And FRED (entitled to all things there) He took the fever from MR. VOLLAIRE, I SING a legend of the sea, So hard-a-port upon your lee! A ship on starboard tack! She's bound upon a private cruise(This is the kind of spice I use To give a salt-sea smack). Behold, on every afternoon (Save in a gale or strong Monsoon) Great CAPTAIN CAPEL CLEGGS (Great morally, though rather short) Sat at an open weather-port And aired his shapely legs. And Mermaids hung around in flocks, To gaze upon those limbs; For legs like those, of flesh and bone, But Mermen didn't seem to care "A pair of legs with well-cut knees, Are far more eloquent, it's clear And CLEGGS-a worthy kind old boy--- And, when the day was dry, Because it pleased the lookers-on, He sat from morn till night-though con- At first the Mermen laughed, "Pooh! pooh!" But finally they jealous grew, And sounded loud recalls; But vainly. So these fishy males They set to work, these water-men, And made their nether robes-but when They drew with dainty touch The kerseymere upon their tails, They found it scraped against their scales, And hurt them very much. The silk, besides, with which they chose To deck their tails by way of hose (They never thought of shoon), For such a use was much too thin, It tore against the caudal fin, And "went in ladders" soon. So they designed another plan: "Our Monarch sends to CAPTAIN CLEGGS "We've pleasant homes below the seaBesides, if CAPTAIN CLEGGS should be (As our advices say) A judge of Mermaids, he will find Our lady-fish of every kind Inspection will repay." Good CAPEL sent a kind reply, To study all their ways and laws- The Merman sank-the Captain too Jumped overboard, and dropped from view Like stone from catapult; And when he reached the Merman's lair, He certainly was welcomed there, But, ah! with what result? They didn't let him learn their law, |