“Written in Early Spring” by William Wordsworth (1770–1850)

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  I HEARD a thousand blended notes   While in a grove I sate reclined,  In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts  Bring sad thoughts to the mind.  To her fair works did Nature link  The human soul that through me ran;  And much it grieved my heart to think  What Man has made of Man.  Through primrose tufts, in that sweet bower,  The periwinkle trail’d its wreaths;  And ’tis my faith that every flower  Enjoys the air it breathes.  The birds around me hopp’d and play’d,  Their thoughts I cannot measure,—  But the least motion which they made  It seem’d a thrill of pleasure.  The budding twigs spread out their fan  To catch the breezy air;  And I must think, do all I can,  That there was pleasure there.  If this belief from heaven be sent,  If such be Nature’s holy plan,  Have I not reason to lament  What Man has made of Man?

Journal of a Voyage

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Here's the full title of a book that looks to be a thriller of a summer read:

"The Journal of a Voyage in the Missionary Ship Duff, To The Pacific Ocean in the years 1796,7,8,9,1800,1,2 &c." Comprehending Authentic and Circumstantial Narratives of the Disasters Which Attended the First Effort of the London Missionary Society. Interspersed with a Variety of Singular Incidents and Adventures, with an Appendix Containing Interesting Circumstances in the Life of Captain James Wilson, The Commander of the Duff, when He was Engaged in the Wars in the East Indies, and Taken Prisoner by Hyder Ally's Troops--His Bold Attempt To Escape, and Subsequent Difficulties." By William Smith.

Here's the link to download this page-turner. With a title like that, who needs Indiana Jones?

That captain sure seems to be an intriguing chap . . .

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