Alas! the Eagle stooped; those well-poised pinions
      Faltered, and beat the air unevenly;
      Nor shall the Bird maintain its proud dominions
      If those wings lapse from rhythm, pulse awry. 
      Vain power of beak and claw, keenness of eye,
      Or pride of crested head, if those broad vanes
      Beat without balance true the clouded sky. 
      The lord of those etherial domains,
  Once wing-maimed, pitiless fate to the dull earth enchains.

      That Serpent is a sinister birth of time,
      The likeness of the light ’twould fain take on,
      But ’tis engendered from the poisonous slime
      Of hate, and greed, and darkness.  Though it don
      Apollo’s guise, ’tis but Apollyon. 
      To shackle, poison, palsy is its aim. 
      Venom and violence never yet have won
      A victory truly worthy of the name. 
  To call this thing Toil’s friend is friendship to defame.

      “An Eagle and a Serpent wreathed in fight!”
      There is the symbol he who runs may read. 
      The Bird is Trade, with pinions balanced right;
      Labour and Capital in love agreed,
      All’s well; the Serpent shall not then succeed
      In shackling that, or in destroying this. 
      The snake, a venomous worm of poisonous breed,
      In vain shall coil and knot, shall strike and hiss. 
  Mark, Wealth! mark, Toil!  The moral’s one you scarce can miss!

* * * * *

[Illustration:  “IN THE AIR!”

  “AN EAGLE AND A SERPENT WREATHED IN FIGHT!”
  THERE IS THE SYMBOL HE WHO RUNS MAY READ. 
  THE BIRD IS TRADE, WITH PINIONS BALANCED RIGHT;
  LABOUR AND CAPITAL IN LOVE AGREED,

  ALL’S WELL; THE SERPENT SHALL NOT THEN SUCCEED
  IN SHACKLING THAT, OR IN DESTROYING THIS. 
  THE SNAKE, A VENOMOUS WORM OF POISONOUS BREED,
  IN VAIN SHALL COIL AND KNOT, SHALL STRIKE AND HISS. 
  MARK, WEALTH!  MARK, TOIL!  THE MORAL’S ONE YOU SCARCE CAN MISS!]

* * * * *

[Illustration:  SEA ON LAND.

(A STORY IN SIX CHAPTERS AND TWO VOLUMES.)

VOL.  I.—­CHAP.  I.—­Captain Bulkhead (P. & O.), home on leave, buys a Horse.

CHAP.  II.—­Which bolts on the first opportunity.

CHAP.  III.—­“I’ll teach him!” said the Captain, taking an anchor aboard.

VOL.  II—­CHAP.  IV.—­Off again!  Casting anchor!

CHAP.  V.—!!

CHAP.  VI.—!!!]

* * * * *

A WORD TO JOHN BURNS.