GRACE
and
NATURE
.
By
the
Same
.
QUOTH
John
to
his
teacher
,
Good
Sir
,
if
you
please
,
I
wou'd
beg
your
advice
in
a
difficult
case
;
'Tis
a
weighty
concern
,
that
may
hold
one
for
life
—
'Tis
,
in
short
,
the
old
story
of
taking
a
wife
.
There's
a
pair
of
young
damsels
I'm
proffer'd
to
marry
,
And
whether
to
choose
puts
me
in
a
quandary
:
They're
alike
in
age
,
family
,
fortune
,
and
feature
,
Only
one
has
more
grace
,
and
the
other
good-nature
.
As
for
that
,
says
the
teacher
,
good-nature
and
love
,
And
sweetness
of
temper
are
gifts
from
above
,
And
as
coming
from
thence
we
shou'd
give
'em
their
due
;
Grace
is
a
superior
blessing
,
'tis
true
.
Ay
,
Sir
,
I
remember
an
excellent
sarment
,
Wherein
all
along
you
gave
grace
the
preferment
.
I
shall
never
forget
it
,
as
how
you
were
telling
,
That
heaven
resided
where
grace
had
its
dwelling
.
Why
John
,
quoth
the
teacher
,
that's
true
:
but
,
alas
,
What
heaven
can
do
is
quite
out
of
the
case
;
For
by
day
and
by
night
,
with
the
woman
you
wed
'Tis
you
that
must
board
,
and
'tis
you
that
must
bed
;
And
a
good-natur'd
girl
may
quickly
grow
gracious
,
But
a
sour-headed
saint
will
be
ever
vexatious
.