There he is—­resolved to stop,
  Till the waggon gains the top; 725
  But stop he cannot—­must advance: 
  Him Benjamin, with lucky glance,
  Espies—­and instantly is ready,
  Self-collected, poised, and steady: 
  And, to be the better seen, 730
  Issues from his radiant shroud,
  From his close-attending cloud,
  With careless air and open mien. 
  Erect his port, and firm his going;
  So struts yon cock that now is crowing; 735
  And the morning light in grace
  Strikes upon his lifted face,
  Hurrying the pallid hue away
  That might his trespasses betray. 
  But what can all avail to clear him, 740
  Or what need of explanation,
  Parley or interrogation? 
  For the Master sees, alas! 
  That unhappy Figure near him,
  Limping o’er the dewy grass, 745
  Where the road it fringes, sweet,
  Soft and cool to way-worn feet;
  And, O indignity! an Ass,
  By his noble Mastiffs side,
  Tethered to the waggon’s tail:  750
  And the ship, in all her pride,
  Following after in full sail! 
  Not to speak of babe and mother;
  Who, contented with each other,
  And snug as birds in leafy arbour, 755
  Find, within, a blessed harbour!

    With eager eyes the Master pries;
  Looks in and out, and through and through;
  Says nothing—­till at last he spies
  A wound upon the Mastiff’s head, 760
  A wound, where plainly might be read
  What feats an Ass’s hoof can do! 
  But drop the rest:—­this aggravation,
  This complicated provocation,
  A hoard of grievances unsealed; 765
  All past forgiveness it repealed;
  And thus, and through distempered blood
  On both sides, Benjamin the good,
  The patient, and the tender-hearted,
  Was from his team and waggon parted; 770
  When duty of that day was o’er,
  Laid down his whip—­and served no more.—­
  Nor could the waggon long survive,
  Which Benjamin had ceased to drive: 
  It lingered on;—­guide after guide 775
  Ambitiously the office tried;
  But each unmanageable hill
  Called for his patience and his skill;—­
  And sure it is, that through this night,
  And what the morning brought to light, 780
  Two losses had we to sustain,
  We lost both WAGGONER and WAIN!

* * * * *