Page:London barber's wedding.pdf/3



But Cupid, who trims men of ev’ry ſtation,

And ’twixt barbers and beaux makes no diſcrimination,

Would not let this ſuperlative ſhaver alone,

Till he tried if his heart was as hard as his hone.

The fair one whoſe charms did the barber enthral,

At the end of Fleet-market of fiſh kept a ſtall:

As red as her cheek was no lobfter e’er ſeen.

Not an eel that ſhe ſold was ſo ſoft as her ſkin.

By love ſtrange effects have been wrought, we are told.

In all countries and climates, hot, temp’rate, or cold:

Thus the heart of our barber love ſcorch’d like a coal.

Though ’tis very well known he liv’d under the pole.

Firſt, he courted his charmer in ſorrowful faſhion,

And lied like a lawyer to move her compaſſion:

He ſhould periſh, he ſwore, did his ſuit not ſucceed,

And a barber to flay was a barbarous deed.

Then he alter’d his tone, and was heard to declare.

If valour deſerv’d the regard of the fair,

That his courage was tried, though he ſcorn’d to diſcloſe

How many brave fellows he’d took by the nose.