FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   238   239   240   241   242   243   244   245   246   247   248   249   250   251   252   253   254   255   256   257   258   259   260   261   262  
263   264   265   266   267   268   269   270   271   272   273   274   275   276   277   278   279   280   281   282   283   >>  
aid, Who let all thoughts of glory go, And dawdled half his days a-bed; And every night, as night came round, By Jenny, with a nightcap crowned, Slept very sound: Sing ho, ho, ho! and he, he, he! That's the kind of king for me. And every day it came to pass, That four lusty meals made he; And, step by step, upon an ass, Rode abroad, his realms to see; And wherever he did stir, What think you was his escort, sir? Why, an old cur. Sing ho, ho, ho! &c. If e'er he went into excess, 'Twas from a somewhat lively thirst; But he who would his subjects bless, Odd's fish!--must wet his whistle first; And so from every cask they got, Our king did to himself allot, At least a pot. Sing ho, ho! &c. To all the ladies of the land, A courteous king, and kind, was he; The reason why you'll understand, They named him Pater Patriae. Each year he called his fighting men, And marched a league from home, and then Marched back again. Sing ho, ho! &c. Neither by force nor false pretence, He sought to make his kingdom great, And made (O princes, learn from hence),-- "Live and let live," his rule of state. 'Twas only when he came to die, That his people who stood by, Were known to cry. Sing ho, ho! &c. The portrait of this best of kings Is extant still, upon a sign That on a village tavern swings, Famed in the country for good wine. The people in their Sunday trim, Filling their glasses to the brim, Look up to him, Singing ha, ha, ha! and he, he, he! That's the sort of king for me. THE KING OF BRENTFORD. ANOTHER VERSION. There was a king in Brentford,--of whom no legends tell, But who, without his glory,--could eat and sleep right well. His Polly's cotton nightcap,--it was his crown of state, He slept of evenings early,--and rose of mornings late. All in a fine mud palace,--each day he took four meals, And for a guard of honor,--a dog ran at his heels, Sometimes, to view his kingdoms,--rode forth this monarch good, And then a prancing jackass--he royally bestrode. There were no costly habits--with which th
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   238   239   240   241   242   243   244   245   246   247   248   249   250   251   252   253   254   255   256   257   258   259   260   261   262  
263   264   265   266   267   268   269   270   271   272   273   274   275   276   277   278   279   280   281   282   283   >>  



Top keywords:

people

 

nightcap

 

Sunday

 

Singing

 

country

 

Filling

 
glasses
 
portrait
 

village

 

tavern


swings

 

BRENTFORD

 

extant

 

habits

 

palace

 

costly

 

kingdoms

 

monarch

 

Sometimes

 
bestrode

royally

 

jackass

 

prancing

 

VERSION

 

Brentford

 

legends

 

evenings

 

mornings

 
cotton
 

ANOTHER


escort

 

subjects

 

excess

 

lively

 

thirst

 
dawdled
 

thoughts

 

abroad

 

realms

 

crowned


whistle

 
league
 

Marched

 

marched

 

called

 

fighting

 
Neither
 

kingdom

 

princes

 
sought