Verse > Anthologies > The World’s Best Poetry > Vol. IX. Tragedy: Humor
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Bliss Carman, et al., eds.  The World’s Best Poetry.
Volume IX. Tragedy: Humor.  1904.
 
Humorous Poems: I. Woman
Of a Certaine Man
Sir John Harrington (1561–1612)
 
THERE was (not certaine when) a certaine preacher,
That never learned, and yet became a teacher,
Who having read in Latine thus a text
Of erat quidam homo, much perplext,
He seemed the same with studie great to scan,        5
In English thus, There was a certaine man.
But now (quoth he), good people, note you this,
He saith there was, he doth not say there is;
For in these daies of ours it is most plaine
Of promise, oath, word, deed, no man ’s certaine;        10
Yet by my text you see it comes to passe
That surely once a certaine man there was:
  But yet, I think, in all your Bible no man
  Can finde this text, There was a certaine woman.
 
 
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