Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Harp of Renfrewshire

281
Tlie Devil turned uneasily round,
For he knew that the place was holy gronnd,
But, ere he passed, he saw a Turk
Spit on the bearded Jew ;
And a Christian cursed those who could not eat pork
Quoth the Devil, ' ' These worthies may do my work ;
For one lost, here are two !
Turk or Jew, or their Christian brother,
I seldom lose one, but I gain another ! "
He saw an ancient friend of his,
When a lean and a furious whig ; —
But his voice was small and bell-like, now,
And his system sleek and big ;
His sleeves were of lawn, — and each of them
Would have held a tithing pig ;
And he looked like a clerk who would rather beg
Than either starve or dig ;
And his words were full of wisdom, now
The "wisdom " that comes with " the wig " ! —
And the Devil smiled, — and, quoth he, " We made
Our way in the world by the self-same trade ! "
The Devil walked up Chancery Lane,
And into the Chancery Court,
Intending, like many who enter there,
To make his visit short ! —
But the Printer^s devil — a little black imp ! —
Is waiting for his tail,
x\nd swears— like a cliip of the parent block-
That his time and patience fail ; —
So, all we can add to the present strain
Is, THE Devil has not yet got out again !