Who would suppose thy gifts sometimes obdurate?)

Gave him, to lay the Devil who looks o'er Lincoln,[800]

A fat fen vicarage, and nought to think on.

LXXXIII.

His jokes were sermons, and his sermons jokes;

But both were thrown away amongst the fens;

For Wit hath no great friend in aguish folks.[OD]

No longer ready ears and short-hand pens

Imbibed the gay bon-mot, or happy hoax:[OE]