Sweet is old wine in bottles, ale in barrels ; But sweeter still than this, than these, than all, The tree of knowledge has been pluck'd-all's knownAnd life yields nothing further to recall Worthy of this ambrosial sin, so shown, No doubt in fable, as the unforgiven Fire which Prometheus filch'd for us from heaven. CXXVIII. Man's a strange animal, and makes strange use Of his own nature, and the various arts, And likes particularly to produce Some now experiment to show his parts; This is the age of oddities let loose, Where different talents find their different marts; You'd best begin with truth, and when you've lost your Labour, there's a sure market for imposture. CXXIX. What opposite discoveries we have seen! (Signs of true genius, and of empty pockets.) One makes new noses, one a guillotine, One breaks your bones, one sets them in their sockets; But vaccination certainly has been A kind antithesis to Congreve's rockets, * CXXX. Bread has been made (indifferent) from potatoes; By which men are unsuffocated gratis : CXXXI. * CXXXII. This is the patent age of new inventions CXXXIII. Man's a phenomenon, one knows not what, And wonderful beyond all wondrous measure; 'Tis pity though, in this sublime world, that Pleasure's a sin, and sometimes sin's a pleasure; Few mortals know what end they would be at, But whether glory, power, or love, or treasure, The path is through perplexing ways, and when The goal is gain'd, we die, you know-and then CXXXIV. What then?—I do not know, no more do you And so good night.-Return we to our story: 'Twas in November, when fine days are few, And the far mountains wax a little hoary, And clap a white cape on their mantles blue ; CXXXV. 'Twas, as the watchmen say, a cloudy night; Even as a summer sky's without a cloud: 'Twas midnight-Donna Julia was in bed, For God's sake, Madam-Madam-here's my master, « With more than half the city at his back"Was ever heard of such a curst disaster! 'Tis not my fault-I kept good watch-Alack! Do, pray undo the bolt a little faster- « Will all be here; perhaps he yet may fly ་ Surely the window's not so very high! CXXXVIII. By this time Don Alfonso was arrived, With torches, friends, and servants in great number; The major part of them had long been wived, Of And therefore paused not to disturb the slumber any wicked woman, who contrived By stealth her husband's temples to encumber: Examples of this kind are so contagious, Were one not punish'd, all would be outrageous. CXXXIX. I can't tell how, or why, or what suspicion It surely was exceedingly ill-bred, CXL. Poor Donna Julia! starting as from sleep, As if she had just now from out them crept : CXLI. But Julia mistress, and Antonia maid, Had thought one man might be deterr'd by two, My dear, I was the first who came away. » Now Julia found at length a voice, and cried, In heaven's name, Don Alfonso, what d'ye mean? «Has madness seized you ? would that I had died «Ere such a monster's victim I had been! <<What may this midnight violence betide, « A sudden fit of drunkenness or spleen? Dare you suspect me, whom the thought would kill? Search, then, the room! » — Alfonso said, « I will. CXLIII. He search'd, they search'd, and rummaged every where, Of stockings, slippers, brushes, combs, complete, To keep them beautiful, or leave them neat: Arras they prick'd and curtains with their swords, And wounded several shutters, and some boards. CXLIV. Under the bed they search'd, and there they found- |