 | [Poems by Wilde in] Richard Henry Wilde |  |
159
THE HERON
A Fable from the French of La Fontaine
Along a glassy river's edge
Well stocked with fish and fringed with sedge
A long-legged Heron strayed:
The day was fine the water clear
The Pike and Carp, now there—now here—
A thousand frolics played.
Well stocked with fish and fringed with sedge
A long-legged Heron strayed:
The day was fine the water clear
The Pike and Carp, now there—now here—
A thousand frolics played.
The largest trouts came close to shore
As if to tempt our bird the more
But he, unlucky wight,
Eyes them askance and steps aside
Through laziness perhaps, or pride,
To wait for appetite.
As if to tempt our bird the more
But he, unlucky wight,
Eyes them askance and steps aside
Through laziness perhaps, or pride,
To wait for appetite.
A stated regimen he kept
At certain hours eat drank and slept
As learned quacks prescribe
Full soon his appetite returns
With eager haste he strides and burns
To thin the finny tribe.
At certain hours eat drank and slept
As learned quacks prescribe
Full soon his appetite returns
With eager haste he strides and burns
To thin the finny tribe.
Advancing in his former post
The nobler prey he found was lost
Some tenches still remained
But these like Flaccus' city rat
Expecting better cheer than that
He haughtily disdained.
The nobler prey he found was lost
Some tenches still remained
But these like Flaccus' city rat
Expecting better cheer than that
He haughtily disdained.
“And shall I then on tenches dine?
What Heron of such parts as mine
E'er stooped to swallow these?”
The tench refused in mighty dudgeon
He passes on, and a lone gudgeon
Is the next fish he sees.
What Heron of such parts as mine
E'er stooped to swallow these?”
The tench refused in mighty dudgeon
He passes on, and a lone gudgeon
Is the next fish he sees.
A gudgeon truly eh! cries he
Lord what a pretty mess for me!
As sure as I'm a sinner,
Before I'd ope for him my bill
I'd wait (which God forbid!) until
Tomorrow for my dinner.
Lord what a pretty mess for me!
As sure as I'm a sinner,
Before I'd ope for him my bill
I'd wait (which God forbid!) until
Tomorrow for my dinner.
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Yet for far less wide gaped that bill
Since travelling farther onward still
His legs begin to fail
No fish however small appears
Starvation much he shrewdly fears
And gladly eats a snail.
Since travelling farther onward still
His legs begin to fail
No fish however small appears
Starvation much he shrewdly fears
And gladly eats a snail.
Let us not be too hard to please
They are most wise who take with ease
What Fate to give thinks fit.
What's near your due then ne'er refuse
Seeking too much we often lose
And many thus are bit.
They are most wise who take with ease
What Fate to give thinks fit.
What's near your due then ne'er refuse
Seeking too much we often lose
And many thus are bit.
To Herons 'twere in vain to preach
Listen Mankind, 'tis you I teach
From you my tales I draw:
A belle who like most belles you find
Was pretty vain—seemed half inclined
In Hymen's yoke to draw.
Listen Mankind, 'tis you I teach
From you my tales I draw:
A belle who like most belles you find
Was pretty vain—seemed half inclined
In Hymen's yoke to draw.
But he whose suit she grants must be
Polite, young, handsome, well made free
Not jealous, nor yet cold
Of fortune, wit, and birth possest,
Alas! not one man so much blest
We in an age behold.
Polite, young, handsome, well made free
Not jealous, nor yet cold
Of fortune, wit, and birth possest,
Alas! not one man so much blest
We in an age behold.
Some lovers of importance came,
Urged by her friends to choose, the dame
All offers thus repels;
“Now pray don't name such fools to me
You surely rave!”—Here reader see
A specimen of belles!
Urged by her friends to choose, the dame
All offers thus repels;
“Now pray don't name such fools to me
You surely rave!”—Here reader see
A specimen of belles!
One witty was, but unrefined,
Another's nose awry inclined
'Twas that thing, or 'twas this,
'Twas every thing—for belles discover
A thousand faults in every lover
Whom they would fain dismiss.
Another's nose awry inclined
'Twas that thing, or 'twas this,
'Twas every thing—for belles discover
A thousand faults in every lover
Whom they would fain dismiss.
Some decent matches offered then
Among the middle class of men
But she was pleased to jeer:
These folks perhaps think I'm afraid
To lie alone—or die a maid
But I have no such fear.
Among the middle class of men
But she was pleased to jeer:
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To lie alone—or die a maid
But I have no such fear.
My slumbers (God be praised!) are sound
No inconvenience I have found—
I miss not love's embrace:
Still to these notions she adhered
Age came her gallants disappeared
Chagrin crept on apace.
No inconvenience I have found—
I miss not love's embrace:
Still to these notions she adhered
Age came her gallants disappeared
Chagrin crept on apace.
A year or two in trouble past
She felt her beauty fading fast
And every fatal day
Saw that some charm of face or air
Or form—which art could ne'er repair
Escaped with time away.
She felt her beauty fading fast
And every fatal day
Saw that some charm of face or air
Or form—which art could ne'er repair
Escaped with time away.
Her mirror plainly said make haste
And wed for you've no time to waste:—
No longer vain or cold,
She took the hint, right glad to patch
With a mean wretch a sordid match
Though ugly cross and old.
And wed for you've no time to waste:—
No longer vain or cold,
She took the hint, right glad to patch
With a mean wretch a sordid match
Though ugly cross and old.
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