n:--

'Thrice, oh, thrice happy, shepherd's life and state:
When courts are happiness, unhappy pawns!'

That's not clear," said John, laying down the book. "Now I do like
poetry to be intelligible. A poet ought to see things more widely, and
express them more vividly, than ordinary folk."

"Don't you perceive--he means the pawns on the chess-board--the common
people."

"Phineas, don't say the common people--I'm a common person myself. But
to continue:--

'His cottage low, and safely humble gate,
Shuts out proud Fortune, with her scorns and fawns:
No feared treason breaks his quiet sleep.
Singing all day, his flocks he learns to keep,
Himself as innocent as are his quiet sheep.'

(Not many sheep at Enderley, I fancy; the Flat chiefly abounds in
donkeys. Well--)

'No Serian worms he knows, that with their thread,
Drew out their silken lives--nor silken pride--'

Which reminds me that--"

"David, how can you make me laugh at our reverend ancestor in this way?
I'm ashamed of you."

"Only let me tell you this one fact--very interesting, you'll
allow--that I saw a silken gown hanging up in the kitchen at Rose
Cottage. Now, though Mrs. Tod is a decent, comely woman, I don't think
it belonged to her."

"She may have lodgers."

"I think she said she had--an old gentleman--but HE wouldn't wear a
silken gown."

"His wife might. Now, do go on reading."

"Certainly; I only wish to draw a parallel between Thyrsis and
ourselves in our future summer life at Enderley. So the old
gentleman's wife may appropriate the 'silken pride,' while we emulate
the shepherd.

'His lambs' warm fleece well fits his little need--'

I wear a tolerably good coat now, don't I, Phineas?"

"You are incorrigible."

Yet, through all his fun, I detected a certain under-tone of
seriousness, observable in him ever since my father's declaration of
his intentions concerning him, had, so to speak, settled John's future
career. He seemed aware of some crisis in his life, arrived or
impending, which disturbed the generally even balance of his
temperament.

"Nay, I'll be serious;" and passing over the unfinished verse, with
another or two following, he began afresh, in a new place, and in an
altogether changed tone.

"'His certain life, that never can deceive him,
Is full of thousand sweets and rich content;
The smooth-leaved beeches in the f