_Imprimus_, then I will proceed His features to disclose, And draw a compass from his head Unto his heels and toes; Some cunning man come lay a spell, And keep me from all snares, That I may keep in compass well, While I describe Carstairs. But first I must his pardon crave, For making bold and free, For William was his christian name, And shall be so for me; But manners must to rhymes give place, Or else we spoil our wares; And _Will_ and _William’s_ all one case, And equal to Carstairs. His face is like the midnight moon And stars that shine so bright; His nose is like a flaming fire, That casts both heat and light; It sparkles like the Syrian seas When he gets in his airs, A clown has not an heart to buy A beak like Will Carstairs. Without a magnifying glass, His neck you cannot see; But if you please to let it pass, It shall be pass’d by me; His shoulders are compact and strong, Made up of rounds and squares, And no small burden e’er could wrong A back like Will Carstairs’. Down from his shoulder-blades there springs Two arms both stout and strong, That flap just like a buzzard’s wings As he marcheth along; And from those arms there spring two hands, Well skill’d in magic airs; And William Lilley’s charter stands By such as Will Carstairs. He has eight sides, I scorn to slide, I’ll bring them fairly in, The upperside and underside Are two for to begin; There’s backside, foreside, leftside, right-- I’ll put them down in pairs-- And inside, outside, which make _eight_, Belonging to Carstairs. Down from his sides there spring two hips With sturdy well built thighs, Just like a pair of weeding-clips, But of a larger size; His legs they do like supples bend, When he gets in his airs-- Right taper’d down from end to end, Few men can match Carstairs. His feet are much like other men’s, I guess them by the shoe, They’re neither of the fives nor tens, But just between the two. He’ll trip to Scotland in a trice, For speed he never spares,-- There’s few can trip it out so nice As thrifty Will Carstairs. He’s near about the standard pitch, As nature can express-- They’re lubbers that’s above his size, And dwarfs that’s any less; But tho’ he be not quite so tall To rank ’mong grenadiers, There’s thousands of marines as small As little Will Carstairs. [47] Priol, _i.e._ three.