Complete Poetical Works Author:Martin Farquhar Tupper General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1864 Original Publisher: Hazard Subjects: English poetry Literary Criticism / Poetry Poetry / General Poetry / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. ... more »When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. SECOND SERIES. INTRODUCTORY. Come again, and greet me as a friend, fellow-pilgrim upon life's highway; Leave awhile the hot and dusty road, to loiter in the greenwood of Reflection. Come unto my cool, dim grotto, that is watered by the rivulet of truth, And over whose time-stained rock climb the fairy flowers of content; Here, upon this mossy bank of leisure, fling thy load of cares; Taste my simple store, and rest one soothing hour. Behold, I would count thee for a brother, and commune with thy char- itable soul; [scholar. Though wrapt within the mantle of a prophet, I stand mine own weak Heed no disciple for a teacher, if knowledge be not found upon his tongue ; For vanity and folly were the lessons these lips untaught could give: The precious staple of my merchandise cometh from a better country, The harvest . of my reaping sprang of foreign seed: And this poor pensioner of Mercy -- should he boast of merit? The grafted stock -- should that be proud of apples not its own? Into the bubbling brook I dip my hermit shell; Man receiveth as a cup, but Wisdom is the river. Moreover, for this filagree of fancy, this Oriental garnish of similitude, Alas! the world is old -- and all things old within it: I walk a trodden path, I love the good old ways; Prophets, and priests, and kings, have tuned the harp I faintly touch. Truth, in a garment of the past, is my choice and simple theme; No truth is new to-day; a...« less