Her plain-song piety preferred Pure life to precept. She knew her faults. If she erred, Her softest word Was for the erring. If she had loved, or if she kept I know not. Only this I know, Younger than she, well-born and bred. Starving, in fact, 'twixt want and pride; He worshipped her, you may suppose. She gained him pupils, gave him clothes, Delighted in his dry bons mots And cackling laughter; And when, at last, the long duet Of conversation and picquet Ceased with her death, of sheer regret He died soon after. Dear Madam Placid ! Others knew Their loves are lost; but still we see The Frenchman planted. THE BALLAD OF "BEAU BROCADE" "Hark! I hear the sound of coaches !” -BEGGAR'S OPERA. SEVE EVENTEEN hundred and thirty-nine :- First great GEORGE was buried and gone; LONDON then, as the "Guides" aver, And people of rank, to correct their "tone," Went out of town to Marybone. Those were the days of the War with Spain, PORTO-BELLO would soon be ta’en; WHITEFIELD preached to the colliers grim, WALPOLE talked of "a man and his price"; Nobody's virtue was over-nice : Those, in fine, were the brave days when And of all the knights of the gentle trade This they knew on the whole way down; (For timorous cits on their pilgrimage Would "club" for a "Guard" to ride the stage And the Guard that rode on more than one Open we here on a March day fine, There was Barber DICK with his basin by; Portly product of Beef and Beer, Straining and creaking, with wheels awry, Lumbering up from Bagshot Heath, Passengers heavily armed inside; Not the less surely the coach had been tried! Tried!--but a couple of miles away, By a well-dressed man!-in the open day! Tried successfully, never a doubt,— Cloak-bags rifled, and cushions ripped,— Even a Methodist hosier's wife Offered the choice of her Money or Life! Highwayman's manners no less polite, Hoped that their coppers (returned) were right;- Sorry to find the company poor, Hoped next time they'd travel with more ; Plucked them all at his ease, in short:— Sympathy! horror! and wonderment! Hosier's wife led into the Bar; (That's where the best strong waters are!) Followed the tale of the hundred-and-one Ensign (of BRAGG's) made a terrible clangour: But for the Ladies had drawn his hanger! |