Read of in books, or dreamt of in dreams, Through the motley rout, That little Jackdaw kept hopping about : Here and there, Like a dog in a fair, Over comfits and cates, And dishes and plates, Jowl and cope, and rochet and pall, He perched on the chair Where, in state, the great Lord Cardinal sat, In the great Lord Cardinal's great red hat; And he peered in the face Of his Lordship's Grace, With a satisfied look, as if he would say, "WE TWO are the greatest folks here to-day!' And the priests, with awe, As such freaks they saw, The friars are kneeling, And hunting and feeling The carpet, the floor, and the walls, and the ceiling. The Cardinal drew Off each plum-colored shoe, And left his red stockings exposed to the view; He peeps, and he feels In the toes and the heels. They turn up the dishes, plates, - they turn up the Said, "The Devil must be in that little Jack-Some rascal or other had popped in and prigged The Cardinal rose with a dignified look, He called for his candle, his bell, and his book! In holy anger and pious grief He solemnly cursed that rascally thief! | And, being thus coupled with full restitution, He cursed him at board, he cursed him in bed; Was so changed in a moment, 't was really ab From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head; He cursed him in sleeping, that every night surd: He grew sleek and fat; In addition to that, He should dream of the Devil, and wake in a A fresh crop of feathers came thick as a mat! fright. He cursed him in eating, he cursed him in drinking, But no longer it wagged with an impudent air, He cursed him in coughing, in sneezing, in No longer he perched on the Cardinal's chair: winking; He cursed him in sitting, in standing, in lying; He cursed him in walking, in riding, in flying; He cursed him living, he cursed him dying! Never was heard such a terrible curse! But what gave rise To no little surprise, Nobody seemed one penny the worse! The day was gone, The night came on, He hopped now about With a gait devout; As much as to say, "Don't do so any more!" The monks and the friars they searched till dawn; While many remarked, as his manners they saw, Then the great Lord Cardinal called for his book, He frowned, that little vulgar Boy, he deemed He put his finger in his mouth, his little bosom | I took him home to Number 2, the house beside "The Foy," rose, - He had no little handkerchief to wipe his little I bade him wipe his dirty shoes, — that little nose! "If there's a soul will give me food, or find me in employ, By day or night, then blow me tight!" (he was a vulgar Boy ;) vulgar Boy, "And now I'm here, from this here pier it is my I could not see my table-spoons. I looked, but fixed intent could not see To jump as Mister Levi did from off the Monu- The little fiddle-patterned ones I use when I'm inent!" at tea; be seen! - If you should jump from off the pier, you'd surely I could not see my Macintosh, it was not to break your legs, Perhaps your neck, - then Bogey'd have you, Nor yet my best white beaver hat, broad-brimmed sure as eggs are eggs! "Come home with me, my little man, come home with me and sup! My landlady is Mrs. Jones, we must not keep There's roast potatoes at the fire, her up, me and you, - My roast potatoes! - all are gone! and so's that vulgar Boy! enough for I rang the bell for Mrs. Jones, for she was down below, Come home, you little vulgar Boy, I lodge at "O Mrs. Jones, what do you think ? — ain't this |