Juggler And Vice Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABC DD EEFFGGHH IIFFJJKLMMNNOPQQRRST UUEENNTTVHWWPX YYZZ| A juggler once had travelled thorough | A |
| Each city market town and borough | A |
| You'd think so far his art transcended | B |
| Old Nick upon his fingers tended | C |
| - | |
| Vice heard his name she read his bill | D |
| And sought his booth defied his skill | D |
| - | |
| The juggler willing laid a wager | E |
| Not yet by losses rendered sager | E |
| He played his tricks of high emprize | F |
| Confounding touch deluding eyes | F |
| Then cards obeyed his will and gold | G |
| From empty bags in torrents rolled | G |
| He showed an ivory egg and then | H |
| Hatched and brought forth the mother hen | H |
| - | |
| Vice then stepped forth with look serene | I |
| Enough to stir a juggler's spleen | I |
| She passed a magic looking glass | F |
| Which pleased alike dame lad and lass | F |
| Whilst she a senator addressing | J |
| Said See this bank note lo a blessing | J |
| Breathe on it Presto hey 'tis gone | K |
| And on his lips a padlock shone | L |
| Hey presto and another puff | M |
| It went and he spoke well enough | M |
| She placed twelve bottles on the board | N |
| They were with some enchantment stored | N |
| Hey presto and they disappear | O |
| A pair of bloody swords were there | P |
| She showed a purse unto a thief | Q |
| His fingers closed on it in brief | Q |
| Hey presto and the treasure fled | R |
| He grasped a halter noosed instead | R |
| Ambition held a courtier's wand | S |
| It turned a hatchet in his hand | T |
| A box for charities she drew | U |
| Blow here and a churchwarden blew | U |
| Hey presto open Opened in her | E |
| For gold was a parochial dinner | E |
| Vice shook the dice she smote the board | N |
| And filled all pockets from her hoard | N |
| A counter in a miser's hand | T |
| Grew twenty guineas at command | T |
| She bade a rake to grasp them fain | V |
| They turned a counter back again | H |
| The transmutations of a guinea | W |
| Made every one stare like a ninny | W |
| But fair was false and false was fair | P |
| By which Vice cheated eye and ear | X |
| - | |
| The juggler though with grief at heart | Y |
| In recognition of her art | Y |
| Said Now and then I cheat the throng | Z |
| You every day and all day long | Z |
John Gay
(1)
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