The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-16 00:00:00

A charming contrast to philosophy and sentiment
is often evoked by the pen of this poet in the form
of sportive satire or animated humour—now dealing
with everyday foibles—then treating the dear old
" nursery rhymes" with familiar and genial hand-
ling; bringing back " Jack the Giant Killer" to
disperse our terrible Gogs and Magogs of Care
and Pain, and introducing " Cinderella" with all
the olden interest and excitement which used to be
attached to her memorable slipper—the slipper
which must have afforded a very contrary inter-
pretation to the sensation we now infer from
" putting one's foot in it." The following lines
are very open to accedence from all who "run and
read : "

Oh? how hard it appears to "leave others alone,"
And those with most sin often cast the first stone;
What missiles we scatter wherever we pass,
Though our own walls are form'd of most delicate glass.
Let the " wise one" in Nature's walk pause ere he shoot
At scampering Folly in Harlequin suit ;
He'd find " motley, no doubt, in what he himself wears,
If he'd " trouble his head with his own affairs."
Let a symptom of wooing and wedding be found,
And full soon the impertinent whisper goes round ;
The fortune, the beauty, the means, and the ends,
Are all carefully weighed by our "good-natured friends."
'Tis a doubt if the lady is perfectly right;
She must be a flirt, if she is not a fright.
Oh ! how pleasant 'twould be if the meddlesome bears
Would but " trouble their heads with their own affairs."
We are busy in helping the far-away slave—
We must cherish the Pole, for he's foreign and brave ;
Our alms .giving record is widely enrolled,
To the East and the West we send mercy and gold;
But methinks there are those in our own famous land
Whose thin cheeks might be fattened by Charity's hand;
And when John Bull is dealing his generous shares
Let him "trouble his head with his own affairs."

There is an original preface to this volume en-
titled " New Lines on an Old Subject," and in it,
as will be seen, a tribute is paid to those old nursery
stories,—which live on, despite of sneers, scoffs,
and scorn—which are the first to attract and fix
the wavering notice of Infancy, which linger in the
mind during the trials and toils of life, and
which often survive grander and sterner know-
ledge, to dwell among the last faint remembrances
that wander through the waning faculties of age.
Long may such ballads and legends flourish ; how-
ever mean and trifling they may be, for they are en-
twined and associated with the days of innocence.
Let them outlast the traces of the world's follies and
allurements, and when these are effaced by repent-
ance, or set aside from weariness, the thoughts of
home's affections, the feelings of childhood's trust
will not be unmeet companions for the soul about to
enter on that state where the humble shall be exalted
and the mighty laid low. Of thdt time we have read
that " whether there be tongues they shall cease,"
" whether there be prophecies they shall fail,"
" whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away;"
but it is said to holy, happy, innocent Childhood,
"Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven." All admirers
of the simple and the true will appreciate the tone
and ten.our of these lines here subjoined :