

As fair a place as air of

grace

Could make for merry lay,

On a light bright day!

Oh! but where ? Oh, say,-
Tell us where, oh, pray,

Are bowers bright of flowers white,
Where grieving heart with grief may part,

And true joy there,

As a free gift share,

Where only care has shown its hand,

Like pleasant rain on thirsty land,

To fit it for a lay,

On a light bright day!

It is faith's fair ground,
Where the flowers are found;
And loving care has planted there,
Apart from gloom, immortal bloom!
There true light shines,

And the rose-bloom twines,
With lily, of the valley, queen,
Among the branches evergreen!
Oh! hither for a lay,
On a light bright day!

WORDS OF CHRISTMAS COMING.

THE days, tho' short and gloomy, yet are telling,
Both long and lightsome tidings of Old Christmas.
First, there are words of certain preparation,
Which are spelt out in all the forms of cleaning.
For there's no corner, nor a corner cupboard;
There's not a cockloft, nor a lowly cellar;
There's not a princely mansion, nor a cottage;

There's not a house, nor any place within it,-
At anyrate this reigneth as the rule,—
That is not, first, disordered; second, cleaned;
And, thirdly, set once more in order fair.
Then satisfaction rests in expectation

Of the good time to come.

Then there are words

Of the green holly, ruby dropt, and cheerful; And words of mistletoe; a mystic language, Yet early comprehended!

Furthermore,—

To tell of Christmas coming, there are words, Of fair and famous cheer, that take the forms Of good roast beef, and puddings full of plums; English the derivation!

Yet, once more; There are the words of music, and of song; And meetings of the singers and the players, To be in readiness with praise, and welcome, After the manner of the blessed angels.

WILLIAM WALKER and sons, printERS, OTLEY.