John Clare: The Midsummer Cushion :: :: University of Virginia Library

Come push round the glass tis a god in disguise
For riches & joy at its bright bottom lies
What mind is more healthy then his thats at rest
& he that drinks deepest is first to be blest
Though cant may assail us we'll sit at our ease
As her preaching & practice so seldom agrees
She loves what she rails at & soaks in disguise
& sins more then we do in forging up lies

So push round the glass let us live while we may
While joys wings are wetted he can t flye away
The prude he may rail & the vile hypocrite
But a cloak both must have for to make their black white
Good wine needs no bush & day light no pall
Nor a plain honest face need not turn to the wall
So shame not the glass to abuse what we need
But drink & be merry let that be our creed

Then push round the glass & to honour the feast
If we must have a lecture let bacchus be priest
See his wig of vine leaves & his cheeks how they glow
The maxim he gives it behoves us to know
“To do unto others as we'd be done to”
Thats the soul of religion & all we need do
So let cant assail us none cares for her creed
The more she's against us the more we shall speed