Scarce thirty suns had brighten’d o’er her head,
When to Arab’s deck young Jack[9] was led;
Here from her master’s side she ne’er would stray,
Ate of his meat, and on his hammock lay.
Grateful for this, when left on Norway’s beach,
She brav’d the sea, the distant ship to reach.
This act heroic stays the murd’rous knife,
And all the crew demand to save her life.
Thus spar’d, she visits each far distant main:
In fourteen battles, amid heroes slain.
She ’scapes unhurt; save that the whizzing lead
Bears off one horn, then gently graz’d her head.
All perils past, she reach’d her native shore,
To tempt the rage of war and seas no more.—
“Go, my dear Jack,” her grateful master said,
(As on her snow-white head his hand he laid;)
“Go seek the shady grove, the verdant mead;
There rest securely, and securely feed.
A thousand joys shall thy long life attend,
Blest with that greatest good, a faithful friend.—
Vain were these hopes! at Sarum safe arriv’d,
Sudden she sicken’d, and as sudden died.—
Well, then, dear Jack, since fate has seal’d thy doom,
Be thine the honours of the sculptur’d tomb.
There too shall this just eulogy appear,
“A sheep, a much-lov’d sheep, reposes here.”
Merits in thee some future bard shall trace,
Such as ne’er yet adorn’d the fleecy race.
A patient temper, to all ills resign’d,
Sense almost human, to good nature join’d.
No charms for her had flow’ry lawn or grove,
’Twas man she sought—to man gave all her love.
Had she but liv’d in fiction’s classic days,
The muse had sung her fame in deathless lays;
Had fondly told, that her not mortal frame
Return’d from earth to heav’n, from whence it came;
Advanc’d to share with Aries on high,
The space assign’d him in her native sky.
The following is a notable instance of the Sagacity of a Monkey.—Some strolling showmen, being at Stonin, a town of Lithuania, belonging to Count Ogienski, grand general of that province, diverted the inhabitants by exhibiting the tricks and gambols of half a dozen monkeys they had along with them: this new spectacle roused the curiosity of people of all degrees, insomuch that the overseers of the improvements which were carrying on in that neighbourhood saw themselves deserted by all their workmen. Desirous to recall them to their duty, yet unwilling to drive the strollers away by main force, they offered the chief a round sum of money, on condition of his leaving the town immediately: the man agreed to this; and, with his two assistants, and company of four-footed comedians, set off from Stonin.
They had hardly proceeded out of town, when they were beset by some banditti, who robbed and murdered not only them, but all their harmless followers, except one, who escaped the general slaughter, and, unperceived, climbed up a tree, whence he could spy all the proceedings of the villains, who had no sooner made sure of their spoils, than they proceeded to inter the bodies, both of the men and beasts, covering the place with earth and boughs, and then made off.
Sometime after, a coach-and-four approached; which the surviving monkey no sooner descried, than he set up a most dismal yell. The gentleman, who, as it afterwards proved, was going on a visit to the grand-general, amazed at so unusual a noise, ordered the coachman to stop, when, alighting, he was still more surprised to see the animal coming down the tree, and making towards him; the monkey, taught perhaps to reverence people of rank, began to lick his feet, and, by several gestures, seemed to intimate that he had something extraordinary to discover; the animal led the way, and the gentleman followed with his servant. As soon as they came to the place, the monkey rent the air with the most piteous accents; then taking up some of the branches, he began to scratch the earth, and throw it up with all his might: the gentleman seeing this, ordered his man to fall to work, and in a few minutes the whole scene of horror opened to his view.
Fearing a similar fate, the Lithuanian, forgetting the sagacious animal, got into his carriage, and posted to the grand-general as fast as his horses could carry him. Poor pug, rather than be left behind, fastened about the coach as well as he could, and arrived likewise at the count’s, who, having heard the gentleman’s report, sent a proper force after the banditti: they were overtaken, and committed to prison. The grand-general ordered the monkey to be taken into his palace, and kept with the greatest care. This surprising mark of instinct and gratitude is deemed the more wonderful, as that animal generally turns his natural sagacity to mischief and treachery.
We shall in the next place give an astonishing instance of Sagacity in a Horse.
At Chepstow, in Monmouthshire, there is a bridge, the construction of which is extremely curious, as the planks that form the floor rise with the tide, which, at certain times, is said to attain to the height of seventy feet.
This floor of the bridge it was necessary at one time to remove; which was accordingly done, and only one or two of the planks remained for the convenience of the foot passengers. This way was well lighted, and a man placed at the end to warn those that approached of their danger. But it so happened, that one dreadful stormy night the lamps blew out, and the monitor, supposing that no one would in such a hurricane attempt to pass, wisely retired to shelter.
After midnight, a traveller knocked at the door of an inn at Chepstow.
“Who is there?” said the landlord, who had long retired to rest, and was now called out of bed.