Make a trench all round with the city muck ; CHORUS. We mean he should roast in the sight of all. IV. Good sappy bavins that kindle forthwith; Larch-heart that chars to a chalk-white glow: Sling him fast like a hog to scorch, Spit in his face, then leap back safe, Sing" Laudes," and bid clap-to the torch. CHORUS. Laus Deo-who bids clap-to the torch. V. John of the Temple, whose fame so bragged, VI. [Here one crosseth himself. Jesus Christ-John had bought and sold, I have roasted thee Turks, though men roast me! Art thou a saviour? Save thou me!" CHORUS. 'Tis John the mocker cries, “ Save thou me!" VII. Who maketh God's menace an idle word? -Saith, it no more means what it proclaims, Than a damsel's threat to her wanton bird?— For she too prattles of ugly names. -Saith, he knoweth but one thing,—what he knows? CHORUS. Oh, John shall yet find a rose, he saith. VIII. Alack, there be roses and roses, John! When Paul once reasoned of righteousness And of temperance and of judgment to come, Good Felix trembled, he could no less: John, snickering, crooked his wicked thumb. CHORUS. What cometh to John of the wicked thumb? IX. Ha, ha! John plucketh now at his rose Anther on anther, sharp spikes outstart; Of a coal-black giant flower of hell! CHORUS. What maketh heaven, That maketh hell. X. So, as John called now, through the fire amain, For the Face, with his daily buffets rife- And his voice, like a mad dog's choking bark, Forth John's soul flared into the dark. SUBJOINETH THE ABBOT DEODAET. God help all poor souls lost in the dark! HOLY-CROSS DAY. ON WHICH THE JEWS WERE FORCED TO ATTEND AN ANNUAL CHRISTIAN SERMON IN ROME. ["Now was come about Holy-Cross Day, and now must my lord preach his first sermon to the Jews: as it was of old cared for in the merciful bowels of the Church, that, so to speak, a crumb, at least, from her conspicuous table here in Rome, should be, though but once yearly, cast to the famishing dogs, under-trampled and bespitten-upon beneath the feet of the guests. And a moving sight in truth, this, of so many of the besotted blind restif and ready-to-perish Hebrews! now maternally brought-nay (for he saith, Compel them to come in'), haled, as it were, by the head and hair, and against their obstinate hearts. to partake of the heavenly grace. What awakening, what striving with tears, what working of a yeasty conscience! Nor was my lord wanting to himself on so apt an occasion; witness the abundance of conversions which did incontinently reward him; though not to my lord be altogether the glory."-Diary by the Bishop's Secretary, 1600.] What the Jews really said, on thus being driven to church, was rather to this effect. I. FEE, faw, fum! bubble and squeak ! Blessedest Thursday's the fat of the week. Stinking and savory, smug and gruff, Take the church-road, for the bell's due chime II. Boh, here's Barnabas! Job, that's you ? Fair play's a jewel! Leave friends in the lurch? III. Higgledy piggledy, packed we lie, Hist! square shoulders, settle your thumbs IV. Bow, wow, wow-a bone for the dog! I liken his Grace to an acorned hog. What, a boy at his side, with the bloom of a lass, Didst ever behold so lithe a chine? His cheek hath laps like a fresh-singed swine. V. Aaron's asleep-shove hip to haunch, Or somebody deal him a dig in the paunch! Look at the purse with the tassel and knob, Now you've his courtesy-and what comes next? VI. See to our converts-you doomed black dozen- You five, that were thieves, deserve it fairly; You seven, that were beggars, will live less sparely : You took your turn and dipped in the hat, Got fortune-and fortune gets you; mind that! VII. Give your first groan--compunction's at work; VIII. Whom now is the bishop a-leering at? To meddle no more with the worst of trades: IX. Groan all together now, whee-hee-hee ! It's a-work, it's a-work, ah, woe is me! It began, when a herd of us, picked and placed, To usher in worthily Christian Lent. X. It grew, when the hangman entered our bounds, Which gutted my purse, would throttle my creed: Men I helped to their sins, help me to their God. XI. But now, while the scapegoats leave our flock, Since forced to muse the appointed time XII. For Rabbi Ben Ezra, the night he died, And spoke, "This world has been harsh and strange ; Something is wrong: there needeth a change. But what, or where? at the last or first? In one point only we sinned, at worst. XIII. “The Lord will have mercy on Jacob yet, The stranger-seed shall be joined to them: 66 XIV. Ay, the children of the chosen race Shall carry and bring them to their place: In the land of the Lord shall lead the same, XV. "God spoke, and gave us the word to keep: Though near upon cock-crow we keep it yet. XVI. "Thou! if thou wast he, who at mid-watch came, By the starlight, naming a dubious name! And if, too heavy with sleep-too rash With fear-O thou, if that martyr-gash Fell on thee, coming to take thine own, And we gave the Cross, when we owed the Throne— XVII. "Thou art the Judge. We are bruised thus. But, the judgment over, join sides with us! |