Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-06-18

Saint Anthony sat in his cave meath the rock
With a dinner Of herbs set before him,
When horrible grint gave his nerves such shock
That it made the cold sh'vers run oer him
So he peeped round his cell
Till his sacred eyes ftll
On the spot whence the gruntiug proceeded,
There stood hug hog
('Twas The Devil incog)
In his door, and all exit impedcd.
Aud Ugh Ueh ! Ugh - went the ugly beast,
While his flaming eyes feariuy glarins,
Like the eyes OF a giutton devourins a fcast,
On his santshp kept greediiy staring
But when Tony tried
To push him outside,
On his hnd.legs he rose to oppose him,
And the Saint gan to quail
When he saw his long tall
And began by the birthstone 10 n3se him.
But pluckng up courage, 81. Anthony cried;
81 know thee, thou spirit OF evil
For spite all the shapes that thou ever mast tried,
Thou hast shown thou art ever the Devil"
When Brelzebub found
He was known, with a bound
He sprang at the Saint TO attack HIM,
Bui sideways he jumped,
And ApollyOn thuinpcd
His noddlc aud hard did it whack him.
With speed slipped ST. Anthony out of the door,
His chance for escape was but narrow,
And never did holy man run so before,
For he shot away swift as an arrow
So skipped along he,
Like the lrshmam's flea,
Though YOU look ed for him neer could You lind him
So quick out Of sight
Was the luckless poor wight,
For the Devil himself was behind him.
And there he was, pressing him hard in the rear,
For now had the great vil.worker
Thought best in his own nmble shape to appear,
And had doffed his disguise OF a porter
All his fingers claws,
And his viper fanged jaws
Belched fire like the stack OF a steamer,
And he travelled so fast,
That his tail, as he past,
Stuck out IN the wind like streamer.
O'er field and through forest, Ger mountain and plain
Each nerve in The mighty race plying,
The Devil and Anthony tugged might and nam,
While everything near them seemed hyinS-
They cleared with jump
Each bush and each stump,
But tn" ground they o'er was so stony,
That tnough Satan's hoof
Was abundanty tough,
Sore cut were the soles poor Tony.
The Saint streaked il faster, afraid OF his grab,
For he felt the air warmer and warmer,
His eyes stuck out straight like the eyes OF crab,
His hair like the porcupine's armor;
But he once looked behind,
When blast OF hot wind
From the Jaws of the terrible "varmint,'
Singed of all his beard,
And E,cr and neck scared,
AMI burnt off his back every garment.
Then luckily spicd nc Il city ahead
As he neared meas abodes h. now reared iess-
So up to the gates Holy Anthony sped,
Broken wnded and naked aud beardlcss;
And quick popping through,
HI pushed the gate 10,
And thought he'd done Satan quite clever;
Bui Mickey jumped wall
Like nothing At all,
Aud was after him fcrcer than ever.
But he soon saw temple whose door opened wide,
Aud in hr rushed fainting aud weary,
And using wha, breath he had left him, he tried
To chauut aS h. ran ''miSerere."
Though the find felt qualn
At the sound of the psalm,
Yet giving ON Junp more he caught him,
And the Saint with his breath
Would havr roasted 10 death,
Had hc not OF the cross quick bethought him.
The walls OF the church all made Of hard stone
Aud made Of the same was the paving,
While Anthony's fingers were but flesh and bone,
And rather soft tools for engraving
But 10 his mighty hand
Stone yielded like sand,
Aud deep was the holy cross craven,
And the fiend foul aud fell
With horrible yell
From the potent sign ran like craven
If in that Cathedral the tourist will search,
As viewing old relics he fingers,
He'll fud deeply scooprd in III walls of the Churci
Ths prints Of st Authony's fingers
No doubt arise
II we trust 10 our eyes,
Whil, muSng the fancy doth revel,
AID glowngly pants
How that greatest OF Saints,
Mighty Anthony worsted the Devil