Middlesex Magistrates, Mud-Salad Market,

Crass commentaries on Shakespearian quartos.

And all earth’s ills, from Furnivall to toothache,

When that himself he might his gruel give

In half a jiffy? Who’d put up with it,

But for the thought of worse things turning up

In the Micawber Limbo—By-and-by?

Quite so! ’Tis bother, doubt, hope, fear, cant, gush.

The fads of noodles and of nincompoops,

Fogging the brain and flooring common sense,