Poems By William Walsham How ... New and Enlarged Edition |
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The Three Pundits.
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69
The Three Pundits.
A Bishop, a Dean, and a Canon, they say,
Were discussing a difficult passage one day.
Were discussing a difficult passage one day.
Said the Canon, ‘I rather
‘Agree with a father,
‘And fancy I see
‘A profound mystery,
‘Which confutes, when unravelled, with stringent austerity
‘Modern impugners of Catholic verity.’
‘Agree with a father,
‘And fancy I see
‘A profound mystery,
‘Which confutes, when unravelled, with stringent austerity
‘Modern impugners of Catholic verity.’
Said the Dean, ‘It is clear
‘There's a knotty point here;
‘And I really can't say
‘That I quite see my way:
‘The Germans no doubt
‘Have found it all out:
‘Ah no! But the Canon is wrong, I am sure;
‘So it's best, as we find it, to leave it—obscure.’
‘There's a knotty point here;
‘And I really can't say
‘That I quite see my way:
‘The Germans no doubt
‘Have found it all out:
70
‘So it's best, as we find it, to leave it—obscure.’
Said the Bishop, ‘To me
‘The solutions seem three,
‘Which I'll call a, b, c.
‘In favour of a
‘There is much to say;
‘Something for b,
‘And a little for c.
‘Against a I find
‘Reasons strong to my mind;
‘But by stronger ones yet
‘B and c are both met.
‘And so when the three I impartially weigh,
‘I'm disposed to give in my adhesion to a.’
‘The solutions seem three,
‘Which I'll call a, b, c.
‘In favour of a
‘There is much to say;
‘Something for b,
‘And a little for c.
‘Against a I find
‘Reasons strong to my mind;
‘But by stronger ones yet
‘B and c are both met.
‘And so when the three I impartially weigh,
‘I'm disposed to give in my adhesion to a.’
It was thus that the Canon
Patristical ran on;
It was thus that the Dean
Halted doubting between;
It was thus that the Bishop
The meaning did fish up:
It was thus that Dean, Canon, and Bishop, they say,
Discussed that most difficult passage one day.
Patristical ran on;
It was thus that the Dean
Halted doubting between;
It was thus that the Bishop
The meaning did fish up:
It was thus that Dean, Canon, and Bishop, they say,
Discussed that most difficult passage one day.
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