For in her house was Alex Russ,
Oft him they ey’d with fear;
For Alex was a lazy hound,
And kept a Russian Bear.
Her fourth was a man of grace,
And was for heaven bent;
His name was Pious William,
Guided by his testament.
Her fifth, too, was a pious Knave,
And ’tis our firm belief,
He once did rob the Hungary Lads
Of their honest bread and beef.
These were Dame Europe’s deputies,
In whom she put her trust,
To keep her lodging house at peace,
In case eruption burst.
For many a time a row took place,
While sharing out the scran;
But John and Louis soon stepp’d in,
And cleared the padding can.
Once Alex Russ’s father Nick,
A bit before he died,
Seized a little Turk one day,
And thought to warm his hide.
But John and Louis soon stepp’d in,
Declaring it foul play;
And made old Nick remember it
Until his dying day.
Now all Dame Europe’s deputies,
They made themselves at home;
And every lodger knew his bed,
Likewise his sitting room.
They took great interest in their beds,
And kept them very clean;
Unlike some other padding cans,
So dirty and so mean.
But Louis had the nicest bed,
Of any of the lot;
And being close by a window,
He loved a flower pot.