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<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=418934" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>The Splendid Shilling</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">-- -- Sing, Heavenly Muse, <br>Things unattempted yet in Prose or Rhime, <br>A Shilling, Breeches, and Chimera's Dire. </div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> Happy the Man, who void of Cares and Strife,<br> In Silken, or in Leathern Purse retains <br> A Splendid Shilling: He nor hears with Pain <br> New Oysters cry'd, nor sighs for chearful Ale; <br> But with his Friends, when nightly Mists arise, <br> To Juniper's, Magpye, or Town-Hall repairs: <br> Where, mindful of the Nymph, whose wanton Eye <br> Transfix'd his Soul, and kindled Amorous Flames, <br> Chloe, or Phillis; he each Circling Glass <br> Wisheth her Health, and Joy, and equal Love. <br> Mean while he smoaks, and laughs at merry Tale, <br> Or Pun ambiguous, or Conundrum quaint. <br> But I, whom griping Penury surrounds, <br> And Hunger, sure Attendant upon Want, <br> With scanty Offals, and small acid Tiff <br> (Wretched Repast!) my meagre Corps sustain: <br> Then Solitary walk, or doze at home <br> In Garret vile, and with a warming puff <br> Regale chill'd Fingers; or from Tube as black <br> As Winter-Chimney, or well-polish'd Jet, <br> Exhale Mundungus, ill-perfuming Scent: <br> Not blacker Tube, nor of a shorter Size <br> Smoaks Cambro-Britain (vers'd in Pedigree, <br> Sprung from Cadwalader and Arthur, Kings <br> Full famous in Romantic tale) when he <br> O'er many a craggy Hill, and barren Cliff, <br> Upon a Cargo of fam'd Cestrian Cheese, <br> High over-shadowing rides, with a design <br> To vend his Wares, or at th' Arvonian Mart, <br> Or Maridunum, or the ancient Town <br> Eclip'd Brechinia, or where Vaga's Stream <br> Encircles Ariconium, fruitful Soil, <br> Whence flow Nectareous Wines, that well may vye <br> With Massic, Setin, or renown'd Falern. </div><div style="margin:10px 0"> Thus while my joyless Minutes tedious flow <br> With Looks demure, and silent Pace, a Dunn, <br> Horrible Monster! hated by Gods and Men, <br> To my aerial Citadel ascends; <br> With Vocal Heel thrice thund'ring at my Gates, <br> With hideous Accent thrice he calls; I know <br> The Voice ill-boding, and the solemn Sound. <br> What shou'd I do? or whither turn? amaz'd, <br> Confounded, to the dark Recess I fly <br> Of Woodhole; strait my bristling Hairs erect <br> Thrô sudden Fear; a chilly Sweat bedews <br> My shud'ring Limbs, and (wonderful to tell!) <br> My Tongue forgets her Faculty of Speech; <br> So horrible he seems! his faded Brow <br> Entrench'd with many a Frown, and Conic Beard, <br> And spreading Band, admir'd by Modern Saints, <br> Disastrous Acts forebode; in his Right Hand <br> Long Scrolls of Paper solemnly he waves, <br> With Characters, and Figures dire inscrib'd <br> Grievous to mortal Eyes; (ye Gods avert <br> Such Plagues from righteous Men!) behind him stalks <br> Another Monster, not unlike himself, <br> Sullen of Aspect, by the Vulgar call'd <br> A Catchpole, whose polluted Hands the Gods <br> With Force incredible, and Magick Charms <br> Erst have indu'd, if he his ample Palm <br> Should haply on ill-fated Shoulder lay <br> Of Debtor, strait his Body, to the Touch <br> Obsequious, (as whilom Knights were wont) <br> To some enchanted Castle is convey'd, <br> Where Gates impregnable, and coercive Chains <br> In Durance strict detain him, 'till in form <br> Of Mony, Pallas sets the Captive free. </div><div style="margin:10px 0"> Beware, ye Debtors, when ye walk beware, <br> Be circumspect; oft with insidious Ken <br> This Caitif eyes your Steps aloof, and oft <br> Lies perdue in a Nook or gloomy Cave, <br> Prompt to enchant some inadvertent wretch <br> With his unhallow'd Touch. So (Poets sing) <br> Grimalkin to Domestick Vermin sworn <br> An everlasting Foe, with watchful Eye, <br> Lyes nightly brooding o'er a chinky gap, <br> Protending her fell Claws, to thoughtless Mice <br> Sure Ruin. So her disembowell'd Web <br> Arachne in a Hall, or Kitchin spreads, <br> Obvious to vagrant Flies: She secret stands <br> Within her woven Cell; the Humming Prey, <br> Regardless of their Fate, rush on the toils <br> Inextricable, nor will aught avail <br> Their Arts, nor Arms, nor Shapes of lovely Hue; <br> The Wasp insidious, and the buzzing Drone, <br> And Butterfly proud of expanded wings <br> Distinct with Gold, entangled in her Snares, <br> Useless Resistance make: With eager strides, <br> She tow'ring flies to her expected Spoils; <br> Then with envenom'd Jaws the vital Blood <br> Drinks of reluctant Foes, and to her Cave <br> Their bulky Carcasses triumphant drags. </div><div style="margin:10px 0"> So pass my Days. But when Nocturnal Shades <br> This World invelop, and th' inclement Air <br> Persuades Men to repel benumming Frosts, <br> With pleasant Wines, and crackling blaze of Wood; <br> Me Lonely sitting, nor the glimmering Light <br> Of Make-weight Candle, nor the joyous Talk <br> Of loving Friend delights; distress'd, forlorn, <br> Amidst the horrors of the tedious Night, <br> Darkling I sigh, and feed with dismal Thoughts <br> My anxious Mind; or sometimes mournful Verse <br> Indite, and sing of Groves and Myrtle Shades, <br> Or desperate Lady near a purling Stream, <br> Or Lover pendent on a Willow-Tree: <br> Mean while I Labour with eternal Drought, <br> And restless Wish, and Rave; my parched Throat <br> Finds no Relief, nor heavy Eyes Repose: <br> But if a Slumber haply does Invade <br> My weary Limbs, my Fancy's still awake, <br> Thoughtful of Drink, and Eager in a Dream, <br> Tipples Imaginary Pots of Ale; <br> In Vain; awake, I find the settled Thirst <br> Still gnawing, and the pleasant Phantom curse. </div><div style="margin:10px 0"> Thus do I live from Pleasure quite debarr'd, <br> Nor taste the Fruits that the Sun's genial Rays <br> Mature, John-Apple, nor the downy Peach, <br> Nor Walnut in rough-furrow'd Coat secure, <br> Nor Medlar, Fruit delicious in decay; <br> Afflictions Great! yet Greater still remain: <br> My Galligaskins that have long withstood <br> The Winter's Fury, and Encroaching Frosts, <br> By Time subdu'd, (what will not Time subdue!) <br> An horrid Chasm disclose, with Orifice <br> Wide, Discontinuous; at which the Winds <br> Eurus and Auster, and the dreadful Force <br> Of Boreas, that congeals the Cronian Waves, <br> Tumultuous enter with dire chilling Blasts, <br> Portending Agues. Thus a well-fraught Ship <br> Long sail'd secure, or thrô th' Ægean Deep, <br> Or the Ionian, 'till Cruising near <br> The Lilybean Shoar, with hideous Crush <br> On Scylla, or Charybdis (dang'rous Rocks) <br> She strikes rebounding, whence the shatter'd Oak, <br> So fierce a Shock unable to withstand, <br> Admits the Sea; in at the gaping Side <br> The crouding Waves Gush with impetuous Rage, <br> Resistless, Overwhelming; Horrors seize <br> The Mariners, Death in their Eyes appears, <br> They stare, they lave, they pump, they swear, they pray: <br> (Vain Efforts!) still the battering Waves rush in <br> Implacable, 'till delug'd by the Foam, <br> The Ship sinks found'ring in the vast Abyss.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=John+Arthur+Phillips">John Arthur Phillips</a><div class=q>
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<script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=418934" data-title="The Splendid Shilling de John Arthur Phillips" data-description="-- -- Sing, Heavenly Muse, 
Things unattempted yet in Prose or Rhime, 
A Shilling, Breeches, and Chimera's Dire. 


 Happy the Man, who void of Cares and Strife,
 In Silken, or in Leathern Purse retains 
 A Splendid Shilling: He nor hears with Pai..."></div>
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