'But rous'd to rage, indignant heaves ' And strew with shipwrecks ev'ry shore: 'Nor less at land my pow'r is known' • From Zembla to the burning zone. I bring Tartarian frosts to kill 'The bloom of summer; when I will In dusty whirlwinds to the skies; 'O'erblown he strugglesį, pants and dies. 'Where some proud city lifts in air 'Its spires, Imake a desert bare And, when I chuse, for pastime's sake, Can with a mountain shift a lake; The Nile himself, at my command,. 'Oft hides his head beneath the sand, ' And 'midst dry deserts blown and toss'd, For many a sultry league is lost. 'All this I do with perfect ease, 'And can repeat where'er I please: • What merit makes you then pretend: With me to argue and contend, • When all you, boast of force on skill Is scarce enough to turn a mill, Or help the swain to clear his corn, The servile tasks for which you're born?' Sir,' quoth the Breaze, if force alone Must pass for merit, I have none ;; At least, I'll readily, confess That your's is greater, mine is less.. 'But merit rightly understood * Consists alone in doing good; And, therefore, you yourself must see • That preference is due to me: 'I cannot boast to rule the skies 'Like you, and make the ocean rise, 'Nor e'er with shipwrecks strew the shore, For wives and orphans to deplores. • Mine is the happien task, to please The mariner, and smooth the seas,. "And waft him, safe from, foreign harme To bless his consort's longing arms. "With you, I boast not to confound 'The seasons, in their annual round. 'And mar that harmony in nature 'I bid the op'ning blooms unfold foergy cons • Their streaks of purple, blue and gold, pite odT 'And waft their fragrance to impart 'That new delight to ev'ry heart, 'Which makes the shepherd all day long • To carol sweet his vernal song: sono The summer's sultry heat to cool, From ev'ry river, lake and pool, 'I skim fresh airs. The tawny swain, 'Who turns at noon the furrow'd plain, 'Refresh'd and trusting in my aid, • His task pursues and scorns the shade: 'And e'en on Afric's sultry coast, Where such immense exploits you boast, 'I blow to cool the panting flocks grož ''Midst deserts brown, and sun-burnt rocks, The Tempest, that, till now, had lent Again began (his patience lost) to A 7 bah 1993 6.M Since reasons fail'd, resolv'd in course FABLE XXVIII. THE BOY AND THE RAINBOW. By Wilkie, DECLARE, ye sages, if ye find Quoth he, The solo which ye heard • In public should not have appear'd ;' 'The trifling of an idle hour, I 'To please my mistress once when sour: 'My voice, that's somewhat rough and strong, Might chance the melody to wrong, But, tried by rules, you'll find the grounds 'Most perfect and harmonious sounds.' He reason'd thus; but, to his trouble, At ev'ry word the laugh grew double, At last, o'ercome with shame and spite, Away he flew far out of sight. FABLE XXVII. THE BREEZE AND THE TEMPEST. By Wilkie. THAT nation boasts a happy fate |