, say my wits are gross and dull,
If for that word I give thee not a Gull:
Thus then I prove thou holdst a false position;
I say thou art a man of fair condition,
A man true of thy word, tall of thy hands,
Of high descent and left good store of lands;
Thou with false dice and cards hast never play'd,
Corrupted never widow, wife or maid,
And, as for swearing, none in all this realm,
Doth seldomer in speech curse or blaspheme.
In fine, your virtues are so rare and ample,
For all our Song thou mayst be made a sample.
This, I dare swear, _none ever said before_,
This, I may swear, _none ever will say more_.

_Port Folio_, IV-383, Dec. 1, 1804, Phila.

THE CELEBRATED SWISS AIR,
RANZ DES VACHES.

"This air, so dear to the Swiss," says Rousseau, "was forbidden by the
French government to be played among the Swiss soldiers, employed in
the service of France, under pain of death; because it excited such a
fond remembrance of the scenes they had witnessed in their own native
country, and such a strong desire of seeing them again, that it caused
them to shed tears, to desert, or, if they despaired of this, to
commit suicide."

Quand reverrai-je, en un jour,
Tous les objets de mon amour?
Nos claires ruisseaux,
Nos couteaux [_sic_],
Nos hameaux,
Nos montagnes,
Et l'ornament de nos campagnes,
La si gentille Isabeau?
A l'ombre d'un ormeau,
Quand danserai-je au son du chalumeau?

Quand reverrai-je, en un jour,
Tous les objects de mon amour?
Mon pere,
Ma mere,
Mon frere
Ma soeur,
Mes agneaux
Mes troupeaux,
Ma bergere?
Quand reverrai-je, en un jour,
Tous les objet de mon amour?

LITERAL TRANSLATION.

When shall I behold again, in one day, all the pleasing objects of my
affection?--our clear streams, our cottages [_sic_], our hamlets, our
mountains, and the ornament of our fields, the gentle Isabelle?--Under
the shade of a spreading elm, when shall I dance again to the sound of
the tabor?

When shall I behold again, in one day, all pleasing objects of my
love?--my father, mother, brothers, sisters, my lambs, my flocks, and
my faithful shepherdess?--When shall I behold again, in one day, all
the pleasing objects of my affec