TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE
Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have beencorrected after careful comparison with other occurrences withinthe text and consultation of external sources.
The cover image was created by the transcriberand is placed in the public domain.
More detail can be found at the end of the book.
THE FOLLOWING PAGES,
ORIGINALLY INTENDED FOR THEIR AMUSEMENT,
ARE DEDICATED TO
MY CHILDREN.
ORACLES FROM THE POETS.
I am Sir Oracle,
And when I ope my lips let no dog bark.
Merchant of Venice.
ORACLES FROM THE POETS:
A FANCIFUL DIVERSION
FOR
THE DRAWING-ROOM.
BY
CAROLINE GILMAN.
The enthusiast Sybil there divinely taught,
Writes on loose foliage inspiration's thought.
She sings the fates, and in her frantic fits
The notes and names inscribed to leaves commits.
Dryden's and Symmon's Virgil.
Macbeth. I conjure you, by that which you profess,
(Howe'er you come to know it,) answer me.
First Witch. Speak.
Second Witch. Demand.
Third Witch. We'll answer.
NEW YORK:
JOHN WILEY
(OLD STAND OF "WILEY AND PUTNAM"),
161 BROADWAY: AND PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON.
1848.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1844,
By WILEY & PUTNAM.
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the SouthernDistrict of New York.
Stereotyped by
RICHARD C. VALENTINE,
45 Gold-street, New York.
PREFACE.
I was led to arrange "The Oraclesfrom the Poets," by observingthe vivid interest taken bypersons of all ages in a very common-placeFortune-Teller in thehands of a young girl. It occurredto me that I might avail myself of this loveof the mysterious, for the intellectual enjoyment ofmy family circle.
Instead, however, of the pastime of a few days,it has been the work of every leisure moment forsix months. The first movement was the pebblethrown into the stream; circle after circle formed,until I found, with old Thomas Heywood,