_Patience par force!_ He _considered_, of course, But in vain--he could hit on no sort of resource-- Love?--Liquor?--Law?--Loo? They would each of them do, There's excitement enough in all four, but in none he Could hope to get on _sans l'argent_--_i.e._ money. Love?--no;--ladies like little _cadeaux_ from a suitor. Liquor?--no,--that won't do, when reduced to "the Pewter."-- Then Law?--'tis the same; It's a very fine game, But the fees and delays of "the Courts" are a shame, As Lord Brougham says himself--who's a very great name, Though the TIMES made it clear he was perfectly lost in his Classic attempt at translating Demosthenes, And don't know his "particles."--Who wrote the articles, Shewing his Greek up so, is not known very well; Many thought Barnes, others Mitchell,--some Merivale; But it's scarce worth debate, Because from the date Of my tale one conclusion we safely may draw, Viz.: 'twas not François Xavier Auguste de St. Foix! Loo?--no;--that he had tried; 'Twas, in fact, his weak side, But required more than any a purse well supplied. "Love?--Liquor?--Law?--Loo? No! 'tis all the same story. Stay! I have it--_Ma foi!_ (that's 'Odd's Bob's!') there is GLORY! Away with dull care! _Vive le Roi! Vive la Guerre!_ _Peste!_ I'd almost forgot I'm a Black Mousquetaire! When a man is like me, _Sans six sous, sans souci_, A bankrupt in purse, And in character worse, With a shocking bad hat, and his credit at Zero, What on earth can he hope to become,--but a Hero? What a famous thought this is! I'll go as Ulysses Of old did--like him I'll see manners, and know countries;[20] Cut Paris,--and gaming,--and throats in the Low Countries." So said, and so done--he arranged his affairs, And was off like a shot to his Black Mousquetaires. Now it happen'd just then That Field-Marshal Turenne Was a good deal in want of "some active young men," To fill up the gaps Which, through sundry mishaps, Had been made in his ranks by a certain "Great Condé," A General unrivall'd--at least in his own day-- Whose valour was such, That he did not care much If he fought with the French,--or the Spaniards,--or Dutch,-- A fact which has stamped him a rather "Cool hand," Being nearly related to _Louis le Grand_. It had been all the same had that King been his brother; He fought sometimes with one, and sometimes with another; For war, so exciting, He took such delight in, He did not care whom he fought, so he _was_ fighting. And, as I've just said, had amused himself then By tickling the tail of Field-Marshal Turenne; Since which, the Field-Marshal's most pressing concern Was to tickle some other Chief's tail in his turn.