A Century of Emblems Part 17

Her rattling mouth-peals yield me no delight, She laughs but with her teeth, and means to bite.

HISTORY.

Fragments of fact mosaic-like combined, All toned and tinted to the artist's mind.

IGNORANT ANTAGONISM.

Wise opposition challenges advance, But we recoil from arguing ignorance.

ILL-NATURED SATIRE.

It wears away all love this trenchant art; Whittling with keen-edged wit the hearer's heart.

IMPARTIALITY.

Justice is easy, barring love or grudge; But to thyself, that proves the righteous judge.

IMPENITENT TEARS.

'Tis not for sin he droops his tearful eye, 'Tis not for sin, but the discovery.

INCONSTANCY.

From love to love the heart inconstant veers As pa.s.sion fills the sail, and fancy steers.

INJUDICIOUS PRAISE OF A PICTURE.

He praised the scarlet cap; this vexed my soul.

To praise a portion thus--condemns the whole.

JEALOUSY.

Strange freak of selfishness which fiends approve, With love intoxicate it murders love.

JOKING.

Join in his joke against himself and friends, But do so mildly or your friends.h.i.+p ends.

JUST AND GENEROUS.

Art just? be more--be generous all the while; Dost give? give quickly with a loving smile.

LIFE.

Life is a task which takes a life to know; How it is learnt another life must show.

LIFE.

Life is a long enigma; true, my friend; Read on, read on, the answer's at the end.

LIFE'S GARDEN.

Life's garden tilled with toil and tears we see; No Paradise, sometimes Gethsemane.

LIGHT AND SHADE.

He never marked the suns.h.i.+ne on his track, Till from the chilly shadows he looked back.

LITERARY QUARRELS.

Hard thrusts and ink shed mark the scribbler's strife, Charge, counter-charge, war to the paper-knife.

LIMPNESS.

Your feeble minds and self-indulgent wills, Are patients ready to gulp Satan's pills.

LOVE.

Let not Love sleep coc.o.o.n-like, self-infurled, Spin the fair silk, O man, and clothe the world.

LOVE THE TYRANT.

Sweet playfellow is Love, but let him rule, A tyrant he becomes, and you his fool.

LOVE AND TRUTH.

Love without Truth is but a bubble fair; Burst through the glitter, and your joy is air.

MAN'S VIEW OF PROVIDENCE.