His honour, proudly free, severely merry,

Conceived it would be vastly fine

To crack a joke upon his secretary.

“Young man,” he said, “by what art, craft, or trade

Did your good father gain a livelihood?”

“He was a saddler, sir,” Modestus said,

“And in his time was reckoned good.”

“A saddler, eh? and taught you Greek,

Instead of teaching you to sew!

Pray, why did not your father make