The Works of John Hall-Stevenson ... Corrected and Enlarged. With Several Original Poems, Now First Printed, and Explanatory Notes. In Three Volumes |
 | I. |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
|
|
|
| I. |
| II. |
FABLE II. The DOCTOR and STUDENT.
|
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| II. |
|
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
| XIX. |
| XX. |
| XXI. |
| XXII. |
| XXIII. |
| XXIV. |
| XXV. |
| XXVI. |
|
| III. |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
|
| IV. |
| I. |
|
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
|
 | The Works of John Hall-Stevenson |  |
194
FABLE II. The DOCTOR and STUDENT.
A lobster, by a strange mistake,
Scrap'd an acquaintance with a Snake;
To learn his suppleness and arts,
He boarded at the serpent's house;
Lobsters have not the quickest parts,
Arm'd cap-a-pee without much νους.
Scrap'd an acquaintance with a Snake;
To learn his suppleness and arts,
He boarded at the serpent's house;
Lobsters have not the quickest parts,
Arm'd cap-a-pee without much νους.
The Doctor, not the least afraid,
Although he knew, Lob was audacious;
Long'd much to try what could be made
Out of a head-piece so testaceous;
All that a soldier can possess
He oft repeated with a smile,
With strength and courage, is address,
In other words a little guile;
As yet you are but raw, I see,
Though far beyond your A B C;
The best advice that I can give,
A sentiment for Kings to drink;
Let every one, not only live
According to his rank, but think.
You have a comprehensive mind,
Lobsters ought not to think like oisters;
They were not made to be confin'd,
And spend their days like them in cloisters;
To stand when they should stir and bustle,
Gaping and studying like a muscle.
Cadmus preferr'd, in all his lectures,
Facts and experience to conjectures;
Lobsters, by an instinctive force,
Act selfishly, without design;
Their feelings commonly are coarse,
Their honour always superfine.
Unfeeling, resolute, and cool,
But tutor'd in the serpent lore,
Lob grew, by taking pains at school,
Ten times more selfish than before;
Serpentine doubts and conscious fear
Were hourly whispering in his ear,
“That friend of yours so dark and sly,
“Will sacrifice you in the end;
“Bravely exert yourself and try
“To be before-hand with your friend.”
'Twas what he often try'd, but found,
Instead of gaining, he lost ground;
Perhaps his brain was too much strain'd,
Too weak to hold all it contain'd;
So through some little crack or chink
His plots were smelt, and soon detected;
Like snuffers cramm'd, that, by their stink,
Betray the snuffs they have collected.
But time and fortitude at last
Paid him for all his patience past;
One day he enter'd without rapping,
And caught the wary Cadmus napping:
Lob scarce could credit what he saw,
Finding him coil'd, and fast asleep,
Fatigued with meditations deep,
He choak'd his master with his claw.—
Now ponder well, and be severe,
Look sharp for some smart application;
'Twill fit both Commoner and Peer,
If you have any provocation;
Whether a Courtier, Statesman, or a Cit,
Throughout you'll find some famous Biter bit.
Although he knew, Lob was audacious;
Long'd much to try what could be made
Out of a head-piece so testaceous;
All that a soldier can possess
He oft repeated with a smile,
With strength and courage, is address,
In other words a little guile;
As yet you are but raw, I see,
Though far beyond your A B C;
195
A sentiment for Kings to drink;
Let every one, not only live
According to his rank, but think.
You have a comprehensive mind,
Lobsters ought not to think like oisters;
They were not made to be confin'd,
And spend their days like them in cloisters;
To stand when they should stir and bustle,
Gaping and studying like a muscle.
Cadmus preferr'd, in all his lectures,
Facts and experience to conjectures;
Lobsters, by an instinctive force,
Act selfishly, without design;
Their feelings commonly are coarse,
Their honour always superfine.
Unfeeling, resolute, and cool,
But tutor'd in the serpent lore,
Lob grew, by taking pains at school,
Ten times more selfish than before;
Serpentine doubts and conscious fear
Were hourly whispering in his ear,
196
“Will sacrifice you in the end;
“Bravely exert yourself and try
“To be before-hand with your friend.”
'Twas what he often try'd, but found,
Instead of gaining, he lost ground;
Perhaps his brain was too much strain'd,
Too weak to hold all it contain'd;
So through some little crack or chink
His plots were smelt, and soon detected;
Like snuffers cramm'd, that, by their stink,
Betray the snuffs they have collected.
But time and fortitude at last
Paid him for all his patience past;
One day he enter'd without rapping,
And caught the wary Cadmus napping:
Lob scarce could credit what he saw,
Finding him coil'd, and fast asleep,
Fatigued with meditations deep,
He choak'd his master with his claw.—
Now ponder well, and be severe,
Look sharp for some smart application;
197
If you have any provocation;
Whether a Courtier, Statesman, or a Cit,
Throughout you'll find some famous Biter bit.
| The Works of John Hall-Stevenson | |