The Poetical Works of the Ingenious and Learned William Meston ... The Sixth edition |
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 | The Poetical Works of the Ingenious and Learned William Meston |  |
The old goodman, in his high seat,
Began to feel the sultry heat;
Then from his chair he starts, and looks
On earth all in a flame; “Godzooks!
‘Said Jupiter, what means the matter?
‘Go ring the fire-bells, and bring water.”
With Mercury, for loitering, quarrels,
Began to feel the sultry heat;
Then from his chair he starts, and looks
On earth all in a flame; “Godzooks!
‘Said Jupiter, what means the matter?
‘Go ring the fire-bells, and bring water.”
With Mercury, for loitering, quarrels,
But fiend a drop was in his barrels.
Then up the fire-fork he did snatch,
And ties to it a fiery match;
“Mad coach-man now, quoth he, have at you,
‘ I hope the father who begat you
‘Will pardon me, if to the devil
‘I send you, to prevent this evil.”
The bolt he levels with his eye,
And shoots it point-blank through the sky,
Which, whizzing through the air, flies down,
And knocks the coach-boy on the crown,
And drives him lifeless from the car,
Down tumbling like a shooting star.
Then up the fire-fork he did snatch,
And ties to it a fiery match;
“Mad coach-man now, quoth he, have at you,
‘ I hope the father who begat you
‘Will pardon me, if to the devil
‘I send you, to prevent this evil.”
The bolt he levels with his eye,
And shoots it point-blank through the sky,
Which, whizzing through the air, flies down,
And knocks the coach-boy on the crown,
And drives him lifeless from the car,
Down tumbling like a shooting star.
The steeds, affrighted with the crack,
And flash of lightning, started back,
And pull'd their necks out of the yoke,
The harness and coach-wheels they broke;
The beam lies broke, the coach all shatter'd,
The harness here and there was scatter'd;
So here's an end of this fine story,
Judge ye if Phoebus was not sorry.
And flash of lightning, started back,
And pull'd their necks out of the yoke,
The harness and coach-wheels they broke;
The beam lies broke, the coach all shatter'd,
The harness here and there was scatter'd;
136
Judge ye if Phoebus was not sorry.
So have we seen, with armed heel,
A wight bestride a commonweal,
To drive, with fury, a carreer
Like Jehu, without wit or fear,
Spurring and switching, whip in hand,
O'er head in ears in quagmire land.
A wight bestride a commonweal,
To drive, with fury, a carreer
Like Jehu, without wit or fear,
Spurring and switching, whip in hand,
O'er head in ears in quagmire land.
Ludere qui nescit, campestribus abstinet armis;
Ne spissæ risum tollant impune coronæ.
Ne spissæ risum tollant impune coronæ.
| The Poetical Works of the Ingenious and Learned William Meston | |