Click in the field, then press CTRL+C to copy the HTML code
<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=498854" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>The Tragedy,</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">Quæque ipse miserrima vidi.-- VIRGIL. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Catherine of Cleves was a Lady of rank, <br>She had lands and fine houses, and cash in the Bank; <br>She had jewels and rings, <br>And a thousand smart things; <br>Was lovely and young, <br>With a rather sharp tongue, <br>And she wedded a Noble of high degree <br>With the star of the order of St. Esprit; <br>But the Duke de Guise <br>Was, by many degrees, <br>Her senior, and not very easy to please; <br>He'd a sneer on his lip, and a scowl with his eye, <br>And a frown on his brow,-- and he look'd like a Guy,-- <br>So she took to intriguing <br>With Monsieur St. Megrin, <br>A young man of fashion, and figure, and worth, <br>But with no great pretensions to fortune or birth; <br>He would sing, fence, and dance <br>With the best man in France, <br>And took his rappee with genteel nonchalance; <br>He smiled, and he flatter'd, and flirted with ease, <br>And was very superior to Monseigneur de Guise. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now Monsieur St. Megrin was curious to know <br>If the Lady approved of his passion or no; <br>So without more ado, <br>He put on his surtout, <br>And went to a man with a beard like a Jew. <br>One Signor Ruggieri, <br>A Cunning-man near, he <br>Could conjure, tell fortunes, and calculate tides, <br>Perform tricks on the cards, and Heaven knows what besides, <br>Bring back a stray'd cow, silver ladle, or spoon, <br>And was thought to be thick with the Man in the Moon. <br>The Sage took his stand <br>With his wand in his hand, <br>Drew a circle, then gave the dread word of command, <br>Saying solemnly --' Presto!-- Hey, quick!-- Cock-alorum!!' <br>When the Duchess immediately popped up before 'em. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Just then a Conjunction of Venus and Mars, <br>Or something peculiar above in the stars, <br>Attracted the notice of Signor Ruggieri, <br>Who 'bolted,' and left him alone with his deary.-- <br>Monsieur St. Megrin went down on his knees, <br>And the Duchess shed tears large as marrow-fat peas, <br>When,-- fancy the shock,-- <br>A loud double-knock, <br>Made the Lady cry 'Get up, you fool!-- there's De Guise!'-- <br>'Twas his Grace, sure enough; <br>So Monsieur, looking bluff, <br>Strutted by, with his hat on, and fingering his ruff, <br>While, unseen by either, away flew the Dame <br>Through the opposite key-hole, the same way she came; <br>But, alack! and alas! <br>A mishap came to pass, <br>In her hurry she, somehow or other, let fall <br>A new silk Bandana she'd worn as a shawl; <br>She had used it for drying <br>Her bright eyes while crying, <br>And blowing her nose, as her Beau talk'd of 'dying!' </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now the Duke, who had seen it so lately adorn her, <br>And knew the great C with the Crown in the corner; <br>The instant he spied it smoked something amiss, <br>And said with some energy, 'D-- it! what's this?' <br>He went home in a fume, <br>And bounced into her room, <br>Crying, 'So, Ma'am, I find I've some cause to be jealous; <br>Look here!-- here's a proof you run after the fellows! <br>-- Now take up that pen,-- if it's bad choose a better,-- <br>And write, as I dictate, this moment a letter <br>To Monsieur -- you know who!' <br>The Lady look'd blue; <br>But replied with much firmness --' Hang me if I do!' <br>De Guise grasped her wrist <br>With his great bony fist, <br>And pinch'd it, and gave it so painful a twist, <br>That his hard, iron gauntlet the flesh went an inch in,-- <br>She did not mind death, but she could not stand pinching; <br>So she sat down and wrote <br>This polite little note:-- <br>'Dear Mister St. Megrin, <br>The Chiefs of the League in <br>Our house mean to dine <br>This evening at nine; <br>I shall, soon after ten, <br>Slip away from the men, <br>And you'll find me up stairs in the drawing-room then; <br>Come up the back way, or those impudent thieves <br>Of Servants will see you; Yours, <br>Catherine of Cleves.' <br>She directed and sealed it, all pale as a ghost, <br>And De Guise put it into the Twopenny Post. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">St. Megrin had almost jumped out of his skin <br>For joy that day when the post came in; <br>He read the note through, <br>Then began it anew, <br>And thought it almost too good news to be true.-- <br>He clapped on his hat, <br>And a hood over that, <br>With a cloak to disguise him, and make him look fat; <br>So great his impatience, from half after four <br>He was waiting till Ten at De Guise's back-door. <br>When he heard the great clock of St. Genevieve chime <br>He ran up the back staircase six steps at a time; <br>He had scare made his bow, <br>He hardly knew how, <br>When alas! and alack! <br>There was no getting back, <br>For the drawing-room door was bang'd to with a whack;-- <br>In vain he applied <br>To the handle and tried, <br>Somebody or other had locked it outside! <br>And the Duchess in agony mourn'd her mishap, <br>'We are caught like a couple of rats in a trap.' </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now the Duchess's Page, <br>About twelve years of age, <br>For so little a boy was remarkably sage; <br>And, just in the nick, to their joy and amazement, <br>Popp'd the Gas-lighter's ladder close under the casement. <br>But all would not do,-- <br>Though St. Megrin got through <br>The window,-- below stood De Guise and his crew, <br>And though never man was more brave than St. Megrin, <br>Yet fighting a score is extremely fatiguing; <br>He thrust carte and tierce <br>Uncommonly fierce, <br>But not Beelzebub's self could their cuirasses pierce, <br>While his doublet and hose, <br>Being holiday clothes, <br>Were soon cut through and through from his knees to his nose. <br>Still an old crooked sixpence the Conjuror gave him <br>From pistol and sword was sufficient to save him, <br>But, when beat on his knees, <br>That confounded De Guise <br>Came behind with the 'fogle' that caused all this breeze, <br>Whipp'd it tight round his neck, and, when backward he'd jerk'd him, <br>The rest of the rascals jump'd on him and Burk'd him. <br>The poor little Page too himself got no quarter, but <br>Was served the same way, <br>And was found the next day <br>With his heels in the air and his head in the water-butt. <br>Catherine of Cleves <br>Roar'd 'Murder!' and 'Thieves!' <br>From the window above <br>While they murder'd her love; <br>Till, finding the rogues had accomplish'd his slaughter, <br>She drank Prussic acid without any water, <br>And died like a Duke and a Duchess's daughter! </div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Moral. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Take warning, ye Fair, from this tale of the Bard's, <br>And don't go where fortunes are told on the cards! <br>But steer clear of Conjurors,-- never put query <br>To 'Wise Mrs. Williams,' or folks like Ruggieri. <br>When alone in your room shut the door close, and lock it; <br>Above all,-- keep your handkerchief safe in your pocket! <br>Lest you too should stumble, and Lord Leveson Gower, he <br>Be call'd on,-- sad poet!-- to tell your sad story</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=Richard+Harris+Barham">Richard Harris Barham</a><div class=q>
<img src="https://www.citatepedia.ro/g/32share.png" style="float:left" alt="Share">
<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=498854" data-title="The Tragedy, de Richard Harris Barham" data-description="Quæque ipse miserrima vidi.-- VIRGIL. 

Catherine of Cleves was a Lady of rank, 
She had lands and fine houses, and cash in the Bank; 
She had jewels and rings, 
And a thousand smart things; 
Was lovely and young, 
With a rather sharp tongue, 
An..."></div>
</div>
</div>