Читать книгу Terrible Tractoration, and Other Poems онлайн

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We set our hat and wig on fire;

And that he’ll bet us ten to one

We shall be scorch’d like Phaeton.

Then I and Clio, as the case is,

Must now resume our former places;

But still, to keep up our renown,

We ride a “gairish sun-beam” down!

And now once more, in humble station,

We’ll jog along in plain narration;

And tollutate o’er turnpike path,[71]

To view the conjuring crew at Bath.

Behold! great Haygarth and his corps[72]

Of necromancers, just a score,

Enter the drear abodes of pain,

Like death of old and horrid train!

He comes! he comes! good heaven defend us!

With magic rites, and things tremendous!

With such as served the witch of Endor

To make the powers of hell surrender!

Now draws full many a magic circle;

Now stamps, and foams, and swears meherc’le!

As old Canidia used to mutter once,

Just as her demon gave her utterance!

Now tells each trembling bed-rid zany

Terrific tales of one Galvani;

How Franklin kept, to make folks wonder,

A warehouse full of bottled thunder!

Thus Shakspeare’s Macbeth’s wicked witches