'No' cried the staring Monarch with a grin, 'How, how the devil got the apple in ?' Reader, thou likest not my tale-look'st blue- I tell thee, roaring infidel, 'tis true. Why should it not be true? the greatest men it: Folly lays many a trap--we can't escape Then why not Kings, like me and other sages? VENUS OF THE NEEDLE. By William Allingham, an American journalist, and author of a volume of poems. O MARYANNE, you pretty girl, Of sempstresses the pink and pearl, Those eyes, for ever drooping, give For once unveil them fairly. - Hast thou not lent that flounce enough Of looks so long and earnest? Lo, here's more 'penetrable stuff,' To which you never turnest. Ye graceful fingers, deftly sped! How slender, and how nimble ! How blest the youth whom love shall bring, And happy stars embolden, To change the dome into a ring, The silver into golden! Who'll steal some morning to her side Who'll watch her sew her wedding-gown, Who 'll taste those ripenings of the south, The fragrant and delicious Don't put the pins into your mouth, O Maryanne, my precious! I almost wish it were my trust To quit this tempting lattice. Sure aim takes Cupid, fluttering foe, A needle for his arrow ! THE PRINTER'S DEVIL'S WORK. This humorous parody on Porson's 'Devil's Walk,' vide p. 31, originally appeared in the Comic Magazine. To Printing-house Square, at close of day, And over the leader, and over the news, And pray, what did the Devil do? And first, just to keep his hand in play, 1 In allusion to the supposed vacillating tactics of The Times. But the Devil he very soon finish'd the job, And came to a regular stand; When, for the want of some better employment, In a 'Robbery' he had a hand. He set up a joke by W-1; But thinking it couldn't be meant, The Devil smiled; for he headed it 'A serious Accident.' A speech of the Marquis of L.'s came next, So the Devil took pity, and headed it But then the young Devil bethought himself,— He might in an error fall; For a speech such as that, he clearly saw, He then had a speech of H -t's to do, Where, mirabile dictu! a word or Two of his Latin Mr. H. recollected; And he called that a 'Horrible Murder.' A joke too, by C- -r, came into his hands, To be Cr's own; so he headed it 'Extraordinary Longevity.' However, he thought, at a heading like that, He set up a leading article, on The advantage 'twould be to the nation, A speech on Reform too by W-1 he did ;--- And so far from the purpose, he headed it The debate on Pluralities next he composed; peers An extract from Satan Montgomery's poems He puts it among A speech of St. P. 1 was his next job; But it was too much for the elf, And he was unable to set up the speech, For he couldn't set up himself. |