THE FIVE BELLES.
"My own blue belle, my pretty blue belle,"
How deeply in love with thee I fell!
And graciously you receiv'd my suit,
While digging away at a Hebrew root:
But ah! you us'd me wondrous shabby,
To turn me off for a Jewish Rabbi.
My next fair belle was a lively dame;
But I found if I dar'd to advance my claim,
And ventur'd to marry the lovely Bel,
I should take to my arms the Dragon as well.
For such an event I was too old a stager,
So I yielded her up to a triple Bob Major.
Now belle the third was a charming belle,
Who many a tale of love could tell;
But just as I thought that "constancy
Was only another name for she,"
Away she ran with an Irish fellow,
And basely proved a horrida Bella.
The belle my fancy next did choose
Stood six feet high in her low-heel'd shoes;
But when I took courage my tale to tell,
My Belle Sauvage prov'd a savage belle.
I didn't much mind her being a strapper,
But I couldn't endure her terrible clapper.
But belle the fifth was the belle for me;
I was charm'd by her sweet taciturnity.
To ring this belle I a wish possess'd,
But dumb bells always open the chest,
Which made me fear she'd get to the till,
And so, alas! I'm a bachelor still.