The Humourous Poetry of the English Language

219
Particularly in a storm,
Where, if they find no brandy to get drunk,
Their souls are in a miserable funk,
Then vow they to th' Almighty to reform,
If in His goodness only once, once more,
He'll suffer them to clap a foot on shore.
In calms, indeed, or gentle airs,
They ne'er on weekdays pester heaven with prayers
For 'tis among the Jacks a common saying,
"Where there's no danger, there's no need of praying."
One Sunday morning all were met
To hear the parson preach and pray,
All but a boy, who, willing to forget
That prayers were handing out, had stolen away,
And, thinking praying but a useless task,
Had crawled to take a nap, into a cask.
The boy was soon found missing, and full soon
The boatswain's cat, sagacious smelt him out,
Gave him a clawing to some tune--
This cat's a cousin Germam to the Knout
"Come out, you skulking dog," the boatswain cried,
"And save your d---d young sinful soul."
He then the moral-mending cat applied,
And turned him like a badger from his hole
Sulky the boy marched on, and did not mind him,
Altho' the boatswain flogging kept behind him
"Flog," cried the boy, "flog--curse me, flog away--
I'll go--but mind--G--d d--n me if I'll PRAY."
BIENSEANCE
PETER PINDAR.
There is a little moral thing in France,
Called by the natives bienseance,