The Humourous Poetry of the English Language

423
His shadow o'er his brow, and slipp'd aside--
So nimbly slipp'd, that the vain NOBBER pass'd
Through empty air; and He, so high, so vast,
Who dealt the stroke, came thundering to the ground
Not B--CK--GH--M himself, with bulkier sound,
Uprooted from the field of Whiggish glories,
Fell SOUSE, of late, among the astonish'd Tories!
Instant the RING was broke, and shouts and yells
From Trojan FLASHMEN and Sicilian SWELLS
Fill'd the wide heaven--while, touch'd with grief to see
His PAL, [Footnote: Friend] well-known through many a LARK and SPREE,
[Footnote: Party of pleasure and frolic]
Thus RUMLY FLOOR'D, the kind ACESTES ran,
And pitying raised from earth the GAME old man,
Uncow'd, undamaged to the SPORT he came,
His limbs all muscle, and his soul all flame.
The memory of his MILLING glories past,
The shame that aught but death should see him GRASS'D,
All fired the veteran's PLUCK--with fury flush'd,
Full on his light-limb'd CUSTOMER he rush'd--
And HAMMERING right and left, with ponderous swing,
RUFFIAN'D the reeling youngster round the RING--
Nor rest, nor pause, nor breathing-time was given,
But, rapid as the rattling hail from heaven
Beats on the house-top, showers of RANDALL'S SHOT
[Footnote: A favorite blow of THE NONPARIEL'S, so called.]
Around the Trojan's LUGS flew peppering hot!
Till now AENEAS, fill'd with anxious dread,
Rush'd in between them, and, with words well-bred
Preserved alike the peace and DARES' head,
BOTH which the veteran much inclined to BREAK--
Then kindly thus the PUNISH'D youth bespake:
Poor JOHNNY RAW! what madness could impel
So RUM a FLAT to face so PRIME a SWELL?
Sees't thou not, boy, THE FANCY, heavenly Maid,
Herself descends to this great HAMMERER'S aid,
And, singling HIM from all her FLASH adorers,
Shines in his HITS, and thunders in his FLOORERS?
Then, yield thee, youth--nor such a SPOONEY be,
To think mere man can MILL a Deity!"