Digital Paxton: Digital Collection, Critical Edition, and Teaching Platform

A Battle! A Battle! - 11

Unless thee get some faithful Friend,
Who will his kind assistance lend,
And none more ready is than I,
His plastic faculty to try.
To whom the queen—Thy words are civil,
And sure, thy actions can’t be evil,
  This said, he needs no more to woo her,
But without saying grace, falls to her.
The deed perform’d, (how great, how strange
‘Twixt ‘fore and after is the change!)
He views her in a different light,
Disdains her duds, and woful plight;
And (what’s not wonderful to tell)
The Bears Grease warm’d, offends his smell.
The wanton goat forsook his face,
Which you at other times might trace:
Nor did that proud disdainful Sneer,
In any feature now appear.
  But now, alas! what's to be done?
His watch is gone, as sure’s a gun!
For while he did this clever job,
She div’d her hand into his fob,
An thence most cleanly did convey
His watch of gold, as people say.
In vain he searches here and there,
For it was thrust—the Lord knows where.
He storms, he raves, (some say he swore)
And call’d her stinking nasty whore;
Thee impudent! Thee saucy huzzy!
Whilst I rub’d up thy tuzzy muzzy
Thee stol’st my watch!—The Squaw replies,
With anger in her voice and eyes;
Why ail this noise and silly pother?
Does not one trick deserve another?
  He who means harm, harm often catches,
He who makes noses, may make watches.
MORAL.—By this see ‘tis just and fit,
  The biter always shou’d be bit.

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