Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-05-07
from the London New Monthly Magazine.]
THE VICAR.

St Mary's Hill and Sandy Thicket,
Was always shown across the Green
And guided to the Parsons wicket.
Back fiew the bolt of lissom lath;
Fair Margaret, in her tidy kirtle,
Led the lorn traveller up the path,
Thro' clean-clipt rows ofbox and myrtle
And Don and Sancho, Tramp and Tray,
Upon the parlors steps collected,
Ysgr'd all ,heir tails, and scem'd to say
" Our master knows you you're expected
gorose the Reverend Doctor Brown,
Uprose the Doctors 'winsone marrow );
The lady lay her knitting down,
Her husband casp'd his ponderous Barrow
Whate'er the strangers caste or creed
Pundit or Pspis, saint or sinner,--
He found stable tor his steed,
And welcome for himself, and dinner
If. when he reach'd his journeys end,
And warm'd himself in cour, or college,
lie had not gain'd an honest friend.
And twenty curious scraps Of knowledge
II he departed as he came,
With no new light of love or liquor
Good soo,h, the traveller was to blame
And not-the vicarage, nor the Vicar
His talk was like stream which runs,
With rapid change, from rocks to roses
II slipp'd from politics to puns--
II pass'd from Mahomet to Moses
Beginning with the laws which keep
The planets in their radiant courses,
Al a,l;nr 9Th aome Drecent deem
For dressing eels, or shoeing horses
He was shrewd and sound divine,
of loud Dissent the mortal terror;
And when, by dint ofpage and line,
He established Truth, or startled Error.
The Baptist found him far too deep
The peist sigh'd with saving sorrow;
And the lean Levite went to sleep,
And dream'd of tasting pork tomorrow
His sermon never said or show'd
That Earth is foul, that Heaven is gracious,
Without refreshment on the road q
From Jerome, or from Athanasius:
And sure righteous zeal inspird
rhe hand and head that penn'd and plann'd them
For all who understood admir'd,
And some who did not understand them,
He wrote, too, in quiet way
Small treatises, and smaller verses;
And sage remarks on chalk and clay,
And hints to noble Lords and nurses
True histories of last years ghost,
Lines to a r'nglet, or turban;
And tribes for the Morning Post,
And no,hiugs for Sylyanus Urban
He did not think all mischief fair,
Although he had knack OF joking
He did not make himself bear,
Although he had taste for smoking:
And when religious sects ran mad,
He held, in spite of all his learning,
That If mans belief is bad,
twill not be improved by burning.
And he was kind, and loved TO sit
In the low hut garnish'd cottage.
And praise the farmers homely wit
And share the widows homeGer pottage:
At his approach complaint grew mild,
And when his hand unbarrd the shutter,
The clammy lips of Fever smiled
The welcome which they could not utter.
He always had a tale for me
of Julius Cesar, or Of Venus;
From him learn'd the rule of three,
Cats cradle, leapfrog, and Qus genus
used to SINCE his powdered wig,
To steal the staff he nut such trust in;
And make the puppy dance gig,
When he began to quote Augustin
Alack the change! In vain look
For haunts in which my childhood trified;
The level lawn, the trickling brook,
The trees climb'd, the beds rihe6
The church is larger than before,
You reach it by carriage entry
It holds three hundred people more
And pews are fitted up for gentry.
Sit in the Wears seat you'll hear
The doctrine of gentle Jchnian.
Whose hand is white, whose tone is clear,
Whose phrase is very Ciceronian
Where is the old man laid Look down,
And construe on the slab before you,
He jacet
GULlELMUs BROWN,
Vir n:slia non denGna,ss aurs