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
Alas! alas! that it should happen
To mighty men to be caught napping!--
Though different, too, these persecutions
For Gulliver, THERE, took the nap,
While, HERE, the NAP, oh sad mishap, Is taken by the Lilliputians!
DIALOGUE
BETWEEN A CATHOLIC DELEGATE AND HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS DUKE OF CUMBERLAND.
Said his Highness to NED, with that grim face of his,
"Why refuse us the VETO, dear Catholic NEDDY?"--
"Because, sir" said NED, looking full in his phiz,
"You're FORBIDDING enough, in all conscience, already!"
TO MISS -----
With woman's form and woman's tricks
So much of man you seem to mix,
One knows not where to take you;
I pray you, if 'tis not too far,
Go, ask of Nature WHICH you are,
Or what she meant to make you.
Yet stay--you need not take the pains
With neither beauty, youth, nor brains,
For man or maid's desiring:
Pert as female, fool as male,
As boy too green, as girl too stale
The thing's not worth inquiring!
TO -----
Die when you will, you need not wear
At heaven's court a form more fair
Than Beauty here on earth has given;
Keep but the lovely looks we see
The voice we hear and you will be
An angel READY-MADE for heaven!
UPON BEING OBLIGED TO LEAVE A PLEASANT PARTY
FROM THE WANT OF A PAIR OF BREECHES TO DRESS FOR DINNER IN.
Between Adam and me the great difference is,
Though a paradise each has been forced to resign,
That he never wore breeches till turn'd out of his,
While, for want of my breeches, I'm banish'd from mine
WHAT'S MY THOUGHT LIKE?
QUEST.-Why is a Pump like Viscount CASTLEREAGH?
ANSW.-Because it is a slender thing of wood,
That up and down its awkward arm doth sway,
And coolly spout, and spout, and spout away,
In one weak, washy, everlasting flood!
FROM THE FRENCH.
Of all the men one meets about,
There's none like Jack--he's everywhere:
At church--park--auction--dinner--rout--
Go when and where you will, he's there.
Try the West End, he's at your back--
Meets you, like Eurus, in the East--
You're call'd upon for "How do, Jack?"
One hundred times a-day, at least.
A friend of his one evening said,
As home he took his pensive way,
"Upon my soul, I fear Jack's dead--
I've seen him but three times to-day!"
A JOKE VERSIFIED.
"Come, come," said Tom's father, "at your time of life,
There's no longer excuse for thus playing the rake--
It is time you should think, boy, of taking a wife."--
"Why, so it is, father--whose wife shall I take?"
THE SURPRISE.
Doloris, I swear, by all I ever swore,
That from this hour I shall not love thee more.--
"What! love no more? Oh! why this alter'd vow?
Because I CAN NOT love thee MORE--than NOW!"
ON ----.
Like a snuffers, this loving old dame,
By a destiny grievous enough,
Though so oft she has snapp'd at the flame,
Hath never more than the snuff.
ON A SQUINTING POETESS.
To no ONE Muse does she her glance confine,
But has an eye, at once to ALL THE NINE!
ON A TUET-HUNTER.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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