The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift/Volume 7/On a Curate's Complaint of Hard Duty

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The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 7
(c. 1713)
by Jonathan Swift, edited by Thomas Sheridan, John Nichols, John Boyle, Patrick Delany, John Hawkesworth, Deane Swift, William Bowyer, John Birch, and George Faulkner

On a Curate's Complaint of Hard Duty

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1560464The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 7
— On a Curate's Complaint of Hard Dutyc. 1713Jonathan Swift

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A CURATE'S COMPLAINT of HARD DUTY.

I MARCH'D three miles through scorching sand,
With zeal in heart, and notes in hand:
I rode four more to Great St. Mary,
Using four legs, when two were weary:
To three fair virgins I did tie men,
In the close bands of pleasing Hymen:
I dipp'd two babes in holy water,
And purify'd their mother after.
Within an hour and eke a half,
I preach'd three congregations deaf;
Where thundering out, with lungs longwinded,
I chopp d so fast, that few there minded.

My emblem, the laborious sun,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$
Saw all these mighty labours done
Before one race of his was run.

All this perform'd by Robert Hewit:

What mortal else could e'er go through it!