The Ghost - Book I Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFGGHIJKLL MMNNOOPPQRMMIHSSSSTT MMUUSSPPVVWWXXYZMMRR ZZA2B2C2C2MMD2D2XE2S SF2F2SSG2H2I2I2ZZJ2J 2SSK2K2SSJ2J2SSB2A2L 2L2ZZSSSSL2L2MMMMZZS SZZM2M2SSN2O2L2L2MMS SSSSSMMZZZZSZL2L2MMM MSSZZSSZZSSZZMMSSP2L 2SSSSSSZZQ2Q2MMI2I2M MMMSSSSSSMMMMR2R2GGS SZZMMZZGGMMSSS2S2ZZS SF2F2T2RT2| With eager search to dart the soul | A |
| Curiously vain from pole to pole | A |
| And from the planets' wandering spheres | B |
| To extort the number of our years | B |
| And whether all those years shall flow | C |
| Serenely smooth and free from woe | C |
| Or rude misfortune shall deform | D |
| Our life with one continual storm | D |
| Or if the scene shall motley be | E |
| Alternate joy and misery | E |
| Is a desire which more or less | F |
| All men must feel though few confess | F |
| Hence every place and every age | G |
| Affords subsistence to the sage | G |
| Who free from this world and its cares | H |
| Holds an acquaintance with the stars | I |
| From whom he gains intelligence | J |
| Of things to come some ages hence | K |
| Which unto friends at easy rates | L |
| He readily communicates | L |
| At its first rise which all agree on | M |
| This noble science was Chaldean | M |
| That ancient people as they fed | N |
| Their flocks upon the mountain's head | N |
| Gazed on the stars observed their motions | O |
| And suck'd in astrologic notions | O |
| Which they so eagerly pursue | P |
| As folks are apt whate'er is new | P |
| That things below at random rove | Q |
| Whilst they're consulting things above | R |
| And when they now so poor were grown | M |
| That they'd no houses of their own | M |
| They made bold with their friends the stars | I |
| And prudently made use of theirs | H |
| To Egypt from Chaldee it travell'd | S |
| And Fate at Memphis was unravell'd | S |
| The exotic science soon struck root | S |
| And flourish'd into high repute | S |
| Each learned priest oh strange to tell | T |
| Could circles make and cast a spell | T |
| Could read and write and taught the nation | M |
| The holy art of divination | M |
| Nobles themselves for at that time | U |
| Knowledge in nobles was no crime | U |
| Could talk as learned as the priest | S |
| And prophesy as much at least | S |
| Hence all the fortune telling crew | P |
| Whose crafty skill mars Nature's hue | P |
| Who in vile tatters with smirch'd face | V |
| Run up and down from place to place | V |
| To gratify their friends' desires | W |
| From Bampfield Carew to Moll Squires | W |
| Are rightly term'd Egyptians all | X |
| Whom we mistaking Gypsies call | X |
| The Grecian sages borrow'd this | Y |
| As they did other sciences | Z |
| From fertile Egypt though the loan | M |
| They had not honesty to own | M |
| Dodona's oaks inspired by Jove | R |
| A learned and prophetic grove | R |
| Turn'd vegetable necromancers | Z |
| And to all comers gave their answers | Z |
| At Delphos to Apollo dear | A2 |
| All men the voice of Fate might hear | B2 |
| Each subtle priest on three legg'd stool | C2 |
| To take in wise men play'd the fool | C2 |
| A mystery so made for gain | M |
| E'en now in fashion must remain | M |
| Enthusiasts never will let drop | D2 |
| What brings such business to their shop | D2 |
| And that great saint we Whitefield call | X |
| Keeps up the humbug spiritual | E2 |
| Among the Romans not a bird | S |
| Without a prophecy was heard | S |
| Fortunes of empires often hung | F2 |
| On the magician magpie's tongue | F2 |
| And every crow was to the state | S |
| A sure interpreter of Fate | S |
| Prophets embodied in a college | G2 |
| Time out of mind your seat of knowledge | H2 |
| For genius never fruit can bear | I2 |
| Unless it first is planted there | I2 |
| And solid learning never falls | Z |
| Without the verge of college walls | Z |
| Infallible accounts would keep | J2 |
| When it was best to watch or sleep | J2 |
| To eat or drink to go or stay | S |
| And when to fight or run away | S |
| When matters were for action ripe | K2 |
| By looking at a double tripe | K2 |
| When emperors would live or die | S |
| They in an ass's skull could spy | S |
| When generals would their station keep | J2 |
| Or turn their backs in hearts of sheep | J2 |
| In matters whether small or great | S |
| In private families or state | S |
| As amongst us the holy seer | B2 |
| Officiously would interfere | A2 |
| With pious arts and reverend skill | L2 |
| Would bend lay bigots to his will | L2 |
| Would help or injure foes or friends | Z |
| Just as it served his private ends | Z |
| Whether in honest way of trade | S |
| Traps for virginity were laid | S |
| Or if to make their party great | S |
| Designs were form'd against the state | S |
| Regardless of the common weal | L2 |
| By interest led which they call zeal | L2 |
| Into the scale was always thrown | M |
| The will of Heaven to back their own | M |
| England a happy land we know | M |
| Where follies naturally grow | M |
| Where without culture they arise | Z |
| And tower above the common size | Z |
| England a fortune telling host | S |
| As numerous as the stars could boast | S |
| Matrons who toss the cup and see | Z |
| The grounds of Fate in grounds of tea | Z |
| Who versed in every modest lore | M2 |
| Can a lost maidenhead restore | M2 |
| Or if their pupils rather choose it | S |
| Can show the readiest way to lose it | S |
| Gypsies who every ill can cure | N2 |
| Except the ill of being poor | O2 |
| Who charms 'gainst love and agues sell | L2 |
| Who can in hen roost set a spell | L2 |
| Prepared by arts to them best known | M |
| To catch all feet except their own | M |
| Who as to fortune can unlock it | S |
| As easily as pick a pocket | S |
| Scotchmen who in their country's right | S |
| Possess the gift of second sight | S |
| Who when their barren heaths they quit | S |
| Sure argument of prudent wit | S |
| Which reputation to maintain | M |
| They never venture back again | M |
| By lies prophetic heap up riches | Z |
| And boast the luxury of breeches | Z |
| Amongst the rest in former years | Z |
| Campbell illustrious name appears | Z |
| Great hero of futurity | S |
| Who blind could every thing foresee | Z |
| Who dumb could every thing foretell | L2 |
| Who Fate with equity to sell | L2 |
| Always dealt out the will of Heaven | M |
| According to what price was given | M |
| Of Scottish race in Highlands born | M |
| Possess'd with native pride and scorn | M |
| He hither came by custom led | S |
| To curse the hands which gave him bread | S |
| With want of truth and want of sense | Z |
| Amply made up by impudence | Z |
| A succedaneum which we find | S |
| In common use with all mankind | S |
| Caress'd and favour'd too by those | Z |
| Whose heart with patriot feelings glows | Z |
| Who foolishly where'er dispersed | S |
| Still place their native country first | S |
| For Englishmen alone have sense | Z |
| To give a stranger preference | Z |
| Whilst modest merit of their own | M |
| Is left in poverty to groan | M |
| Campbell foretold just what he would | S |
| And left the stars to make it good | S |
| On whom he had impress'd such awe | P2 |
| His dictates current pass'd for law | L2 |
| Submissive all his empire own'd | S |
| No star durst smile when Campbell frown'd | S |
| This sage deceased for all must die | S |
| And Campbell's no more safe than I | S |
| No more than I can guard the heart | S |
| When Death shall hurl the fatal dart | S |
| Succeeded ripe in art and years | Z |
| Another favourite of the spheres | Z |
| Another and another came | Q2 |
| Of equal skill and equal fame | Q2 |
| As white each wand as black each gown | M |
| As long each beard as wise each frown | M |
| In every thing so like you'd swear | I2 |
| Campbell himself was sitting there | I2 |
| To all the happy art was known | M |
| To tell our fortunes make their own | M |
| Seated in garret for you know | M |
| The nearer to the stars we go | M |
| The greater we esteem his art | S |
| Fools curious flock'd from every part | S |
| The rich the poor the maid the married | S |
| And those who could not walk were carried | S |
| The butler hanging down his head | S |
| By chambermaid or cookmaid led | S |
| Inquires if from his friend the Moon | M |
| He has advice of pilfer'd spoon | M |
| The court bred woman of condition | M |
| Who to approve her disposition | M |
| As much superior as her birth | R2 |
| To those composed of common earth | R2 |
| With double spirit must engage | G |
| In every folly of the age | G |
| The honourable arts would buy | S |
| To pack the cards and cog a die | S |
| The hero who for brawn and face | Z |
| May claim right honourable place | Z |
| Amongst the chiefs of Butcher row | M |
| Who might some thirty years ago | M |
| If we may be allow'd to guess | Z |
| At his employment by his dress | Z |
| Put medicines off from cart or stage | G |
| The grand Toscano of the age | G |
| Or might about the country go | M |
| High steward of a puppet show | M |
| Steward and stewardship most meet | S |
| For all know puppets never eat | S |
| Who would be thought though save the mark | S2 |
| That point is something in the dark | S2 |
| The man of honour one like those | Z |
| Renown'd in story who loved blows | Z |
| Better than victuals and would fight | S |
| Merely for sport from morn to night | S |
| Who treads like Mavors firm whose tongue | F2 |
| Is with the triple thunder hung | F2 |
| Who cries to Fear 'Stand off aloof ' | T2 |
| And talks as he were cannon proof | R |
| Would be deem'd ready w | T2 |
Charles Churchill
(1)
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About The Ghost - Book I
The Ghost - Book I is a poem by Charles Churchill. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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