A SONG OF THE SEA.

"SAILOR, sailor, tell to me

"What sights have you seen on the mighty sea!" "When the seas were calm and the skies were clear, "And the watch I've kept until day was near, "Eyes I have seen, black as yours, dear, are, "And a face I've looked on that was, how far! "That was, girl, oh! how far from me!"

"What else have you seen on the far, far sea ?" "I've seen the flying-fish skim the brine,

"And the great whales blow, and these eyes of mine
"Have seen on the icebergs the north-lights play—
"But ofter I've seen a home far away,
"And a girl, oh, how dear to me!"

"Sailor, sailor, tell to me

"The sounds men hear on the stormy sea."

"I've heard, my girl, the wild winds blow,

"And the good ship creak to her keel below;

"But a laugh, too, I've heard, that, O well, well I know! “And a far, far voice—a voice that was, O

"How sweet! O how sweet to me !"

Nay, tell me, sailor, tell to me

"The sights and scenes of the wild, wild sea.”

"Alike in calm, and breeze, and storm,

"I've dream'd one dream and I've seen one form;

"One dream that, dearest, shall soon be true,

"One form that, my girl, I clasp in you,

"That my own sweet wife shall be."

THE SOWING OF THE DRAGON'S TEETH.

A HINT TO CERTAIN EMPERORS.

JASON once, as legends show,

Dared, O kings, your deed to do ;
He, the dragon's teeth, dared sow—
Sow the seed that's sown by you;
But, with evil striving, he

To a god for aid could look :
Yours must greater perils be;
You, your God long since forsook.
Despots, despots, sow your seed!
Dragon's teeth you sow; what then?
Of your harvest, kings, take heed!
For it rises, armèd men.

Hate and wrong, each tyrant flings
Broadcast-hate and wrong alone;
Let them dread the crop that springs,
Soon or late, from what they've sown.
Hate alone from hate shall rise;

Evil still from evil springs.
You have sown but groans and cries;
You shall reap the same, O kings.
Despots, despots, sow your seed!
Dragon's teeth you sow; what then?
Of your harvest, kings, take heed!
For it rises, armèd men.

Woe to them that day! Oh, woe!
When that ghastly crop is born;
When the truth they then shall know
Of the warnings now they scorn.
How in that great judgment-day,
Lord thy justice shall be known!
When the chainless earth shall say,
66 Kings, you reap but as you've sown!"
Despots, despots, sow your seed!
Dragon's teeth you sow; what then?
Of your harvest, kings, take heed!
For it rises, armèd men.

NO GAS! NO GAS!

DEDICATED TO ALL ALARMISTS, NOT EXCLUDING GOVERNMENT EDUCATIONAL ONES.

ONLY half a century since,

Fifty years or so,

Safely, through our London streets

At night, you couldn't go ;

Oil lamps and Charlies

Strove with thieves and night;

The public got the worst of it,
And called for better light;
When straight a cry was heard,
"No Popery-no Mass-
"Our glorious Constitution-
No Gas!-no Gas!"

"Murdoch, sirs, at Birmingham,
"Gas has tried," they say;
"Soho Watt and Boulton

66 'Night have turn'd to day;
“Why be robb'd and murder'd,
"Stirring out at night?
"Gas will save us all this-
"Light-give us light."

But still there rose the cry,
"No Popery-no Mass-
"Our glorious Constitution-
"No Gas!-no Gas!"

"Light!" roared the public:

Louder still from those

Living by the darkness,

Shrieks and howls arose :

Linkboys and oilmen

Loud were heard to cry, "Have gas, good people! "Why, good folks, why?

"Oil-lights are bright enough-
"No Popery-no Mass-
"Our glorious Constitution-
66 'No Gas-no Gas!

"Safety, can you talk of?
"Blind are you quite?
"Gas through our very streets!
"Could we sleep for fright?
"Blowings up-explodings-
"Such would be your fate;
"Streams of fire 'neath us!-
"Bless us, what a state!
"Burnt-blown to shivers !
"Safety !—by the mass,
"Make your bed on Hecla
"Rather than on Gas!

"The Pope, he'll come among us; "He can't come by day;

66

Now, if he'd come by night,

"He couldn't find the way;

"But only light your ways up,

"And see what will befal!

"Some night your gas will show him in, "And he'll convert us all.

"Old lights for ever—

"No Popery-no Mass"Oil lamps and darkness— "No Gas-no Gas!

"Gas will give too much light-
"No Popery-no Mass—
"Our glorious Constitution-
"No Gas-no Gas!

"You never think of oilmen—
"Of link-boys—not you ;
"Only bring the gas in-
"They-what will they do?
"Do away with darkness,
"With links you do away;
"Use-what will be their use,
"When night is turn'd to day?
"Old lights for ever-

"No Popery-no Mass-
"Roar, British Lion, roar―
"No Gas-no Gas!

"Mind what you're about, pray;
“Aladdin's folks, you know,
"Couldn't bear their old lamps,
"A long while ago:

66

They were mad for new ones,

"Like yourselves, we're told; ""Twasn't long before they found "They'd best have kept their old. "Oil lights for ever

"No Popery-no Mass"Our glorious Constitution"No Gas-no Gas!"

The public heard these croakers,
Half stupified with fright,
But at the last they ventured
To try if they were right;
No blowings up-no burnings-
No bursts of flaming streams;

The Thames wasn't fired

All proved but dreams.