Page:Keats - Poetical Works, DeWolfe, 1884.djvu/328

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THE CAP AND BELLS.

And as for aqua vitæ—there's a mess!
The dentes sapientiæ of mice
Our barber tells me too are on the rise,—
Tinder's a lighter article,—nitre pure
Goes off like lightning,—grains of Paradise
At an enormous figure!—stars not sure!—
Zodiac will not move without a slight douceur!

XXXIV.

"Venus won't stir a peg without a fee,
And master is too partial entre nous
To—" "Hush—hush!" cried Eban, "sure that is he
Coming down stairs,—by St. Bartholomew!
As backwards as he can,—is't something new?
Or is't his custom, in the name of fun?"
"He always comes down backward, with one shoe"—
Return'd the porter—"off, and one shoe on,
Like, saving shoe for sock or stocking, my man John!"

XXXV.

It was indeed the great Magician,
Feeling, with careful toe, for every stair,
And retrograding careful as he can,
Backwards and downwards from his own two pair:
"Salpietro!" exclaim'd Hum, "is the dog there?
He's always in my way upon the mat!"
"He's in the kitchen, or the Lord knows where,"—
Replied the Swiss,—"the nasty, whelping brat!"
"Don't beat him!" returned Hum, and on the floor came pat.