The Quid Pro Quo; Or The Mistakes Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFGG HHIIJJKKLL MMNNJJOOPPQQRRST UUVVWWXXYY ZZA2A2FFB2B2 JJC2C2D2D2E2E2F2F2G2 G2H2H2I2I2LLJ2J2I2B K2K2JJXXL2L2 M2M2N2N2I2I2O2O2 H2H2J2J2P2P2Q2R2S2S2 T2T2I2I2FFWW U2U2V2V2HHW2W2FFX2X2 LLJJMMDD B2B2Y2Y2Z2Z2FFA3A3B3 B3MMC3C3LLD3D3E3E3 DDI2D2F2F2 F3F3G3G3V2V2 W2W2H3H3RR YYEEGGB2B2 MMI3I3J3DAME FORTUNE often loves a laugh to raise | A |
And playing off her tricks and roguish ways | A |
Instead of giving us what we desire | B |
Mere quid pro quo permits us to acquire | B |
I've found her gambols such from first to last | C |
And judge the future by experience past | C |
Fair Cloris and myself felt mutual flame | D |
And when a year had run the sprightly dame | D |
Prepared to grant me if I may be plain | E |
Some slight concessions that would ease my pain | E |
This was her aim but whatsoe'er in view | F |
'Tis opportunity we should pursue | F |
The lover who's discreet will moments seize | G |
And ev'ry effort then will tend to please | G |
- | |
ONE eve I went this charming fair to see | H |
The husband happened luckily for me | H |
To be abroad but just as it was night | I |
The master came not doubting all was right | I |
No Cloris howsoe'er was in the way | J |
A servant girl of disposition gay | J |
Well known to me with pretty smiling face | K |
'Tis said was led to take her lady's place | K |
The mistress' loss for once was thus repaid | L |
The barter mutual wife against the maid | L |
- | |
WITH many tales like this the books abound | M |
But able hands are necessary found | M |
To place the incidents arrange the whole | N |
That nothing may be forced nor feel control | N |
The urchin blind who sees enough to lay | J |
His num'rous snares such tricks will often play | J |
The CRADLE in Boccace excels the most | O |
As to myself I do not mean to boast | O |
But fear a thousand places spite of toil | P |
By him made excellent my labours spoil | P |
'Tis time howe'er with preface to have done | Q |
And show by some new turn or piece of fun | Q |
While easy numbers from my pencil flow | R |
Of Fortune and of Love the quid pro quo | R |
In proof we'll state what happened at Marseilles | S |
The story is so true no doubt prevails | T |
- | |
THERE Clidamant whose proper name my verse | U |
Prom high respect refuses to rehearse | U |
Lived much at ease not one a wife had got | V |
Throughout the realm who was so nice a lot | V |
Her virtues temper and seraphick charms | W |
Should have secured the husband to her arms | W |
But he was not to constancy inclined | X |
The devil's crafty snares has often twined | X |
Around and round with ev'ry subtle art | Y |
When love of novelty he would impart | Y |
- | |
THE lady had a maid whose form and size | Z |
Height easy manners action lips and eyes | Z |
Were thought to be so very like her own | A2 |
That one from t'other scarcely could be known | A2 |
The mistress was the prettiest of the two | F |
But in a mask where much escapes the view | F |
'Twas very difficult a choice to make | B2 |
And feel no doubts which better 'twere to take | B2 |
- | |
THE Marseillesian husband rather gay | J |
With mistress Alice was disposed to play | J |
For such was called the maid we just have named | C2 |
To show coquettish airs the latter aimed | C2 |
And met his wishes with reproof severe | D2 |
But to his plan the lover would adhere | D2 |
And promised her at length a pretty sum | E2 |
A hundred crowns if to his room she'd come | E2 |
To pay the girl with kindness such as this | F2 |
In my opinion was not much amiss | F2 |
At that rate what should be the mistress' price | G2 |
Perhaps still less she might not be so nice | G2 |
But I mistake the lady was so coy | H2 |
No spark whatever art he could employ | H2 |
How cleverly soe'er he laid the snare | I2 |
Would have succeeded spite of ev'ry care | I2 |
Nor presents nor attentions would have swayed | L |
Should I have mentioned presents as an aid | L |
Alas no longer these are days of old | J2 |
By Love both nymph and shepherdess are sold | J2 |
He sets the price of many beauties rare | I2 |
This was a god now nothing but a mayor | B |
- | |
O ALTERED times O customs how depraved | K2 |
At first fair Alice frowardly behaved | K2 |
But in the sequel 'gan to change her way | J |
And said her mistress as the foll'wing day | J |
A certain remedy to take designed | X |
That in the morning then if so inclined | X |
They could at leisure in the cavern meet | L2 |
The plan was pleasing all appeared discreet | L2 |
- | |
THE servant having to her mistress said | M2 |
What projects were in view what nets were spread | M2 |
The females 'tween themselves a plot contrived | N2 |
Of Quid pro quo against the hour arrived | N2 |
The husband of the trick was ne'er aware | I2 |
So much the mistress had her servant's air | I2 |
But if he had what then no harm of course | O2 |
She might have lectured him with double force | O2 |
- | |
NEXT day but one gay Clidamant whose joy | H2 |
Appeared so great 'twas free from all alloy | H2 |
By hazard met a friend to whom he told | J2 |
Most indiscreetly what to him was sold | J2 |
How Cupid favoured what he most required | P2 |
And freely granted all he had desired | P2 |
Though large the blessing yet he grudged the cost | Q2 |
The sum gave pain a hundred crowns were lost | R2 |
The friend proposed they should at once decide | S2 |
The charge and pleasure 'tween them to divide | S2 |
Our husband thought his purse not over strong | T2 |
That saving fifty crowns would not be wrong | T2 |
But then on t'other hand to lend the fair | I2 |
In ev'ry view had got an awkward air | I2 |
Would she as was proposed consent to two | F |
To keep things secret would their lips be true | F |
Or was it fair to sacrifice her charms | W |
And lay her open thus to dire alarms | W |
- | |
THE friend this difficulty soon removed | U2 |
And represented that the cavern proved | U2 |
So very dark the girl would be deceived | V2 |
With one more shrewd the trick might be achieved | V2 |
Sufficient howsoever it would be | H |
If they by turns and silent could agree | H |
To meet the belle and leave to Love the rest | W2 |
From whom they hoped assistance if distressed | W2 |
Such silence to observe no hurt could do | F |
And Alice would suppose a prudent view | F |
Retained the tongue since walls have often ears | X2 |
And being mum expressive was of fears | X2 |
- | |
WHEN thus the two gallants their plan had laid | L |
And ev'ry promised pleasure fully weighed | L |
They to the husband's mansion made their way | J |
Where yet the wife between the bed clothes lay | J |
The servant girl was near her mistress found | M |
Her dress was plain no finery around | M |
In short 'twas such that when the moment came | D |
To fail the meeting could not be her aim | D |
- | |
THE friends disputed which the lead should take | B2 |
And strong pretentions both appeared to make | B2 |
The husband honours home would not allow | Y2 |
Such compliments were out of fashion now | Y2 |
To settle this at length three dice they took | Z2 |
The friend was highest placed in Fortune's book | Z2 |
The both together to the cavern flew | F |
And for the servant soon impatient grew | F |
But Alice never came and in her room | A3 |
The mistress softly treading 'mid the gloom | A3 |
The necessary signal gently gave | B3 |
On which she entered presently the cave | B3 |
And this so suddenly no time was found | M |
To make remarks on change or errors round | M |
Or any diff'rence 'tween the friend and spouse | C3 |
In short before suspicions 'gan to rouse | C3 |
Or alteration lent the senses aid | L |
To LOVE a sacrifice was fully made | L |
The lucky wight more pleasure would have felt | D3 |
If sensible he'd been with whom he dealt | D3 |
The mistress rather more of beauty had | E3 |
And QUALITY of course must something add | E3 |
- | |
THIS scene just ended t'other actor came | D |
Whose prompt arrival much surprised the dame | D |
For as a husband Clidamant had ne'er | I2 |
Such ardour shown he seemed beyond his sphere | D2 |
The lady to the girl imputed this | F2 |
And thought to hint it would not be amiss | F2 |
- | |
THE entertainment o'er away they went | F3 |
To quit the dark abode they were intent | F3 |
The partner in amour repaired above | G3 |
But when the husband saw his wedded love | G3 |
Ascend the stairs and she the friend perceived | V2 |
We well may judge how bosoms beat and heaved | V2 |
- | |
THE master of the house conceived it best | W2 |
To keep the whole a secret in his breast | W2 |
But to discover ALL his lovely rib | H3 |
Appeared disposed though wives can often fib | H3 |
The silliest of the throng or high or low | R |
Most perfectly the science seem to know | R |
- | |
SOME will pretend that Alice in her heart | Y |
Was sorry she had acted such a part | Y |
And not a better method sought to gain | E |
The money which had caused her master's pain | E |
Lamented much the case and tried to please | G |
By ev'ry means that might his trouble ease | G |
But this is merely with design to make | B2 |
The tale a more impressive feature take | B2 |
- | |
TWO questions may agitate around | M |
The one if 'mong the brotherhood renowned | M |
The husband who thus felt disgraced | I3 |
Should with the usual ornaments be placed | I3 |
But I no grounds for such | J3 |
Jean De La Fontaine
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Write your comment about The Quid Pro Quo; Or The Mistakes poem by Jean De La Fontaine
Best Poems of Jean De La Fontaine