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From The Humorous Poetry of the English Language from Chaucer to Saxe, with Notes, Explanatory and Biographical, by James Parton; Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1884; p. 538.
538THE COUNTESS OF MANCHESTER
Written on his admission to the Kit-Cat Club, in compliance with the rule that every new member should name his toast, and write a verse in her praise.
WHILE haughty Gallia’s dames, that spread
O’er their pale cheeks an artful red,
Beheld this beauteous stranger there,
In nature’s charms divinely fair;
Confusion in their looks they showed,
And with unborrowed blushes glowed.
TO AN ILL-FAVORED LADY.
[IMITATED FROM MARTIAL.]
While in the dark on thy soft hand I hung,
And heard the tempting syren in thy tongue,
What flames, what darts, what anguish I endured !
But when the candle entered I was cured.
TO A CAPRICIOUS FRIEND.
[IMITATED FROM MARTIAL.]
In all thy humors, whether grave or mellow,
Thou ’rt such a touchy, testy, pleasant fellow ;
Hast so much wit, and mirth, and spleen about thee,
There is no living with thee, nor without thee.
TO A ROGUE.
[IMITATED FROM MARTIAL.]
Thy beard and head are of a different dye :
Short of one foot, distorted in an eye :
With all these tokens of a knave complete,
Should’st thou be honest, thou ’rt a dev’lish cheat.
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