A worthy priest he was, and a stout -
You've seldom looked on such a one;
For, though he fasted thrice in a week,
Yet nevertheless his skin was sleek;
His waist it spanned two yards about,
And he weighed a score of stone.

A worthy priest for fasting and prayer,
And mortification most deserving,
And as for preaching, beyond compare ;

He'd exert his powers for three or four hours,
With greater pith than Sidney Smith,

Or the Reverend Edward Irving.

He was the prior of Saint Sophia,

(A Cockney rhyme, but no better I know)

Of St. Sophia, that church in Kiow,

Built by missionaries I can't tell when;

Who by their discussions converted the Russians,
And made them Christian men.

VI.

Sainted Sophia (so the legend vows)

Of Saint Sophia of
Kioff; and how her

statue miraculously
travelled thither.

With special favor did regard this house;
And to uphold her convert's new devotion,
(Her statue needing but her legs for her ship)
Walks of itself across the German ocean;
And of a sudden perches

In this the best of churches,

Whither all Kiovites come and pay it grateful worship.

Thus with her patron saints and pious preachers,

Recorded here in catalogue precise,

A goodly city, worthy magistrates,

You would have thought in all the Russian states
The citizens the happiest of all creatures,

The town itself a perfect Paradise.

VIII.

No, alas! this well-built city

Was in a perpetual fidget;
For the Tartars, without pity,
Did remorselessly besiege it.

Certain wicked Cossacks did besiege it,

Murdering the citizens,

Tartars fierce, with swords and sabres,
Huns and Turks, and such as these,
Envied much their peaceful neighbors
By the blue Borysthenes.

Down they came, these ruthless Russians,
From their steppes, and woods, and

fens,

For to levy contributions

On the peaceful citizens.

Winter, Summer, Spring, and Autumn,
Down they came to peaceful Kioff,
Killed the burghers when they caught

'em,

If their lives they would not buy off.

Until they agreed Till the city, quite confounded

to pay a tribute

yearly.

How they paid the tribute, and then suddenly refused it,

By the ravages they made,

Humbly with their chief compounded,
And a yearly tribute paid;

Which (because their courage lax was)

They discharged while they were able; Tolerated thus the tax was,

Till it grew intolerable.

And the Calmuc envoy sent,

As before, to take their dues all,

Got, to his astonishment,

A unanimous refusal !

"Men of Kioff!" thus courageous

Did the stout lord-mayor har-
angue them,

To the wonder of the Cossack envoy.

Of a mighty gallant speech

"Wherefore pay these sneaking wages

To the hectoring Russians? hang them!

"Hark! I hear the awful cry of

Our forefathers in their graves;

'Fight, ye citizens of Kioff!

Kioff was not made for slaves.'

That the lord-mayor made,

"All too long have ye betrayed her; Exhorting the

Rouse, ye men and aldermen,

Send the insolent invader -

Send him starving back again!

99

burghers to pay no

longer.

IX.

He spoke and he sat down; the people of their thanks and

of the town,

Who were fired with a brave em

heroic resolves.

ulation,

They dismiss the

envoy, and set

about drilling.

Now rose with one accord, and voted

thanks unto the lord

Mayor for his oration:

The envoy they dismissed, never placing in his fist

So much as a single shilling;

And all with courage fired, as his lordship he desired,

At once set about their drilling.

Of the city guard: Then every city ward established a guard, viz., militia, draDiurnal and nocturnal;

goons, and bum

madiers, and their Militia volunteers, light dragoons and

commanders.

bombardiers,

With an alderman for colonel.

There was muster and roll-calls, and repairing city walls,

And filling up of fosses :

Of the majors and And the captains and the majors, so gallant

captains,

and courageous,

A-riding about on their hosses.

The fortifications To be guarded at all hours they built

and artillery.

themselves watch-towers,

With every tower a man on;