Page:Two Mock Epics (Hanuman and Tantum Religio), Lyrics, Post Meridian Verse, The Turret Captain's Toast and other Verses.pdf/86

 Squashed flat among those wine-tubs burly,

His shorthand deafened by the hurly.

In fact, they kicked up such a shindy,

That Blasio vanished from the windy.

Vanished, not vanquished: lo! intrepid

Most strong in grace and just a gill

Of something taken through a quill,

He thunders down the stair decrepid,

Close followed by a stalwart Rheatian

Of six-foot-four and contours Grecian,

And eighteen summers:—as from Troy

Through flames Æneas bore his boy

And old Anchises; on his shoulders

Achates through the amazed beholders

Bore, unperturbed by all their hubbub,

Not infant Bacchus but a tub up:

And swinging round the mighty vat

Gave an involuntary scrubbing

To many an umber jowl and hat

That ne’er before had known a tubbing,

For where by two or three the Pope is

Adored, in general light nor soap is.

As on they stalked, unmoved, gigantic,

The mob at first lunged at them, frantic.

So furious dogs at flying trains

Till the swift wheels dash out their brains;

Then with a howl half-disconcerted

Recoiled—the well-plied vat staves hurt it,

Papist with Papist ’gan to jostle

And left a road for the Apostle

Of Calvin to disport his bony

Person along the street way stony: