Page:Royal riddle book.pdf/8

 What being's most despis'd by man;

And does him all the good he can;

Who bore the greatest Prince on earth;

That gave to righteousness new birth;

Who does sometimes o'er death prevail,

And health restore when doctors fail.

We dwell in cottages of straw,

And labour much for little gains ;

Sweet meat from us our owners draw,

And then with death reward our pains.

Great virtues have I,

There‘s none can deny,

And to this I shall mention an odd one;

When apply'd to the tail

‘Tis seldom I fail

To make a good boy of a bad one.

Two twins we are, and let it not surprise,

Alike in every feature, shape and size ;

We*re square or round, of brass or iron made,

Sometimes of wood, and useful found in trade:

But to conclude, for all our daily pains,

We by the neck are often hung in chains.

A head and body large I have,

Stomach and bowels too;

One winding gut of mighty length,

Where all my food goes through.

But what's more strange, my food I take

In at the lower end;

And all, just like a drunken rake,

Out at my mouth I send.