You may deal as you please with Hindoos and Chinese, Or a Mussulman making his heathen _salaam_, or A Jew or a Turk, but it's other guess work When a man has to do with a Pilgrim or Palmer. * * * * * By chance the Prince Bishop, a Royal Divine, Sends his cards round the neighbourhood next day, and urges his Wish to receive a snug party to dine, Of the resident clergy, the gentry, and burgesses. At a quarter past five they are all alive, At the palace, for coaches are fast rolling in; And to every guest his card had express'd "Half-past" as the hour for "a greasy chin." Some thirty are seated, and handsomely treated With the choicest Rhine wines in his Highness's stock; When a Count of the Empire, who felt himself heated, Requested some water to mix with his Hock. The Butler, who saw it, sent a maid out to draw it, But scarce had she given the windlass a twirl, Ere Gengulphus's head, from the well's bottom, said In mild accents, "Do help us out, that's good girl!" Only fancy her dread when she saw a great head In her bucket;--with fright she was ready to drop:-- Conceive, if you can, how she roar'd and she ran, With the head rolling after her, bawling out "Stop!" She ran and she roar'd, till she came to the board Where the Prince Bishop sat with his party around, When Gengulphus's poll, which continued to roll At her heels, on the table bounced up with a bound. Never touching the cates, or the dishes or plates, The decanters or glasses, the sweetmeats or fruits, The head smiles, and begs them to bring him his legs, As a well-spoken gentleman asks for his boots. Kicking open the casement, to each one's amazement, Straight a right leg steps in, all impediment scorns, And near the head stopping, a left follows hopping Behind,--for the left leg was troubled with corns. Next, before the beholders, two great brawny shoulders, And arms on their bent elbows dance through the throng, While two hands assist, though nipp'd off at the wrist, The said shoulders in bearing a body along. They march up to the head, not one syllable said, For the thirty guests all stare in wonder and doubt, As the limbs in their sight arrange and unite, Till Gengulphus, though dead, looks as sound as a trout. I will venture to say, from that hour to this day, Ne'er did such an assembly behold such a scene; Or a table divide fifteen guests of a side With a dead body placed in the centre between. Yes, they stared--well they might at so novel a sight: No one utter'd whisper, a sneeze, or a hem, But sat all bolt upright, and pale with affright; And they gazed at the dead man, the dead man at them.