02 Sep 98 - 04:50 PM (#36827)
Subject: LYR ADD: (Old, sad story)
From: Bruce O.
The Loves of the Plants [c 1825]
Air-"Said a Smile to a Tear".
A hair-bell one day, To a jonquil did say,
(The sun beaming bright in spring weather)
Let's off to yon bower, And beguile half an hour,
In amorous pastime together.
The blushing jonquil, At first took it ill,
That to her he such language should use, sir;
But at last (silly plant!), Overcome by his cant,
Cried, "I cannot your offer refuse, sir." Of her fatal consent, She soon had to repent,
She had, sure as mutton is mutton;
For in less than a year, The jonquil, it is clear,
Lay in of a bachelor's button!
Jonquil had a brother, Who made a sad pother,
Crying, "Oh! my dear sister betray'd is;"
And he swore that the law, Should redress this faux-pas,
Of the harebell,-- a Turk 'mongst the ladies.
Then away he did trudge, To a cauliflower judge,
And to him did the sad tale relate;
Taking pains to describe, That the whole jonquil tribe,
Were involved in his sister's hard fate. Here the grave magistrate, Shook his wig on his pate,
And vowed that the fuss he'd soon settle,
So he ha'd and hem'd, And the hare-bell condemned,
To marry a prudish old nettle!
Now in Blackfriars-road, There is seen an abode,
For girls who at times have been frisky,
And twas there that he sent, The jonquil to repent,
Where she revels, talks slang, and drinks whisky.
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