The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore Collected by Himself. In Ten Volumes |
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 | The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore |  |
236
FABLE.
The wise men of Egypt were secret as dummies;
And, ev'n when they most condescended to teach,
They pack'd up their meaning, as they did their mummies,
In so many wrappers, 'twas out of one's reach.
And, ev'n when they most condescended to teach,
They pack'd up their meaning, as they did their mummies,
In so many wrappers, 'twas out of one's reach.
They were also, good people, much given to Kings—
Fond of craft and of crocodiles, monkeys and mystery;
But blue-bottle flies were their best belov'd things—
As will partly appear in this very short history.
Fond of craft and of crocodiles, monkeys and mystery;
But blue-bottle flies were their best belov'd things—
As will partly appear in this very short history.
A Scythian philosopher (nephew, they say,
To that other great traveller, young Anacharsis,)
Stept into a temple at Memphis one day,
To have a short peep at their mystical farces.
To that other great traveller, young Anacharsis,)
Stept into a temple at Memphis one day,
To have a short peep at their mystical farces.
He saw
a
brisk blue-bottle Fly on an altar,
Made much of, and worshipp'd, as something divine;
While a large, handsome Bullock, led there in a halter,
Before it lay stabb'd at the foot of the shrine.
Made much of, and worshipp'd, as something divine;
237
Before it lay stabb'd at the foot of the shrine.
Surpris'd at such doings, he whisper'd his teacher—
“If 'tisn't impertinent, may I ask why
“Should a Bullock, that useful and powerful creature,
“Be thus offer'd up to a blue-bottle Fly?”
“If 'tisn't impertinent, may I ask why
“Should a Bullock, that useful and powerful creature,
“Be thus offer'd up to a blue-bottle Fly?”
“No wonder”—said t'other—“you stare at the sight,
“But we as a Symbol of Monarchy view it—
“That Fly on the shrine is Legitimate Right,
“And that Bullock, the People, that's sacrific'd to it.”
“But we as a Symbol of Monarchy view it—
“That Fly on the shrine is Legitimate Right,
“And that Bullock, the People, that's sacrific'd to it.”
| The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore | |