The Tragedy, Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBCCDDEEFGGHHIJKKLLM GF JJNNNEEOOJJNNN P QQEEGGRR SSSTTUUVVII WWX YYZA2WW N NNNJINNJJJJJJJB2C2 NN JJNNNNNND2D2E2E2F2F2 IIINNNG2 H2H2H2NNNNNNII2J2J2A 2K2A2L2L2GFGL2L2NM2M 2NG N2N2WWW A GGEENNEEQu que ipse miserrima vidi VIRGIL | A |
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Catherine of Cleves was a Lady of rank | B |
She had lands and fine houses and cash in the Bank | B |
She had jewels and rings | C |
And a thousand smart things | C |
Was lovely and young | D |
With a rather sharp tongue | D |
And she wedded a Noble of high degree | E |
With the star of the order of St Esprit | E |
But the Duke de Guise | F |
Was by many degrees | G |
Her senior and not very easy to please | G |
He'd a sneer on his lip and a scowl with his eye | H |
And a frown on his brow and he look'd like a Guy | H |
So she took to intriguing | I |
With Monsieur St Megrin | J |
A young man of fashion and figure and worth | K |
But with no great pretensions to fortune or birth | K |
He would sing fence and dance | L |
With the best man in France | L |
And took his rappee with genteel nonchalance | M |
He smiled and he flatter'd and flirted with ease | G |
And was very superior to Monseigneur de Guise | F |
- | |
Now Monsieur St Megrin was curious to know | J |
If the Lady approved of his passion or no | J |
So without more ado | N |
He put on his surtout | N |
And went to a man with a beard like a Jew | N |
One Signor Ruggieri | E |
A Cunning man near he | E |
Could conjure tell fortunes and calculate tides | O |
Perform tricks on the cards and Heaven knows what besides | O |
Bring back a stray'd cow silver ladle or spoon | J |
And was thought to be thick with the Man in the Moon | J |
The Sage took his stand | N |
With his wand in his hand | N |
Drew a circle then gave the dread word of command | N |
Saying solemnly ' Presto Hey quick Cock alorum ' | - |
When the Duchess immediately popped up before 'em | P |
- | |
Just then a Conjunction of Venus and Mars | Q |
Or something peculiar above in the stars | Q |
Attracted the notice of Signor Ruggieri | E |
Who 'bolted ' and left him alone with his deary | E |
Monsieur St Megrin went down on his knees | G |
And the Duchess shed tears large as marrow fat peas | G |
When fancy the shock | R |
A loud double knock | R |
Made the Lady cry 'Get up you fool there's De Guise ' | - |
'Twas his Grace sure enough | S |
So Monsieur looking bluff | S |
Strutted by with his hat on and fingering his ruff | S |
While unseen by either away flew the Dame | T |
Through the opposite key hole the same way she came | T |
But alack and alas | U |
A mishap came to pass | U |
In her hurry she somehow or other let fall | V |
A new silk Bandana she'd worn as a shawl | V |
She had used it for drying | I |
Her bright eyes while crying | I |
And blowing her nose as her Beau talk'd of 'dying ' | - |
- | |
Now the Duke who had seen it so lately adorn her | W |
And knew the great C with the Crown in the corner | W |
The instant he spied it smoked something amiss | X |
And said with some energy 'D it what's this ' | - |
He went home in a fume | Y |
And bounced into her room | Y |
Crying 'So Ma'am I find I've some cause to be jealous | Z |
Look here here's a proof you run after the fellows | A2 |
Now take up that pen if it's bad choose a better | W |
And write as I dictate this moment a letter | W |
To Monsieur you know who ' | - |
The Lady look'd blue | N |
But replied with much firmness ' Hang me if I do ' | - |
De Guise grasped her wrist | N |
With his great bony fist | N |
And pinch'd it and gave it so painful a twist | N |
That his hard iron gauntlet the flesh went an inch in | J |
She did not mind death but she could not stand pinching | I |
So she sat down and wrote | N |
This polite little note | N |
'Dear Mister St Megrin | J |
The Chiefs of the League in | J |
Our house mean to dine | J |
This evening at nine | J |
I shall soon after ten | J |
Slip away from the men | J |
And you'll find me up stairs in the drawing room then | J |
Come up the back way or those impudent thieves | B2 |
Of Servants will see you Yours | C2 |
Catherine of Cleves ' | - |
She directed and sealed it all pale as a ghost | N |
And De Guise put it into the Twopenny Post | N |
- | |
St Megrin had almost jumped out of his skin | J |
For joy that day when the post came in | J |
He read the note through | N |
Then began it anew | N |
And thought it almost too good news to be true | N |
He clapped on his hat | N |
And a hood over that | N |
With a cloak to disguise him and make him look fat | N |
So great his impatience from half after four | D2 |
He was waiting till Ten at De Guise's back door | D2 |
When he heard the great clock of St Genevieve chime | E2 |
He ran up the back staircase six steps at a time | E2 |
He had scare made his bow | F2 |
He hardly knew how | F2 |
When alas and alack | I |
There was no getting back | I |
For the drawing room door was bang'd to with a whack | I |
In vain he applied | N |
To the handle and tried | N |
Somebody or other had locked it outside | N |
And the Duchess in agony mourn'd her mishap | G2 |
'We are caught like a couple of rats in a trap ' | - |
- | |
Now the Duchess's Page | H2 |
About twelve years of age | H2 |
For so little a boy was remarkably sage | H2 |
And just in the nick to their joy and amazement | N |
Popp'd the Gas lighter's ladder close under the casement | N |
But all would not do | N |
Though St Megrin got through | N |
The window below stood De Guise and his crew | N |
And though never man was more brave than St Megrin | N |
Yet fighting a score is extremely fatiguing | I |
He thrust carte and tierce | I2 |
Uncommonly fierce | J2 |
But not Beelzebub's self could their cuirasses pierce | J2 |
While his doublet and hose | A2 |
Being holiday clothes | K2 |
Were soon cut through and through from his knees to his nose | A2 |
Still an old crooked sixpence the Conjuror gave him | L2 |
From pistol and sword was sufficient to save him | L2 |
But when beat on his knees | G |
That confounded De Guise | F |
Came behind with the 'fogle' that caused all this breeze | G |
Whipp'd it tight round his neck and when backward he'd jerk'd him | L2 |
The rest of the rascals jump'd on him and Burk'd him | L2 |
The poor little Page too himself got no quarter but | N |
Was served the same way | M2 |
And was found the next day | M2 |
With his heels in the air and his head in the water butt | N |
Catherine of Cleves | G |
Roar'd 'Murder ' and 'Thieves ' | - |
From the window above | N2 |
While they murder'd her love | N2 |
Till finding the rogues had accomplish'd his slaughter | W |
She drank Prussic acid without any water | W |
And died like a Duke and a Duchess's daughter | W |
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- | |
Moral | A |
- | |
Take warning ye Fair from this tale of the Bard's | G |
And don't go where fortunes are told on the cards | G |
But steer clear of Conjurors never put query | E |
To 'Wise Mrs Williams ' or folks like Ruggieri | E |
When alone in your room shut the door close and lock it | N |
Above all keep your handkerchief safe in your pocket | N |
Lest you too should stumble and Lord Leveson Gower he | E |
Be call'd on sad poet to tell your sad story | E |
Richard Harris Barham
(1)
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