Peter Faultless to his brother Simon :: :: University of Virginia Library

Then all said—what they had to say;
And all shook hands with William Bray,
Save Jacob, who, in drink profound,
Lay stretch'd out huge along the ground.

189

To earth, and earth's love reconcil'd,
The broken heart of Harry smil'd,
Through tears, like those which saints in heaven
Shed to behold a foe forgiven.
It was, indeed, a glorious wedding!
Charles, all on fire to write upon it,
Swore 'twas a subject for a sonnet,
And, bard-like, in his haste to write,
Forgot to wish his love good night;
But Nancy stay'd to see the bedding.
And learnedly the learn'd have shown
The stocking then, once more, was thrown:
And ancient Night relax'd her brow,
And felt, 'tis said, she scarce knew how,
While, with her grey tongue's watery tip,
She lick'd her greenish gums and lip;
And clapp'd her glasses on her nose,
Right loath a sight o' th' fun to lose;
And stoop'd, and star'd, with twinkling eye,
And crisp'd with smiles her cheek awry,
Like crumpled dish-clout laid to dry,

190

And squeez'd her thumb, with gripe uncouth,
And broke her blue and only tooth;
Then thought, like many a matron staid,
Of many a prank that love had play'd,
In times gone by, beneath her shade;
Forgot her crutch, her age, her pain,
And liv'd her young years o'er again.