With meanings now scarcely detectable;

You may wallow in saturnine spite,

You may flounder in flatulent flummery;

Be sombre as poet Young's "Night,"

And dry as a Newspaper "Summary";

As rude as a yowling Yahoo,

As chill as a volume of Chitty;

But oh, Sir, whatever you do,

You must not be witty!

Plod on through the sand-wastes of Fact,