Читать книгу The Humorous Poetry of the English Language; from Chaucer to Saxe - Various - Страница 67

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Peter lasheth the Ladies.—He turneth Story-teller.—Peter grieveth.

Although the ladies with such beauty blaze,

They very frequently my passion raise—

Their charms compensate, scarce, their want of TASTE.

Passing amidst the Exhibition crowd,

I heard some damsels FASHIONABLY loud;

And thus I give the dialogue that pass'd.

"Oh! the dear man!" cried one, "look! here's a bonnet!

He shall paint ME—I am determin'd on it—

Lord! cousin, see! how beautiful the gown!

What charming colors! here's fine lace, here's gauze!

What pretty sprigs the fellow draws!

Lord, cousin! he's the cleverest man in town!"

"Ay, cousin," cried a second, "very true—

And here, here's charming green, and red, and blue!

There's a complexion beats the ROUGE of Warren!

See those red lips; oh, la! they seem so nice!

What rosy cheeks then, cousin, to entice!—

Compar'd to this, all other heads are carrion.

"Cousin, this limner quickly will be seen,

Painting the Princess Royal, and the Queen:

Pray, don't you think as I do, COZ?

But we 'll be painted FIRST that POZ."

Such was the very PRETTY conversation

That pass'd between the PRETTY misses,

While unobserv'd, the glory of our nation,

Close by them hung Sir Joshua's matchless pieces

Works! that a Titian's hand could form alone—

Works! that a Reubens had been proud to own.

Permit me, ladies, now to lay before ye

What lately happen'd—therefore a true story:—