The political and occasional poems of Winthrop Mackworth Praed Edited, with notes, by Sir George Young |
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 | The political and occasional poems of Winthrop Mackworth Praed |  |
279
L. A FAMILIAR EPISTLE.
FROM DUDLEY TO EDINBURGH.
“Look, here comes a lover of mine, and a lover of hers.”—As You
Like It.
Sir John is a terrible man,
He is born pretty towns to beguile;
Beware—oh beware—if you can,
Of the magic that lurks in his smile:
Though soft his entreaties may be,
I've heard him as tenderly sue:
For he used to come courting to me,
As now he goes courting to you.
He is born pretty towns to beguile;
Beware—oh beware—if you can,
Of the magic that lurks in his smile:
Though soft his entreaties may be,
I've heard him as tenderly sue:
For he used to come courting to me,
As now he goes courting to you.
280
A tricolor banner he bore
To render his principles plain;
A tricolor ribbon he wore;
He'll probably wear it again.
With his conduct, I quickly could see,
His colours had little to do;
But oh! they were lovely to me,
And oh! they'll be lovely to you.
To render his principles plain;
A tricolor ribbon he wore;
He'll probably wear it again.
With his conduct, I quickly could see,
His colours had little to do;
But oh! they were lovely to me,
And oh! they'll be lovely to you.
He taught me, the villain, to hope,
Such blessings as eye never saw;
Cheap raiment, cheap victuals, cheap soap,
Cheap learning, cheap churches, cheap law.
You'd have thought that he spoke for a fee,
So moving his eloquence grew;
The arts that could fascinate me—
Oh will they not fascinate you?
Such blessings as eye never saw;
Cheap raiment, cheap victuals, cheap soap,
Cheap learning, cheap churches, cheap law.
You'd have thought that he spoke for a fee,
So moving his eloquence grew;
The arts that could fascinate me—
Oh will they not fascinate you?
He promised the people his aid,
He gave it to Althorp and Grey;
A Radical here while he stayed,
A Whig when he trotted away.
He swore that the Press should be free,
And straight an indictment he drew;
A sad disappointment to me,
A sad disappointment to you!
He gave it to Althorp and Grey;
A Radical here while he stayed,
A Whig when he trotted away.
He swore that the Press should be free,
And straight an indictment he drew;
A sad disappointment to me,
A sad disappointment to you!
281
But take him; a seat must be had
For Mr. Attorney, no doubt:
Do take him; Lord Althorp is sad
While his learned adviser is out.
Since “off with the old love” is he,
It's time to be “on with the new;”
Detected, rejected by me,
Pray take him—I leave him to you!
For Mr. Attorney, no doubt:
Do take him; Lord Althorp is sad
While his learned adviser is out.
Since “off with the old love” is he,
It's time to be “on with the new;”
Detected, rejected by me,
Pray take him—I leave him to you!
| The political and occasional poems of Winthrop Mackworth Praed | |