The New Hampshire Gazette

POETRY.

The Eagle and the Worm.

A Fable from the German of Herder.

THE giant Eagle soar'd on high,
Into the regions of the sky;
Dash'd through the clouds in glorious state,
And on the highest mountain sate,
And said: -

"Here, then, I stand,
Head of my kingdom - who shall fly
To this sublime untrodden land?
Who can approach me?"

"I,"
Said a small voice; he look'd around,
And saw an earth-worm on the ground.

"We rivals? - So! -
How cam'st thou here?" the Eagle called:

"I? - from below!"

"And how then here?" "I crawled."

Ye Ministers and Generals.
Ye Chancellors and Cardinals.
Lawyers and Laureates all
That occupy those seats so high,
Come now and tell us - did you fly
Or did you crawl?

'Tis really odd how oft one traces
Your crawlers to the loftiest places.

"Thou rascal!" roar'd the Eagle - "thou
Daring to crawl up to the mountain's brow,

"I crave your pardon, royal Bird!"
(But 'twas an unadvis'd reply;
For who speaks truth to great ones?)

"Sire! I've heard
'Tis sometimes more secure to crawl
Than fly"

The thunderer frown'd - "thou reptile, thou!
Wouldst give thy less'ns to a prince like me?"
And moved to crush him -

"Heav'n forbid it, no!
Forbid it, heav'n! I've no such vanity!
No! - But I thought - an Eagle soar o'er all:
And a poor Worm - what can he do? - but crawl."

The Eagle mounted through the skies,
And left the Worm to moralize.
And thus he jested with himself - alone:

"'Tis just as I expected! pomp and pride
Have no abiding temple. He is gone -
But I abide!"
And then he laughed almost to split his side.

The Eagle never heard a word -
But through his heav'n he soar'd.

Now Proud ones! ye who mount into the air,
And leave the earth to us poor reptiles here -
Ye who would give us some bleak barren cliff
To crawl on, while ye royally repair
To the high clouds - now tell us, tell us - if
The earth-worm's meditations met your ear?