Alexander Pope: Minor poems Edited by Norman Ault: Completed by John Butt |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
VERSES Occasion'd by an &c. at the End of
Mr. D'Urfy's Name in the Title to one of his Plays.
|
| I. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 | Alexander Pope: Minor poems |  |
85
VERSES Occasion'd by an &c. at the End of Mr. D'Urfy's Name in the Title to one of his Plays.
Jove call'd before him t'other Day
The Vowels, U, O, I, E, A,
All Dipthongs, and all Consonants,
Either of England or of France;
And all that were, or wish'd to be,
Rank'd in the Name of Tom D'Urfy.
The Vowels, U, O, I, E, A,
All Dipthongs, and all Consonants,
Either of England or of France;
And all that were, or wish'd to be,
Rank'd in the Name of Tom D'Urfy.
86
Fierce in this Cause, the Letters spoke all,
Liquids grew rough, and Mutes turn'd vocal:
Those four proud Syllables alone
Were silent, which by Fates Decree
Chim'd in so smoothly, one by one,
To the sweet Name of Tom D'Urfy.
Liquids grew rough, and Mutes turn'd vocal:
Those four proud Syllables alone
Were silent, which by Fates Decree
Chim'd in so smoothly, one by one,
To the sweet Name of Tom D'Urfy.
N, by whom Names subsist, declar'd,
To have no Place in this was hard:
And Q maintain'd 'twas but his Due
Still to keep Company with U;
So hop'd to stand no less than he
In the great Name of Tom D'Urfy.
To have no Place in this was hard:
And Q maintain'd 'twas but his Due
Still to keep Company with U;
So hop'd to stand no less than he
In the great Name of Tom D'Urfy.
E shew'd, a Comma ne'er could claim
A Place in any British Name;
Yet making here a perfect Botch,
Thrusts your poor Vowell from his Notch:
Hiatus mî valde deflendus!
From which good Jupiter defend us!
Sooner I'd quit my Part in thee,
Than be no Part in Tom D'Urfy.
A Place in any British Name;
Yet making here a perfect Botch,
Thrusts your poor Vowell from his Notch:
Hiatus mî valde deflendus!
From which good Jupiter defend us!
Sooner I'd quit my Part in thee,
Than be no Part in Tom D'Urfy.
P protested, puff'd, and swore,
He'd not be serv'd so like a Beast;
He was a Piece of Emperor,
And made up half a Pope at least.
C vow'd, he'd frankly have releas'd
His double Share in Cæsar Caius,
For only one in Tom Durfeius.
He'd not be serv'd so like a Beast;
87
And made up half a Pope at least.
C vow'd, he'd frankly have releas'd
His double Share in Cæsar Caius,
For only one in Tom Durfeius.
I, Consonant and Vowel too,
To Jupiter did humbly sue,
That of his Grace he would proclaim
Durfeius his true Latin Name;
For tho' without them both, 'twas clear,
Himself could ne'er be Jupiter;
Yet they'd resign that Post so high,
To be the Genitive, Durfei.
To Jupiter did humbly sue,
That of his Grace he would proclaim
Durfeius his true Latin Name;
For tho' without them both, 'twas clear,
Himself could ne'er be Jupiter;
Yet they'd resign that Post so high,
To be the Genitive, Durfei.
B and L swore Bl--- and W---s
X and Z cry'd, P*x and Z---s
G swore, by G*d, it ne'er should be;
And W would not lose, not he,
An English Letter's Property,
In the great Name of Tom Durfy.
X and Z cry'd, P*x and Z---s
G swore, by G*d, it ne'er should be;
And W would not lose, not he,
An English Letter's Property,
In the great Name of Tom Durfy.
In short, the rest were all in Fray,
From Christcross to Et cætera.
They, tho' but Standers-by too, mutter'd;
Dipthongs, and Tripthongs, swore and stutter'd,
That none had so much Right to be
Part of the Name of stuttering T—
T—Tom—a—as—De—Dur—fe—fy.
From Christcross to Et cætera.
They, tho' but Standers-by too, mutter'd;
88
That none had so much Right to be
Part of the Name of stuttering T—
T—Tom—a—as—De—Dur—fe—fy.
Then Jove thus spake: With Care and Pain
We form'd this Name, renown'd in Rhyme;
Not thine, Immortal Neufgermain!
Cost studious Cabalists more Time.
Yet now, as then, you all declare,
Far hence to Egypt you'll repair,
And turn strange Hieroglyphicks there;
Rather than Letters longer be,
Unless i'th' Name of Tom D'Urfy.
We form'd this Name, renown'd in Rhyme;
Not thine, Immortal Neufgermain!
Cost studious Cabalists more Time.
Yet now, as then, you all declare,
Far hence to Egypt you'll repair,
And turn strange Hieroglyphicks there;
Rather than Letters longer be,
Unless i'th' Name of Tom D'Urfy.
Were you all pleas'd, yet what I pray,
To foreign Letters cou'd I say?
What if the Hebrew next should aim
To turn quite backward D'Urfy's Name?
Should the Greek quarrel too, by Styx, I
Cou'd ne'er bring in Psi and Xi;
Omicron and Omega from us
Wou'd each hope to be O in Thomas;
And all th'ambitious Vowels vie,
No less than Pythagorick Y,
To have a Place in Tom D'Urfy.
To foreign Letters cou'd I say?
What if the Hebrew next should aim
To turn quite backward D'Urfy's Name?
Should the Greek quarrel too, by Styx, I
Cou'd ne'er bring in Psi and Xi;
Omicron and Omega from us
Wou'd each hope to be O in Thomas;
And all th'ambitious Vowels vie,
No less than Pythagorick Y,
To have a Place in Tom D'Urfy.
89
Then, well-belov'd and trusty Letters!
Cons'nants! and Vowels, (much their betters,)
WE, willing to repair this Breach,
And, all that in us lies, please each;
Et cæt'ra to our Aid must call,
Et cæt'ra represents ye all:
Et cæt'ra therefore, we decree,
Henceforth for ever join'd shall be
To the great Name of Tom Durfy.
Cons'nants! and Vowels, (much their betters,)
WE, willing to repair this Breach,
And, all that in us lies, please each;
Et cæt'ra to our Aid must call,
Et cæt'ra represents ye all:
Et cæt'ra therefore, we decree,
Henceforth for ever join'd shall be
To the great Name of Tom Durfy.
| Alexander Pope: Minor poems | |