THE CHERUBS.

SUGGESTED BY AN APOLOGUE IN THE WORKS OF FRANKLIN.

Two spirits reach'd this world of ours:
The lightning's locomotive powers
Were slow to their agility:

In broad daylight they moved incog,
Enjoying, without mist or fog,
Entire invisibility.

The one, a simple cherub lad,
Much interest in our planet had,
Its face was so romantic;

He couldn't persuade himself that man
Was such as heavenly rumours ran,
A being base and frantic.

The elder spirit, wise and cool,

Brought down the youth as to a school;
But strictly on condition,
Whatever they should see or hear,
With mortals not to interfere;

'Twas not in their commission.

They reach'd a sovereign city proud, Whose emperor pray'd to God aloud, With all his people kneeling, And priests perform'd religious rites; "Come," said the younger of the sprites, "This shows a pious feeling."

YOUNG SPIRIT.

"Arn't these a decent godly race?"

OLD SPIRIT.

"The dirtiest thieves on Nature's face."

YOUNG SPIRIT.

"But hark, what cheers they're giving Their emperor !-And is he a thief?"

OLD SPIRIT.

"Ay, and a cut-throat too;-in brief, THE GREATEST SCOUNDREL LIVING."

YOUNG SPIRIT.

"But say, what were they praying for, This people and their emperor ?"

OLD SPIRIT.

66 Why, but for God's assistance To help their army, late sent out: And what that army is about

You'll see at no great distance."

On wings outspeeding mail or post,
Our sprites o'ertook the Imperial host-
In massacres it wallow'd:

A noble nation met its hordes,

But broken fell their cause and swords,
Unfortunate, though hallow'd.

They saw a late bombarded town,

Its streets still warm with blood ran down;
Still smoked each burning rafter;

And hideously, 'midst rape and sack,
The murderer's laughter answer'd back
His prey's convulsive laughter.

They saw the captive eye the dead,
With envy of his gory bed,-

Death's quick reward of bravery:
They heard the clank of chains, and then
Saw thirty thousand bleeding men
Dragg'd manacled to slavery.

"Fie! fie!" the younger heavenly spark Exclaim'd:-" we must have miss'd our mark, And enter'd hell's own portals:

Earth can't be stain'd with crimes so black; Nay, sure, we've got among a pack

Of fiends, and not of mortals."

"No," said the elder; 66 no such thing;
Fiends are not fools enough to wring
The necks of one another;-
They know their interests too well:
Men fight; but every devil in hell
Lives friendly with his brother.

"And I could point you out some fellows, On this ill-fated planet Tellus,

In royal power that revel,
Who, at the opening of the book

Of judgment, may have cause to look
With envy at the devil."

Name but the devil, and he'll appear.
Old Satan in a trice was near,

With smutty face and figure;
But spotless spirits of the skies,
Unseen to even his saucer eyes,
Could watch the fiendish nigger.

"Halloo!" he cried, " I smell a trick: A mortal supersedes Old Nick,

The scourge of earth appointed: He robs me of my trade, outrants The blasphemy of hell, and vaunts Himself the Lord's anointed.

"Folks make a fuss about my mischief: Dd fools, they tamely suffer this chief To play his pranks unbounded."

The cherubs flew; but saw from high,
At human inhumanity,

The devil himself astounded.

ODE TO THE GERMANS.

THE Spirit of Britannia

Invokes across the main

Her sister Allemannia

To burst the Tyrant's chain:
By our kindred blood, she cries,
Rise, Allemannians, rise,

And hallow'd thrice the band
Of our kindred hearts shall be,
When your land shall be the land
Of the free-of the free!

With Freedom's lion-banner
Britannia rules the waves;
Whilst your BROAD STONE OF HONOUR*
Is still the camp of slaves.
For shame, for glory's sake,
Wake, Allemannians, wake,

And thy tyrants now that whelm
Half the world, shall quail and flee,
When your realm shall be the realm

Of the free-of the free!

* Ehrenbreitstein signifies, in German," the broad stone of honour."