Page:Gesta Romanorum - Swan - Wright - 2.djvu/459

'Sir—and so forth—'Why, yes; the thing is fact;
Tho' in regard to number not exact:
It was not Two black crows, 'twas only One;
The truth of that you may rely upon.
The gentleman himself told me the case.'
'Where may I find him?' 'Why, in such a place.'
Away goes he, and having found him out,
'Sir, be so good as to resolve a doubt.'

Then to his last informant he referred,
And begged to know if true what he had heard;
'Did you, sir, throw up a black crow?' 'Not I?'
'Bless me! how people propagate a lie!
'Black crows have been thrown up, Three, Two, and
One,
And here, I find, all comes at last to none.
Did you say nothing of a crow at all?'
'Crow! crow! Perhaps I might, now I recal
The matter over.' 'And pray sir, what wasn't?'
'Why, I was horrid sick, and at the last,
I did throw up, and told my neighbour so.
Something that was as black, sir, as a crow!

Misc. Poems, Vol. 1. p. 31.