Page:Two Mock Epics (Hanuman and Tantum Religio), Lyrics, Post Meridian Verse, The Turret Captain's Toast and other Verses.pdf/116

 At last it was agreed to clear up

The situation by electing

A board: to reckon each arrear up,

And then a pilot sure selecting

The cranky craft of Church to steer up

The straits it foundered in;—reflecting,

They chose Monsignor Card’nal Foca,

Notorious for his luck at poker,

With full authority to transact

The operations he deemed needful.

Fail—and he would be disfrocked and sacked,

With other penalties as dreadful:

Succeed—the means would not be ransacked

By eyes too critical and heedful:

Such was the compact subter velum.

''Væ vietis! vincitori cælum.''

I cannot here pursue this prelate

Through all the tortuous ways his gambles

Constrained the obol through to swell it;

His borsine victories, losses, scrambles;

How by express shot like a pellet

To Paris:—now its Bourse he rambles;

Now sea-sick braves it o’er the Channel,

His sea-green face wrapped up in flannel;

How from each Bourse he thrusts his nose in

He draws it out a palm the longer,

Because he sells when markets closing

Are weak, and buys when they are stronger:

How slily smiles, a claw reposing

On parrot beak each Jewish sponger

When Monsignore Poker-Foca

Is sold up by his private broker.