But, when the Multifarious forsook
Bo-hea, Pe-koe, and Wiry-leaf'd Gun-pow-der,
To revel in the lip and sunny look
Of the young stranger; spite of all they'd vow'd her,
The ladies each with jealous anger shook,
And rail'd against the simple maid aloud--Ah!
This woman's pride is a fine thing to tell us of--
But a small matter serves her to be jealous of.
One said she was indecorously florid--
One thought "she only squinted, nothing more--"
A third, convulsively pronounced her "horrid "--
While Bo-hea, who was _low_ (at four-and-four),
Glanced from her fingers up at Hy-son's forehead,
Who, inkling such a tendency before,
Cared for no rival's nails--but paid--I own,
Particular attention to her own.
Well, this was bad enough; but worse than this
Were the attentions of our ancient hero,
Whose frequent vow, and frequenter caress,
Unwelcome were for any one to hear, who
Had charms for better pleasure than a kiss
From feeble dotard ten degrees from zero.
So, as one does when circumstances harass one,
Hy-son began to draw up a comparison.
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