The Poetical Works of Samuel Butler: With a Life of the Author

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Mitchell, Ames, and White, 1819 - 390 pages

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Page 12 - He'd undertake to prove, by force Of argument, a man's no horse ; He'd prove a buzzard is no fowl, And that a lord may be an owl, A calf an alderman, a goose a justice, And rooks committee-men and trustees.
Page 16 - Or Cerberus himself pronounce A leash of languages at once. This he as volubly would vent As if his stock would ne'er be spent ; And truly to support that charge, He had supplies as vast and large. For he could coin or counterfeit New words, with little or no wit ; Words so debas'd and hard, no stone Was hard enough to touch them on ; And, when with hasty noise he spoke 'em, The ignorant for current took 'em...
Page 15 - For rhetoric, he could not ope His mouth, but out there flew a trope; And when he happened to break off I' th' middle of his speech, or cough, H...
Page 18 - A sect whose chief devotion lies In odd perverse antipathies; In falling out with that or this, And finding somewhat still amiss; More peevish, cross, and splenetic, Than dog distract, or monkey sick; That with more care keep holy-day The wrong, than others the right way, Compound for sins they are inclin'd to, By damning those they have no mind to...
Page 19 - Freewill they one way disavow, Another, nothing else allow ; All piety consists therein In them, in other men all sin ; Rather than fail, they will defy That which they love most tenderly : Quarrel with minced pies, and disparage Their best and dearest friend, plum-porridge ; Fat pig and goose itself oppose, And blaspheme custard through the nose. Th' apostles of this fierce religion, Like Mahomet's, were ass and widgeon.
Page 10 - When hard words, jealousies, and fears, Set folks together by the ears, And made them fight, like mad or drunk, For Dame Religion as for punk, Whose honesty they all durst swear for, Though not a man of them knew wherefore: When gospel-trumpeter surrounded, With long-eared rout to battle sounded, And pulpit, drum ecclesiastic. Was beat with fist, instead of a stick; Then did Sir Knight abandon dwelling, And out he rode a-colonelling.
Page 352 - He that complies against his will, Is of his own opinion still ; Which he may adhere to, yet disown, For reasons to himself best known...
Page 186 - Not far from hence doth dwell A cunning man, hight Sidrophel, That deals in destiny's dark counsels, And sage opinions of the moon sells ; To whom all people, far and near, On deep importances repair ; When brass and pewter hap to stray, And linen slinks out of the way ; When geese and pullen are...
Page 16 - Altho' by woful proof we find They always leave a scar behind. He knew the seat of paradise, Could tell in what degree it lies ; And, as he was dispos'd, could prove it Below the moon, or else above it.
Page 113 - Not to be forfeited in battle. If he that in the field is slain Be in the bed of honour lain, He that is beaten may be said To lie in honour's truckle-bed. For as we see th...

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