The Home Book of Verse — Volume 4
What did the dark-haired Iberian laugh at before the tall blonde Aryan drove him into the corners of Europe? —Brander Matthews
I am an ancient Jest! Palaeolithic man In his arboreal nest The sparks of fun would fan; My outline did he plan, And laughed like one possessed, 'Twas thus my course began, I am a Merry Jest!
I am an early Jest! Man delved, and built, and span; Then wandered South and West The peoples Aryan, I journeyed in their van; The Semites, too, confessed,— From Beersheba to Dan,— I am a Merry Jest!
I am an ancient Jest! Through all the human clan, Red, black, white, free, oppressed, Hilarious I ran! I'm found in Lucian, In Poggio, and the rest, I'm dear to Moll and Nan! I am a Merry Jest!
ENVOY Prince, you may storm and ban— Joe Millers are a pest, Suppress me if you can! I am a Merry Jest!
Yes; I write verses now and then, But blunt and flaccid is my pen, No longer talked of by young men As rather clever: In the last quarter are my eyes, You see it by their form and size; Is it not time then to be wise? Or now or never.
Fairest that ever sprang from Eve! While Time allows the short reprieve, Just look at me! would you believe 'Twas once a lover? I cannot clear the five-bar gate; But, trying first its timber's state, Climb stiffly up, take breath, and wait To trundle over.
Through gallopade I cannot swing The entangling blooms of Beauty's spring: I cannot say the tender thing, Be't true or false, And am beginning to opine Those girls are only half-divine Whose waists yon wicked boys entwine In giddy waltz.
I fear that arm above that shoulder; I wish them wiser, graver, older, Sedater, and no harm if colder, And panting less. Ah! people were not half so wild In former days, when, starchly mild, Upon her high-heeled Essex smiled The brave Queen Bess.
Under the lindens lately sat A couple, and no more, in chat; I wondered what they would be at Under the lindens.
I saw four eyes and four lips meet, I heard the words, How sweet! how sweet! Had then the Fairies given a treat Under the lindens?
Burton Egbert Stevenson
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Edited by Burton Egbert Stevenson
Contents
PART IV
FAMILIAR VERSE, AND POEMS HUMOROUS AND SATIRIC
BALLADE OF THE PRIMITIVE JEST
THE KINDLY MUSE
TIME TO BE WISE
UNDER THE LINDENS
ADVICE
TO FANNY
"I'D BE A BUTTERFLY"
"I'M NOT A SINGLE MAN"
TO——
THE VICAR
THE BELLE OF THE BALL-ROOM
THE FINE OLD ENGLISH GENTLEMAN
A TERNARIE OF LITTLES, UPON A PIPKIN OF JELLY SENT TO A LADY
CHIVALRY AT A DISCOUNT
THE BALLAD OF BOUILLABAISSE
TO MY GRANDMOTHER
MY MISTRESS'S BOOTS
A GARDEN LYRIC
MRS. SMITH
THE SKELETON IN THE CUPBOARD
A TERRIBLE INFANT
COMPANIONS
DOROTHY Q
MY AUNT
THE LAST LEAF
CONTENTMENT
THE BOYS
THE JOLLY OLD PEDAGOGUE
ON AN INTAGLIO HEAD OF MINERVA
THALIA
PAN IN WALL STREET
UPON LESBIA—ARGUING
TO ANTHEA, WHO MAY COMMAND HIM ANYTHING
THE EIGHT-DAY CLOCK
A PORTRAIT
"OLD BOOKS ARE BEST"
IMPRESSION
"WITH STRAWBERRIES"
BALLADE OF LADIES' NAMES
TO A PAIR OF EGYPTIAN SLIPPERS
WITHOUT AND WITHIN
"SHE WAS A BEAUTY"
NELL GWYNNE'S LOOKING-GLASS
MIMNERMUS IN CHURCH
CLAY
AUCASSIN AND NICOLETE
PROVENCAL LOVERS
ON THE HURRY OF THIS TIME
"GOOD-NIGHT, BABETTE!"
A DIALOGUE FROM PLATO
THE LADIES OF ST. JAMES'S
THE CURE'S PROGRESS
A GENTLEMAN OF THE OLD SCHOOL
ON A FAN
"WHEN I SAW YOU LAST, ROSE"
URCEUS EXIT
A CORSAGE BOUQUET
TWO TRIOLETS
THE BALLAD OF DEAD LADIES
BALLADE OF DEAD LADIES
A BALLAD OF DEAD LADIES
IF I WERE KING
A BALLADE OF SUICIDE
CHIFFONS!
ENVOY
THE COURT HISTORIAN
MISS LOU
THE POET AND THE WOOD-LOUSE
STUDENTS
"ONE, TWO, THREE!"
THE CHAPERON
"A PITCHER OF MIGNONETTE"
OLD KING COLE
THE MASTER MARINER
A ROSE TO THE LIVING
A KISS
BIFTEK AUX CHAMPIGNONS
EVOLUTION
A REASONABLE AFFLICTION
A MORAL IN SEVRES
ON THE FLY-LEAF OF A BOOK OF OLD PLAYS
THE TALENTED MAN
A LETTER OF ADVICE
A NICE CORRESPONDENT
HER LETTER
A DEAD LETTER
THE NYMPH COMPLAINING FOR THE DEATH OF HER FAWN
ON THE DEATH OF A FAVORITE CAT, DROWNED IN A TUB OF GOLD FISHES
VERSES ON A CAT
EPITAPH ON A HARE
ON THE DEATH OF MRS. THROCKMORTON'S BULLFINCH
AN ELEGY ON A LAP-DOG
MY LAST TERRIER
GEIST'S GRAVE
"HOLD"
THE BARB OF SATIRE
THE VICAR OF BRAY
THE LOST LEADER
ICHABOD
WHAT MR. ROBINSON THINKS
THE DEBATE IN THE SENNIT
THE MARQUIS OF CARABAS
A MODEST WIT
JOLLY JACK
THE KING OF BRENTFORD
NONGTONGPAW
THE LION AND THE CUB
THE HARE WITH MANY FRIENDS
THE SYCOPHANTIC FOX AND THE GULLIBLE RAVEN
THE FRIEND OF HUMANITY AND THE KNIFE-GRINDER
VILLON'S STRAIGHT TIP TO ALL CROSS COVES
VILLON'S BALLADE
A LITTLE BROTHER OF THE RICH
THE WORLD'S WAY
FOR MY OWN MONUMENT
THE BISHOP ORDERS HIS TOMB AT SAINT PRAXED'S CHURCH
UP AT A VILLA—DOWN IN THE CITY
ALL SAINTS'
AN ADDRESS TO THE UNCO GUID, OR THE RIGIDLY RIGHTEOUS
THE DEACON'S MASTERPIECE, OR THE WONDERFUL "ONE-HOSS SHAY"
BALLADE OF A FRIAR
THE CHAMELEON
THE BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT
THE PHILOSOPHER'S SCALES
THE MAIDEN AND THE LILY
THE OWL-CRITIC
THE BALLAD OF IMITATION
THE CONUNDRUM OF THE WORKSHOPS
THE V-A-S-E
HEM AND HAW
MINIVER CHEEVY
THEN AG'IN
A CONSERVATIVE
SIMILAR CASES
MAN AND THE ASCIDIAN
THE CALF-PATH
WEDDED BLISS
PARADISE: A HINDOO LEGEND
AD CHLOEN, M. A.
"AS LIKE THE WOMAN AS YOU CAN"
"NO FAULT IN WOMEN"
"ARE WOMEN FAIR?"
A STRONG HAND
WOMEN'S LONGING
TRIOLET
THE FAIR CIRCASSIAN
THE FEMALE PHAETON
THE LURE
THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES
THE WOMAN WITH THE SERPENT'S TONGUE
SUPPOSE
TOO CANDID BY HALF
FABLE
WOMAN'S WILL
WOMAN'S WILL
PLAYS
THE REMEDY WORSE THAN THE DISEASE
THE NET OF LAW
COLOGNE
EPITAPH ON CHARLES II
CERTAIN MAXIMS OF HAFIZ
A BAKER'S DUZZEN UV WIZE SAWZ
EPIGRAMS
WRITTEN ON A LOOKING-GLASS
AN EPITAPH
ON THE ARISTOCRACY OF HARVARD
ON THE DEMOCRACY OF YALE
A GENERAL SUMMARY
THE MIMICS
AN OMAR FOR LADIES
"WHEN LOVELY WOMAN"
FRAGMENT IN IMITATION OF WORDSWORTH
ONLY SEVEN
LUCY LAKE
JANE SMITH
FATHER WILLIAM
THE NEW ARRIVAL
DISASTER
'TWAS EVER THUS
A GRIEVANCE
"NOT A SOU HAD HE GOT"
THE WHITING AND THE SNAIL
THE RECOGNITION
THE HIGHER PANTHEISM IN A NUTSHELL
THE WILLOW-TREE
POETS AND LINNETS
THE JAM-POT
BALLAD
Part I
Part II
THE POSTER-GIRL
AFTER DILETTANTE CONCETTI
IF
NEPHELIDIA
COMMONPLACES
THE PROMISSORY NOTE
MRS. JUDGE JENKINS
THE MODERN HIAWATHA
HOW OFTEN
"IF I SHOULD DIE TO-NIGHT"
SINCERE FLATTERY
CULTURE IN THE SLUMS
THE POETS AT TEA
WORDSWORTH
Edited by Burton Egbert Stevenson
Contents
Edited by Burton Egbert Stevenson
Edited by Burton Egbert Stevenson
Edited by Burton Egbert Stevenson
Edited by Burton Egbert Stevenson
Contents