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Cologne
IN Köln, a town of monks and bones, | |
| And pavements fanged with murderous stones, | |
| And rags, and hags, and hideous wenches,— | |
| I counted two-and-seventy stenches, | |
| All well-defined and several stinks! | 5 |
| Ye nymphs that reign o’er sewers and sinks, | |
| The river Rhine, it is well known, | |
| Doth wash your city of Cologne; | |
| But tell me, nymphs! what power divine | |
| Shall henceforth wash the river Rhine? | 10 |
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| SLY Beelzebub took all occasions | |
| To try Job’s constancy and patience. | |
| He took his honor, took his health; | |
| He took his children, took his wealth, | |
| His servants, oxen, horses, cows— | 15 |
| But cunning Satan did not take his spouse. | |
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| But Heaven, that brings out good from evil, | |
| And loves to disappoint the devil, | |
| Had predetermined to restore | |
| Twofold all he had before; | 20 |
| His servants, horses, oxen, cows— | |
| Short-sighted devil, not to take his spouse! | |
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| HOARSE Mævius reads his hobbling verse | |
| To all, and at all times, | |
| And finds them both divinely smooth, | 25 |
| His voice as well as rhymes. | |
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| Yet folks say Mævius is no ass; | |
| But Mævius makes it clear | |
| That he ’s a monster of an ass,— | |
| An ass without an ear! | 30 |
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| SWANS sing before they die,—’t were no bad thing | |
| Did certain persons die before they sing. | |
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