 | The Works of Thomas Love Peacock |  |
87
LEVI MOSES
Sed quò divitias hæc per tormenta coactas?
Cum furor haud dubius, cum sit manifesta phrenesis
Ut locuples moriaris egenti vivere fato?
Juv.
Cum furor haud dubius, cum sit manifesta phrenesis
Ut locuples moriaris egenti vivere fato?
Juv.
Ma name'sh Levi Moshesh: I tink I vash born,
Dough I cannot exactly remember,
In Roshemary-Lane, about tree in de morn,
Shome time in de mont of November.
Ma fader cried “clothesh,” trough de shtreetsh ash he vent,
Dough he now shleeping under de shtone ish,
He made by hish bargains two hundred per shent,
And dat vay he finger'd de monish.
Dough I cannot exactly remember,
In Roshemary-Lane, about tree in de morn,
Shome time in de mont of November.
Ma fader cried “clothesh,” trough de shtreetsh ash he vent,
Dough he now shleeping under de shtone ish,
He made by hish bargains two hundred per shent,
And dat vay he finger'd de monish.
Ma fader vash vise: very great vash hish shenshe:
De monish he alvaysh vash turning:
And early he taught me poundsh, shillingsh, and penshe;
“For,” shaysh he, “dat ish all dat'sh vorth learning.
Ash to Latin and Greek, 'tish all nonshenshe, I shay,
Vhich occasion to shtudy dere none ish;
But shtick closhe to Cocker, for dat ish de vay,
To teach you to finger de monish.”
De monish he alvaysh vash turning:
And early he taught me poundsh, shillingsh, and penshe;
“For,” shaysh he, “dat ish all dat'sh vorth learning.
Ash to Latin and Greek, 'tish all nonshenshe, I shay,
Vhich occasion to shtudy dere none ish;
But shtick closhe to Cocker, for dat ish de vay,
To teach you to finger de monish.”
88
To a shtock-broker den I apprentishe vash bound,
Who hish monish lov'd very shinsherely;
And, trough hish inshtructions, I very shoon found,
I ma bushinesh knew pretty clearly.
Shaysh he: “cheat a little: 'tish no shuch great crime,
Provided it cleverly done ish:”
Sho I cleverly cheated him every time
I could manage to finger hish monish.
Who hish monish lov'd very shinsherely;
And, trough hish inshtructions, I very shoon found,
I ma bushinesh knew pretty clearly.
Shaysh he: “cheat a little: 'tish no shuch great crime,
Provided it cleverly done ish:”
Sho I cleverly cheated him every time
I could manage to finger hish monish.
And den I shet up for a broker mashelf,
And Fortune hash shmil'd on my laborsh;
I've minded de main-chanshe, and shcrap'd up de pelf,
And ruin'd von half of ma neighboursh.
If any von cash on goot bondsh vould obtain,
Very shoon ready for him de loan ish;
And about shent per shent ish de int'resht I gain,
And dat vay I finger de monish.
And Fortune hash shmil'd on my laborsh;
I've minded de main-chanshe, and shcrap'd up de pelf,
And ruin'd von half of ma neighboursh.
If any von cash on goot bondsh vould obtain,
Very shoon ready for him de loan ish;
And about shent per shent ish de int'resht I gain,
And dat vay I finger de monish.
To part vit ma monish I alvaysh vash loth;
For ma table no daintiesh I dish up:
I dine on two eggsh, and I shup on de broth,
But I feasht vonsh a veek like a bishop!
Ev'ry Shaturday night, on a grishkin of pork
I regale bote mashelf and ma croniesh;
And I play on de grishkin a goot knife and fork,
Dough dat runsh avay vit de monish!
For ma table no daintiesh I dish up:
I dine on two eggsh, and I shup on de broth,
But I feasht vonsh a veek like a bishop!
Ev'ry Shaturday night, on a grishkin of pork
I regale bote mashelf and ma croniesh;
And I play on de grishkin a goot knife and fork,
Dough dat runsh avay vit de monish!
To de presheptsh ma fader inshtill'd in ma mind
I have ever been conshtant and shteady:
To learning or pleasure I ne'er vash inclin'd,
For neider vould bring in de ready.
And into ma pocketsh de monish to bring
Ma perpetual shtudy alone ish,
For de monish indeed ish a very goot ting,
Oh, a very goot ting ish de monish!
I have ever been conshtant and shteady:
89
For neider vould bring in de ready.
And into ma pocketsh de monish to bring
Ma perpetual shtudy alone ish,
For de monish indeed ish a very goot ting,
Oh, a very goot ting ish de monish!
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