Sirs, give what credit to the lie you can!

For me, no word in my defence I speak,

And God shall argue for the lady!"

So

Did I stand question, and make answer, still

With the same result of smiling disbelief,

Polite impossibility of faith

In such affected virtue in a priest;

But a showing fair play, an indulgence, even,

To one no worse than others after all—