The poetical works of Samuel Butler, with life and critical diss. by G. Gilfillan, the text ed. by C.C. Clarke

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Page 8 - For he was of that stubborn crew Of errant saints, whom all men grant To be the true church militant ; Such as do build their faith upon The holy text of pike and gun ; Decide all controversies by Infallible artillery ; And prove their doctrine orthodox By apostolic blows and knocks...
Page 9 - Compound for sins they are inclined to, By damning those they have no mind to...
Page 4 - twixt south and south-west side ; On either which he would dispute, Confute, change hands, and still confute : 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 6 - In Mathematics he was greater Than Tycho Brahe, or Erra Pater: For he, by geometric scale, Could take the size of pots of ale; Resolve, by sines and tangents straight, If bread or butter wanted weight; And wisely tell what hour o' th' day The clock does strike, by Algebra.
Page 8 - To be the true Church militant ; Such as do build their faith upon The holy text of pike and gun, Decide all controversies by Infallible artillery, And prove their doctrine orthodox By apostolic blows and knocks ; Call fire and sword and desolation A godly, thorough reformation, Which always must be carried on, And still be doing, never done : As if religion were intended For nothing else but to be mended...
Page 9 - Free-will 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 minc'd pies, and disparage Their best and dearest friend, plum-porridge; Fat pig and goose itself oppose, And blaspheme custard through the nose. Th...
Page 2 - And styled of war as well as peace. (So some rats of amphibious nature Are either for the land or water.) But here our authors make a doubt Whether he were more wise or stout.
Page 15 - But still his tongue ran on, the less Of weight it bore, with greater ease ; And, with its everlasting clack, Set all men's ears upon the rack. No sooner could a hint appear, But up he started to...
Page 7 - For loyalty is still the same Whether it win or lose the game ; True as the dial to the sun, Although it be not shin'd upon.
Page 14 - This sword a dagger had, his page, That was but little for his age...

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