Songs and Verses Social and Scientific: By An old contributor to Maga [i.e. Charles Neaves]: Fourth Edition, Enlarged |
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THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES.
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1
THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES.
A NEW SONG.
Have you heard of this question the Doctors among,
Whether all living things from a Monad have sprung?
This has lately been said, and it now shall be sung,
Which nobody can deny.
Whether all living things from a Monad have sprung?
This has lately been said, and it now shall be sung,
Which nobody can deny.
Not one or two ages sufficed for the feat,
It required a few millions the change to complete;
But now the thing's done, and it looks rather neat,
Which nobody can deny.
It required a few millions the change to complete;
But now the thing's done, and it looks rather neat,
Which nobody can deny.
2
The original Monad, our great-great-grandsire,
To little or nothing at first did aspire;
But at last to have offspring it took a desire,
Which nobody can deny.
To little or nothing at first did aspire;
But at last to have offspring it took a desire,
Which nobody can deny.
This Monad becoming a father or mother,
By budding or bursting, produced such another;
And shortly there followed a sister or brother,
Which nobody can deny.
By budding or bursting, produced such another;
And shortly there followed a sister or brother,
Which nobody can deny.
Excrescences fast were now trying to shoot;
Some put out a finger, some put out a foot;
Some set up a mouth, and some sent down a root,
Which nobody can deny.
Some put out a finger, some put out a foot;
Some set up a mouth, and some sent down a root,
Which nobody can deny.
Some, wishing to walk, manufactured a limb;
Some rigged out a fin, with a purpose to swim;
Some opened an eye, some remained dark and dim,
Which nobody can deny.
Some rigged out a fin, with a purpose to swim;
Some opened an eye, some remained dark and dim,
Which nobody can deny.
Some creatures grew bulky, while others were small,
As nature sent food for the few or for all;
And the weakest, we know, ever go to the wall,
Which nobody can deny.
As nature sent food for the few or for all;
And the weakest, we know, ever go to the wall,
Which nobody can deny.
3
A deer with a neck that was longer by half
Than the rest of its family's (try not to laugh),
By stretching and stretching, became a Giraffe,
Which nobody can deny.
Than the rest of its family's (try not to laugh),
By stretching and stretching, became a Giraffe,
Which nobody can deny.
A very tall pig, with a very long nose,
Sends forth a proboscis quite down to his toes;
And he then by the name of an Elephant goes,
Which nobody can deny.
Sends forth a proboscis quite down to his toes;
And he then by the name of an Elephant goes,
Which nobody can deny.
The four-footed beast that we now call a Whale,
Held its hind-legs so close that they grew to a tail,
Which it uses for threshing the sea like a flail,
Which nobody can deny.
Held its hind-legs so close that they grew to a tail,
Which it uses for threshing the sea like a flail,
Which nobody can deny.
Pouters, fantails, and tumblers are from the same source;
The racer and hack may be traced to one Horse:
So Men were developed from monkeys, of course,
Which nobody can deny.
The racer and hack may be traced to one Horse:
So Men were developed from monkeys, of course,
Which nobody can deny.
An Ape with a pliable thumb and big brain,
When the gift of the gab he had managed to gain,
As a Lord of Creation established his reign,
Which nobody can deny.
When the gift of the gab he had managed to gain,
As a Lord of Creation established his reign,
Which nobody can deny.
4
But I'm sadly afraid, if we do not take care,
A relapse to low life may our prospects impair;
So of beastly propensities let us beware,
Which nobody can deny.
A relapse to low life may our prospects impair;
So of beastly propensities let us beware,
Which nobody can deny.
Their lofty position our children may lose,
And, reduced to all-fours, must then narrow their views
Which would wholly unfit them for filling our shoes,
Which nobody can deny.
And, reduced to all-fours, must then narrow their views
Which would wholly unfit them for filling our shoes,
Which nobody can deny.
Their vertebræ next might be taken away,
When they'd sink to an oyster, or insect, some day,
Or the pitiful part of a polypus play,
Which nobody can deny.
When they'd sink to an oyster, or insect, some day,
Or the pitiful part of a polypus play,
Which nobody can deny.
Thus losing Humanity's nature and name,
And descending through varying stages of shame,
They'd return to the Monad, from which we all came,
Which nobody can deny.
And descending through varying stages of shame,
They'd return to the Monad, from which we all came,
Which nobody can deny.
May 1861.
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