 | Poems, in English, Scotch, and Latin |  |
58
THE HISTORY OF J. B.
OR THE NEW METAMORPHOSIS.
Anser in Hominem.
According to Pythagoras's
Doctrine, some men are chang'd to asses;
Geese too are oft transform'd to men,
And men to geese as oft again.
In proof of this there's B---s our friend,
A friend, tho' never known to lend.
His neck, which, like his purse, is long,
Is now th'occasion of my song.
This neck of his made some rude fellows
Say, he had sure dropt from the gallows.
He to refute such calumnies,
(Which as you'll hear were all damn'd lies)
Relates his wondrous transmigration,
Of which I give you this narration.
He tells how once he was a swan,
How next he was transform'd to man,
How that his collar still retains
Of 'ts ancient form some faint remains.
He next unto his legs appeals,
Six inches scarce 'twixt knee and heels:
And if his hearers start a doubt,
He raises such a noise and rout!
To's trowel feet he points in fury,
Presumptio juris et de jure.
Doctrine, some men are chang'd to asses;
Geese too are oft transform'd to men,
And men to geese as oft again.
In proof of this there's B---s our friend,
A friend, tho' never known to lend.
His neck, which, like his purse, is long,
Is now th'occasion of my song.
This neck of his made some rude fellows
Say, he had sure dropt from the gallows.
59
(Which as you'll hear were all damn'd lies)
Relates his wondrous transmigration,
Of which I give you this narration.
He tells how once he was a swan,
How next he was transform'd to man,
How that his collar still retains
Of 'ts ancient form some faint remains.
He next unto his legs appeals,
Six inches scarce 'twixt knee and heels:
And if his hearers start a doubt,
He raises such a noise and rout!
To's trowel feet he points in fury,
Presumptio juris et de jure.
His story credit gain'd with some,
Others believ'd it all a hum.
The truth had still remain'd in doubt,
Had he not let the secret out:
His vanity lent him a fling,
Nothing would serve him but he'd sing;
He sung the song that stopt the Gauls
When clambering up the Roman walls.
Others believ'd it all a hum.
The truth had still remain'd in doubt,
Had he not let the secret out:
60
Nothing would serve him but he'd sing;
He sung the song that stopt the Gauls
When clambering up the Roman walls.
| Poems, in English, Scotch, and Latin | |