The Fable of the Peasant and his Landlord.

A Peasant to his lord yearly court,
Presenting pippins of so rich a sort
That he, displeased to have a part alone,
Removed the tree, that all might be his own.
The tree, too old to travel, though before
So fruitful, withered, and would yield no more.
The squire, perceiving all his labour void,
Cursed his own pains, so foolishly employed,
And "Oh," he cried, "that I had lived content
With tribute, small indeed, but kindly meant!
My avarice has expensive proved to me,
Has cost me both my pippins and my tree."

John Milton

John Milton was an influential English poet, theologian, and intellectual. He is best known for his epic poem 'Paradise Lost,' which explores themes of rebellion, free will, and human fallibility. His works reflect his deep engagement with politics, religion, and linguistic innovation. Milton's literary contributions have cemented him as one of the most important figures in Western literature, and his writings continue to be studied and revered worldwide.

John Milton

Sonnets. VI

John Milton, Simple Poetry

To Giovanni Battista Manso, Marquis of Villa.

John Milton, Simple Poetry

Sonnets. XI

John Milton, Simple Poetry

Sonnet XX: Lawrence, of virtuous father

John Milton, Simple Poetry

English

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The Fable of the Peasant and his Landlord.[1]

A Peasant to his lord yearly court,
    Presenting pippins of so rich a sort
That he, displeased to have a part alone,
    Removed the tree, that all might be his own.
The tree, too old to travel, though before
    So fruitful, withered, and would yield no more.
The squire, perceiving all his labour void,
    Cursed his own pains, so foolishly employed,
And "Oh," he cried, "that I had lived content
    With tribute, small indeed, but kindly meant!    
My avarice has expensive proved to me,
    Has cost me both my pippins and my tree."

William Cowper

The Landlord's Tale - The Wayside Inn - Part Third

THE RHYME OF SIR CHRISTOPHER

It was Sir Christopher Gardiner,
Knight of the Holy Sepulchre,
From Merry England over the sea,
Who stepped upon this continent
As if his august presence lent
A glory to the colony.

You should have seen him in the street
Of the little Boston of Winthrop's time,
His rapier dangling at his feet
Doublet and hose and boots complete,
Prince Rupert hat with ostrich plume,
Gloves that exhaled a faint perfume,
Luxuriant curls and air sublime,
And superior manners now obsolete!

He had a way of saying things
That made one think of courts and kings,
And lords and ladies of high degree;
So that not having been at court
Seemed something very little short
Of treason or lese-majesty,
Such an accomplished...

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Repentance

The fields which with covetous spirit we sold,
Those beautiful fields, the delight of the day,
Would have brought us more good than a burthen of gold,
Could we but have been as contented as they.

When the troublesome Tempter beset us, said I,
"Let him come, with his purse proudly grasped in his hand;
But, Allan, be true to me, Allan, we'll die
Before he shall go with an inch of the land!"

There dwelt we, as happy as birds in their bowers;
Unfettered as bees that in gardens abide;
We could do what we liked with the land, it was ours;
And for us the brook murmured that ran by its side.

But now we are strangers, go early or late;
And often, like one overburthened with sin,
With my hand on the latch of the half-opened gate,
I look at the fields, but I...

William Wordsworth

The Heir Of Linne

The Text is taken from the Percy Folio, but I have modernised the spelling. For the Reliques Percy made a ballad out of the Folio version combined with 'a modern ballad on a similar subject,' a broadside entitled The Drunkard's Legacy, thus producing a very good result which is about thrice the length of the Folio version.

The Scottish variant was noted by Motherwell and Buchan, but previous editors--Herd, Ritson, Chambers, Aytoun--had used Percy's composition.


The Story.--There are several Oriental stories which resemble the ballad as compounded by Percy from The Drunkard's Legacy. In most of these--Tartar, Turkish, Arabic, Persian, etc.--the climax of the story lies in the fact that the hero in attempting to hang himself by a rope fastened to the ceiling pulls down a hidden treasure. Ther...

Frank Sidgwick

Psal. LXXXV.

Thy Land to favour graciously
Thou hast not Lord been slack,
Thou hast from hard Captivity
Returned Jacob back.
Th' iniquity thou didst forgive
That wrought thy people woe,
And all their Sin, that did thee grieve
Hast hid where none shall know.
Thine anger all thou hadst remov'd,
And calmly didst return
From thy ^*1fierce wrath which we had prov'd
Far worse then fire to burn.
God of our saving health and peace,
Turn us, and us restore,
Thine indignation cause to cease
Toward us, and chide no more.
Wilt thou be angry without end,
For ever angry thus
Wilt thou thy frowning ire extend
From age to age on us?
Wilt thou not ^*2 turn, and hear our voice
And us again ^*2 revive ,
That so thy people may rejoyc...

John Milton

Translations. - Legend. (From Goethe.)

AFTER THE MANNER OF HANS SACHS.

While yet unknown, and very low,
Our Lord on earth went to and fro;
And some of his scholars his word so good
Very strangely misunderstood--
He much preferred to hold his court
In streets and places of resort,
Because under the heaven's face
Words better and freer flow apace;
There he gave them the highest lore
Out of his holy mouth in store;
Wondrously, by parable and example,
Made every market-place a temple.

So faring, in his heart content,
Once with them to a town he went--
Saw something blinking on the way,
And there a broken horse-shoe lay!
He said thereon St. Peter to,
"Prithee now, pick up that shoe."
St. Peter was not in fitting mood:
He had been dreaming all the road
Some stuff abou...

George MacDonald