TO A DISINHERITED SPENDTHRIFT.

Thy father all from thee, by his last will,
Gave to the poor. Thou hast good-title still.

SIMILAR ANTIPATHIES.

The Captain of an English frigate, a man of undaunted bravery, had a natural aversion to a cat. A sailor, who for some misconduct had been ordered a flogging, saved his back by presenting to the captain the following petition :

By your honour's command,

A culprit I stand,

An example to all the ship's crew,

I'm pinion'd and stript,

And condemn'd to be whipt;
And if I am flogg'd-'tis my due.

A cat, am told,

In abhorrence you hold :
Your honour's aversion is mine :-

If a cat with one tail

Makes your stout heart to fail,
Oh! save me from one that has nine.

A SUCCESSOR TO CERBERUS.

Carolan, the Irish bard, being refused entrance to a nobleman's house by the porter, whose name was O'Flinn, wrote with chalk on the door :

"What pity hell's gates are not kept by O'Flinn ! "Such a surly old dog would let nobody in."

368

THE POETICAL NOTE BOOK.

BOX-LOBBY LOUNGERS.

On hearing two worthless cowards challenge each other in Drury lane play-house, a gentleman present wrote the following stanzas.

In Drury's lobby, Tom and Dick
Pull'd each the other's nose;
Yet, if Dick or Tom was right,
Pray who the devil knows?

"I am a gentleman!" cried Dick,
"And so," quoth Tom, " am I !"
Each strove to hide his trembling heart,
While each roar'd out,-you lie!

Dick said, "I'm cousin to lord Cog."
Tom swore, "he roll'd in riches;"
Dick knit his black Patrician brows,
And Tom pull'd up his breeches.

Now if this palsied pair should meet,
Impelled by common sneers,

If either, or if both were shot,
Pray who the devil cares?