Her plaints are heard in every wood, While I would fain conceal my woes; But vain's my wish, the briny flood, The more I strive, the faster flows.

Vain, vain was all Llewellyn's woe "Best of thy kind, adieu!

tears are in vain; and vain is my bitter repentance; it cannot obliterate my crime, nor restore me to innocence and peace.

" But vain was all their hoarsest bass, Their old experience out of place, And, spite of croaking and entreating, The vote was carried in marsh-meeting.

" Vain also was a story that he told him of a relation of his own, who was greatly harassed by the apparition of an officer in a red uniform that haunted him day and night, and had very nigh put him quite distracted several times, till at length his physician found out the nature of this illusion

Vain must be the machinations of my enemies, vain the onslaughts of the rabble, so long as I fulfil a certain contract registered in hell's chancery, as I have now done these three hundred years.

I have often said in my heart, If the Lord help them not, vain is the help of man.

Vain is the task; I strive no more To learn the secret of their fate; Till sounds for me the muffled oar, I can but hope and wait.

Vain were all his efforts to conceal it.

Vain Your Grecian mocks and Roman sword Against this image of his Lord; For a tear is an intellectual thing; And a sigh is the sword of an angel king; And the bitter groan of a martyr's woe Is an arrow from the Almighty's bow.

Until mind and heart are swept by the spirit of God, chastened, purified, ennobled, and inspired, vain is all the learning of the schools!

The eye was shut in men; the hearing ear Dull unto deafness; nought but earthly things Had credence; and no highest art that flings A spirit radiance from it, like the spear Of the ice-pointed mountain, lifted clear In the nigh sunrise, had made skyey springs Of light in the clouds of dull imaginings: Vain were the painter or the sculptor here.

Vain and forgotten are all the fine offers and offices of hospitality, if there is no holiday in the eye.

If, then, our faith we for our guide admit, Vain is the farther search of human wit; As when the building gains a surer stay, We take the unuseful scaffolding away.

She could not reach that height where Emily moved serenely; she could not see that Vain are the thousand creeds That move men's hearts: unutterably vain.

"Though woman's vain, and man deceives, There's always honor amonggentlemen.

But only a man in Mr. Tymperley's position learns how vain is well-meaning advice, and how impotent is social influence.

my dear Má[T.]Havya, why am I doomed to be the victim of perpetual disappointment? Vain is the hope of meeting her in dreams, For slumber night by night forsakes my couch; And now that I would fain assuage my grief By gazing on her portrait here before me, Tears of despairing love obscure my sight.

In vain do we maintain and send forth armies; vain are the crowds of civil and military officers about our palace!

He seized it, but vain was the sparring skill that had won at the willow pond.

Vain then is strength, and skill is vain, Either to lead them or restrain.

Vain, vain were prayer and incense-swell And bulls' blood on the altars!...

The best is first regarded; and vain is that regard which endeth not in security.

Vain are all attempts, on the part of other birds, to imitate his truly original style.

'Cease now!' cried St Cuthman, 'vain is your toil! Come forth from the dyke!