Page:The poetical works of Thomas Campbell.djvu/271
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Name but the devil, and he'll appear.Old Satan in a trice was near,With smutty face and figure:But spotless spirits of the skies,Unseen to e'en his saucer eyes,Could watch the fiendish nigger.
"Halloo!" he cried, "I smell a trick:A mortal supersedes Old Nick,The scourge of earth appointed:He robs me of my trade, outrantsThe blasphemy of hell, and vauntsHimself the Lord's anointed.
Folks make a fuss about my mischief:D—d fools, they tamely suffer this chiefTo play his pranks unbounded."The cherubs flew; but saw from high,At human inhumanity,The devil himself astounded.
SENEX'S SOLILOQUY ON HIS YOUTHFUL IDOL.
Platonic friendship at your years,Says Conscience, should content ye:Nay, name not fondness to her ears,The darling's scarcely twenty.
Yes, and she'll loathe me unforgiven,To dote thus out of season;But beauty is a beam from heaven,That dazzles blind our reason.