The Humorous Poetry of the English Language; from Chaucer to Saxe
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The Humorous Poetry of the English Language; from Chaucer to Saxe
American poetry; American wit and humor; English poetry; English wit and humor; Humorous poetry, American; Humorous poetry, English
It asks no penetrative mind
To know these fellows: when
You meet them, you, unless you're blind,
At once discern the men.
The turgid lip, the piggish eye,
The nose in form of hook,
The rings, the pins, you tell them by,
The vulgar flashy look.
Spend every sixpence, if you please,
But do not, I implore,
Oh! I do not go, my son, to these
Vultures to borrow more.
Live at a foolish wicked rate,
My hopeful, if you choose,
But don't your means anticipate
Through bill-discounting Jews.
[Illustration: CHAUCER]
SELLING OFF AT THE OPERA HOUSE
A POETICAL CATALOGUE.
PUNCH.
Lot One, The well-known village, with bridge, and church, and green,
Of half a score divertissements the well-remembered scene,
Including six substantial planks, forming the eight-inch ridge
On which the happy peasantry came dancing down the bridge.
Lot Two, A Sheet of Thunder. Lot Three, A Box of Peas
Employed in sending storms of hail to rattle through the trees.
Lot Four, A Canvas Mossy Bank for Cupids to repose.
Lot Five, The old Stage Watering-pot, complete--except the nose.
Lot Six, The favorite Water-mill, used for Amina's dream,
Complete, with practicable wheel, and painted canvas stream.
Lots Seven to Twelve, Some sundries--A Pair of Sylphide's Wings;
Three dozen Druid's Dresses (one of them wanting strings).
Lots Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen--Three Services of Plate
In real papier mache--all in a decent state;
One of these services includes--its value to increase--
A full dessert, each plate of fruit forming a single piece.
Lot Seventeen, The Gilded Cup, from which Genarro quaffed,
Mid loud applause, night after night, Lucrezia's poisoned draught.
Lots Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Three rich White Satin Skirts,
Lot Twenty-one, A set of six Swiss Peasants' Cotton Shirts.
Lot Twenty-two, The sheet that backed Mascaniello's tent.
Lot Twenty-three, The Long White Wig--in wool--of Bide-the-Bent.
Lots Twenty-three to Forty, The Fish--Soles, Cod, and Dace--
For pelting the Vice-regal Guard in Naples' Market-place.
Lot Forty-one, Vesuvius, rather the worse for wear.
Lots Forty-two to Fifty, Priests' Leggings--at per pair.
Lot Fifty-one, The well-known Throne, with canopy and seat,
And plank in front, for courtiers to kneel at Sovereigns' feet.
Lot Fifty-two, A Royal Robe of Flannel, nearly white,
Warranted equal to Cashmere--upon the stage at night--
With handsome ermine collar thrown elegantly back;
The tails of twisted worsted--pale yellow, tipped with black.
Lots Fifty-three to Sixty, Some Jewellery rare--
The Crown of Semiramide--complete, with false back hair;
The Order worn by Ferdinand, when he proceeds to fling
His sword and medals at the feet of the astonished king.
Lot Sixty-one, The Bellows used in Cinderella's song.
Lot Sixty-two, A Document. Lot Sixty-three, A Gong.
Lots Sixty-four to Eighty, Of Wigs a large array,
Beginning at the Druids down to the present day.
Lot Eighty-one, The Bedstead on which Amina falls.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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