The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-02-12


man ~ three centuries ago--noTe than
thai. IL wiII shew TIE instructed reader
thar any number Of the taSts wal1a are
stu current ta he heard daily GA the
streets III t8e mouths Of friends as apple
aisle TO some third gsarson not present. bat
whose existence Is known. are d pa.pa5!e
rehash Of the uaerriment % the ages An
drew Lang mas L cheerful nallade on .he
ancient joke, as follows:
II am an ancient Jest,
faleoIithse man
II his &rborea; nest
re sEarkx'of fun would fan:
My outline did he plar,
And laughed like enc possessed.
Twas thus my course began.
] am Merry JEST
II am an early Jest.
Man deived and built and span,
Then wandered south and wcSl
The peoples Aryan.
/ fogF8eyei tn their van:
The Seultess 100. confessed,
From BepFsheba TO Dan,
j am a Merry Jest
al am an ancient lest,
Through all the human elan,
Rel black. white free, oppressed.
Hilarious ] ran,
/. III found in Lacsan,
Il PogEio. and the rest.
I'm dear 70 Moli ana Nan.
] am a Merry JEST
Prince. you may storm aud ban
joe M4lers are Is jest,
Suppress ME II you can,
/ am a Merry JEST"
Not very long ago J. Churton Collins, an
English critic Of reputation. published "A
Treasury Of Minor British Poetry" in
which he Contrived 30 incII..e a number OF
worthy poems. from hands not Of great
Distinction. as a rule, bot all Of them con-
tanning a spark Of undoubted merit. From
this a few extracts viii show sense Of
fun and hUulor ia no way differing from
ours today. Bishop sings 'Tne Touch
stone
a fool ana knays with different views
Fer Juiia's hand apply:
The knave 10 mend h-s fortunes sues,
The fool to please his eye.
Ask you how Julia win behave,
Depend ont for ! raie.
II shes a fool shell wed the kuave--
II she's a knaye, the fool -
The maid too wiling to be won" had
an cary celebration from the hands Of
Lady Mary Wort.ey Moutagu, III her lines
ITO Lady Making love:''
Good madam. when ladies are willing,
\ man must needs look like a fool:
Fer NE | would not give shilling
For one who would love out Of rule
"Yoa should leave as II guess by your
And rot sgcak the matter 70 plain;
Tie ours 70 write and be pushing,
It's yours To affect q dls1a3D.
'Srhat you're IN a terrible taking.
by al tdF<se sweet oEllugs ! SCI.
But the frlIit that can fan without shaking,
Indeed. Is too mellow foF Ete. !"
Lord Nugent has an epigram on q
woman who showed temper. which Is ia
sp.ra3 with perennial ySath:
Il los ei thee beautiful ana KIND
And pAghted an eternal VOW.
So altered are thy face and mind
f'were perjury 20 love thee now
There IS pretty and ploa.s concest If sir
John Davies. SO old X = new:
"As Noah's pigeon, wa.ea returned no
pld snow che footing found. for all tie
teod;
50 Nhsa soo4 souls, departed through
teafh's door.
Came =: again, 1t sao~ss the!F dwelling
Aa3 twc cheerful srsrEss from Mat Prior
show tha, tae world changes not.
'Csn Ms 3satA3ei poor T.sg,in lies.
IT'S spets@e - ia despair
Ns5,h frsguert ssehs. and mutual Crlesz
fEey lsotn express thelr care.
"A tlffegeu. ealse saysa PEARSON slv.
The same t9ec, raaY g3se.
lns~ t4ain fsars that he SHAH sse-
fss w}f~, the ne msy i've"
II - safe % sag there wsu always ba
sarle fan in Tie world.