Full slowly pacing o’er the stones,
With caution and good heed.
But finding soon a smoother road
Beneath his well-shod feet,
The snorting beast began to trot,
Which galled him in his seat.
So “Fair and Softly,” John he cried,
But John he cried in vain;
That trot became a gallop soon,
In spite of curb and rein.