Menippea Author:James Henry Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: I TOOK my dog with me, one day, to church, And, full of. wonder that he did not worship, Said to him when I came home: — "How is 't, Tray, That you 're ... more »not thankful to the God of all?" "What God of all?" said Tray; "the God who made Me and my fellows for the use of you And yours, not for our own use or enjoyment? Lick ye his hand, wag ye your tails to him; By your own showing we owe nothing to him; A devil had treated us as well or better." So saying, Tray lay down upon his mat Growling, and I said — What hadst thou said, reader? Via Sistina, Rome, Jan. 12, 1858. iHOU, pious Christian, when thou diest bring'st with thee Into the heaven of heavens, thine earthly soul, With all its human knowledge and affections. I, when I die, cease wholly and need nothing; Bring with me nothing, not even thy farewell; But take thou mine, and sometimes even in heaven Think of me; sometimes to the recollection Of thy once dear friend spare some few short moments Of thine eternity of perfect bliss. Thou shakest thine head — well! well! I 'll not insist; It was a foolish thought; forgive thy friend, And, in thy pure and perfect joy, forget. Via Sistma, Bome, Febr. 11, 1858. UNDER A PICTURE OF MISS LOUISA GRACE'S DOG, ALL I Never go to church, I never pray, Never confess my sins, but, all the day, Follow my nose, do what me pleases best, Eat, drink and sleep, and leave to God the rest, Whom thou so busy keep'st with minding thee — Blessed, lucky chance! — he never thinks of me. Wouldst thou know who I am, All 's my name (Or Doctor Henry — it is all the same), Of cynic race, some say, and an ascetic; A stoic, some say; some, a peripatetic; But of whatever sect, whatever race, The true frien...« less