Songs, comic and satyrical By George Alexander Stevens. A new edition, Corrected |
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GIVE THE DEVIL HIS DUE. |
 | Songs, comic and satyrical |  |
163
GIVE THE DEVIL HIS DUE.
There is one thing, my Friends, I must offer to you,
'Tis, Give to Old Nick what to Old Nick is due;
What he owes to us I can venture to say,
Like a dæmon of rank, upon honour he'll pay.
'Tis, Give to Old Nick what to Old Nick is due;
What he owes to us I can venture to say,
Like a dæmon of rank, upon honour he'll pay.
Tho' you smile at my system, and sneer at my song,
His worship's allow'd to be Prince of Bon Ton;
Now thus lies the bus'ness, Sirs, as we're polite,
And practise good manners, pray what is his right?
His worship's allow'd to be Prince of Bon Ton;
Now thus lies the bus'ness, Sirs, as we're polite,
And practise good manners, pray what is his right?
The Devil is in you's a phrase daily us'd,
Yet oft, by such language the Devil's abus'd.
Tho' some hollow hearts may have much room to spare,
The Devil himself wou'd not chuse to dwell there.
Yet oft, by such language the Devil's abus'd.
Tho' some hollow hearts may have much room to spare,
The Devil himself wou'd not chuse to dwell there.
Some people affect with this world to be sick,
And give themselves up in a pet to Old Nick;
Devil fetch me! they cry, but if Satan they knew,
His Honour has much better bus'ness to do.
And give themselves up in a pet to Old Nick;
Devil fetch me! they cry, but if Satan they knew,
His Honour has much better bus'ness to do.
Tho' of Darkness he's King, he's a Prince of the Air,
And with his Infernalship we shou'd deal fair;
The chearful Day's rul'd by the Angel of Light,
And the Devil (Lord bless us) is Monarch of Night.
And with his Infernalship we shou'd deal fair;
The chearful Day's rul'd by the Angel of Light,
And the Devil (Lord bless us) is Monarch of Night.
His torturing spirits around him await,
As watchmen attend on the constable's state;
Those imps of authority sally in shoals,
And pennyless strumpets drag in as damn'd souls.
As watchmen attend on the constable's state;
Those imps of authority sally in shoals,
And pennyless strumpets drag in as damn'd souls.
The hell upon earth, and life's dev'lish disease,
Is poverty sinning, and seiz'd on for fees;
Deep in darkness that dross we call money was hid,
A proof that the use on't to us was forbid.
Is poverty sinning, and seiz'd on for fees;
Deep in darkness that dross we call money was hid,
A proof that the use on't to us was forbid.
164
But Pluto, the Devil's old heathenish name,
Brought it forth from below, as a varnish for shame:
Persuasion, Temptation, attended the gold,
'Till all have been bid for, and few are unsold.
Brought it forth from below, as a varnish for shame:
Persuasion, Temptation, attended the gold,
'Till all have been bid for, and few are unsold.
We are dev'lishly odd, in a dev'lish odd way,
Since bribe as bribe can, there's the Devil to pay;
The Devil of party makes damnable rout,
Tho' the Devil a bit can we tell what about.
Since bribe as bribe can, there's the Devil to pay;
The Devil of party makes damnable rout,
Tho' the Devil a bit can we tell what about.
May Satan seize those who by purchase deceive,
May they take the same road who such things receive;
But may we preserve honest men, tho' they're few,
Export all the rest, give the Devil his due.
May they take the same road who such things receive;
But may we preserve honest men, tho' they're few,
Export all the rest, give the Devil his due.
| Songs, comic and satyrical | |