Lays and Legends of Ancient Greece, with Other Poems By John Stuart Blackie |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE PATRON OF THE PARISH. |
 | Lays and Legends of Ancient Greece, with Other Poems |  |
334
THE PATRON OF THE PARISH.
The good little King of Yvetôt
The Muse shall ever cherish;
But with your leave, Messieurs, just so
I'm king in my own parish.
It is a land of little kings
This England; and its glory
Must pale, when pale to limbo wings
The pious, ancient Tory.
Let Chartist and Dissenter rave!
This creed I fondly cherish,
There's none the storm-tost ship can save,
But the Patron of the Parish.
The Muse shall ever cherish;
But with your leave, Messieurs, just so
I'm king in my own parish.
It is a land of little kings
This England; and its glory
Must pale, when pale to limbo wings
The pious, ancient Tory.
Let Chartist and Dissenter rave!
This creed I fondly cherish,
There's none the storm-tost ship can save,
But the Patron of the Parish.
Our parson, in his early day,
Taught my smart boys their letters,
And learned, betimes, himself to pay
Due deference to his betters.
He sat so modest, meek, and mum,
While we discussed our claret;
And now he beats the pulpit drum
With decent, sober spirit.
There's danger in a bolting brain;
No youth that's high and airish
A living neat and snug shall gain,
From the Patron of the parish.
Taught my smart boys their letters,
335
Due deference to his betters.
He sat so modest, meek, and mum,
While we discussed our claret;
And now he beats the pulpit drum
With decent, sober spirit.
There's danger in a bolting brain;
No youth that's high and airish
A living neat and snug shall gain,
From the Patron of the parish.
The gospel, when it 'gan to stir,
Was on a vulgar plan quite;
But now we've changed the carpenter
Into the gentleman quite.
To meet some twenty in a garret
They once might deem delectable;
But, now with lords and dukes we star it,
The gospel is RESPECTABLE.
The Church no more is scandalized
By scoffers bold and bearish:
God's gospel now is patronized
By the Patron of the parish.
Was on a vulgar plan quite;
But now we've changed the carpenter
Into the gentleman quite.
To meet some twenty in a garret
They once might deem delectable;
But, now with lords and dukes we star it,
The gospel is RESPECTABLE.
The Church no more is scandalized
By scoffers bold and bearish:
God's gospel now is patronized
By the Patron of the parish.
336
When with my wife to church I go,
So flaunting, gay, and garish,
I hear the flattering murmur flow—
“The Patron of the parish!
And the young squire, how spruce, how trim
He graces his majority;
While on his father's broad hat-brim
Sits visibly AUTHORITY!”
Then, in the gallery's velvet front
We sit so gay and garish;
I well may bear the battle's brunt,
The Patron of the Parish!
So flaunting, gay, and garish,
I hear the flattering murmur flow—
“The Patron of the parish!
And the young squire, how spruce, how trim
He graces his majority;
While on his father's broad hat-brim
Sits visibly AUTHORITY!”
Then, in the gallery's velvet front
We sit so gay and garish;
I well may bear the battle's brunt,
The Patron of the Parish!
A jolly, dapper boy, they say,
The purple Pope in Rome is;
But red and ruddy as the May
The Patron in his home is.
Full many a dainty feast from him
The curate and schoolmaster
Enjoy: their shallow souls do brim;
Their slow thoughts travel faster.
For so it is, and so shall be,
The Church I kindly cherish;
This goodly arch must have a key—
The Patron of the Parish.
The purple Pope in Rome is;
But red and ruddy as the May
The Patron in his home is.
Full many a dainty feast from him
The curate and schoolmaster
Enjoy: their shallow souls do brim;
Their slow thoughts travel faster.
For so it is, and so shall be,
The Church I kindly cherish;
337
The Patron of the Parish.
For truth is ONE; and there must be
One Church, with bell and steeple;
One Law must stamp the Liturgy;
One Patron lead the people.
And every true church has one scope
To check all fiery particles
That would rebel against their Pope—
The law-established Articles!
It is, and shall be so, no doubt,
This creed I fondly cherish,
Religion would die out without
The Patron of the Parish!
One Church, with bell and steeple;
One Law must stamp the Liturgy;
One Patron lead the people.
And every true church has one scope
To check all fiery particles
That would rebel against their Pope—
The law-established Articles!
It is, and shall be so, no doubt,
This creed I fondly cherish,
Religion would die out without
The Patron of the Parish!
| Lays and Legends of Ancient Greece, with Other Poems | |