Ode to Messrs Green Robert Hollond and Monck Mason on their Late Balloon Expedition

O lofty minded men ! Almost beyond the pitch of my goose pen ! And most inflated words ! Delicate Ariels ! ethereals ! birds Of passage fliers angels without wings ! Fortunate rivals of Icarian darings ! Male witches without broomsticks taking airings ! Kites without strings ! Volatile spirits light mercurial humors ! O give us soon your sky adventures truly, With full particulars correcting duly All flying rumors !

Two legged high fliers ! What upper stories you must have to tell And nobody can contradict you well Or call you liars Your Region of Romance will many covet Besides that you may scribble what you will And this great luck will wait upon you still All criticism you will be above it   Write then Messrs Monck Mason Hollond Green ! And tell us all you have or haven t seen ! Twaa kind when the balloon went out of town To take Monck Mason up and set him down

For when a gentleman is at a shift For carriage talk of carts and gigs and coaches Nothing to a balloon approaches For giving one a lift ] O say when Mr Frederic Gye Seemed but a speck a mote in friendship's eye Did any tongue confess a sort of dryness Seeming the soaring rashness to rebuke Or did each feel himself like Brunswick's Duke A moat Serene Highness

Say as you crossed the Channel Well clothed in well aired linen and warm flannel How did your company perceived afar Affect the tar Methinks I see him cock his weather eye Against the sky Turning his ruminating quid full oft With wonder sudden taken all aback - "My eyes", says he "I'm blowed if there ain't three Three little Cherubs smiling up aloft   A-watching for poor Jack "

Of course at such a height the ocean - Affected no one by its motion - But did internal comfort dwell with each Quiet and ease each comfortable skin in ? Or did brown Hollond of a sudden bleach As white as Irish linen ? Changing his native hue Did Green look blue ? In short, was any air sick? P'rhaps Monck Mason Was forced to have an air pump in a bason

Say with what sport or pleasure Might you fill up your lofty leisure ? Like Scotchman at high jinks ? (High-spy was an appropriate game methinks) Or cards but playing very high; Or skying coppers almost to the sky Or did you listen the first mortal ears That ever drank the music of the spheres ? Or might you into vocal music get A trio - highly set ? Or as the altitude so well allowed Perchance you, "blew a cloud" Say did you find the air Give you an appetite up there ? Your cold provisions were you glad to meet em ? Or did you find your victuals all so - high Or blown up so by your - fly You couldn't eat em

Of course you took some wine to sup Although the circumstance has not been stated I envy you the effervescing cup Warn t your Champagne well up Nay you yourselves a little elevated ! Then for your tea and breakfast, say, Was it not something delicately new, To get sky blue Right genuine from the real milky way !

Of course, you all agreed Whate'er your conversation was about Like friends indeed And faith I not without need 'Twas such an awkward place for falling out !

Say after your gastronomy Kept you a watch all night Marking the planets bright Like three more Airys studying astronomy ; Or near the midnight chime Did some one haul his nightcap on his head Hold out his mounted watch and say "high time  To go to bed?"

Didn't your coming scare The sober Germans until every cap Rose lifted by a frightened fell of hair ; Meanwhile the very pipe mayhap Extinguished like the vital spark in death From wonder locking up the smoker's breath Didn't they crouch like chickens when the kite Hovers in sight To see your vehicle of huge dimension Aloft like Gulliver's Laputa nay I'd better say The Island of Ascension ?

Well was it planned To come down thus into the German land Where Honors you may score by such event - For if I read the prophecy aright You ll have the Eagle Order for your flight And all be Von'd because of your descent !