Oberon's Chapel Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFGGHIJJJJ JKLMMNNJJJJMGOPJJ QQJJ PRJJGMSTJJJJKKMMUUVV VVWWVVJJJJVVVVVJJJJX LYYVVYYJJJJVVJJGVJJV VJJYVGJZZJJJJMMJJVVV VA2B2JJJJJJJJVVJJVV| A way enhanced with glass and beads | A |
| There is that to the Chapel leads | A |
| Whose structure for his holy rest | B |
| Is here the Halcyon's curious nest | B |
| Into the which who looks shall see | C |
| His Temple of Idolatry | C |
| Where he of god heads has such store | D |
| As Rome's Pantheon had not more | D |
| His house of Rimmon this he calls | E |
| Girt with small bones instead of walls | E |
| First in a niche more black than jet | F |
| His idol cricket there is set | F |
| Then in a polish'd oval by | G |
| There stands his idol beetle fly | G |
| Next in an arch akin to this | H |
| His idol canker seated is | I |
| Then in a round is placed by these | J |
| His golden god Cantharides | J |
| So that where'er ye look ye see | J |
| No capital no cornice free | J |
| Or frieze from this fine frippery | J |
| Now this the Fairies would have known | K |
| Theirs is a mixt religion | L |
| And some have heard the elves it call | M |
| Part Pagan part Papistical | M |
| If unto me all tongues were granted | N |
| I could not speak the saints here painted | N |
| Saint Tit Saint Nit Saint Is Saint Itis | J |
| Who 'gainst Mab's state placed here right is | J |
| Saint Will o' th' Wisp of no great bigness | J |
| But alias call'd here FATUUS IGNIS | J |
| Saint Frip Saint Trip Saint Fill Saint Filly | M |
| Neither those other saint ships will I | G |
| Here go about for to recite | O |
| Their number almost infinite | P |
| Which one by one here set down are | J |
| In this most curious calendar | J |
| - | |
| First at the entrance of the gate | Q |
| A little puppet priest doth wait | Q |
| Who squeaks to all the comers there | J |
| 'Favour your tongues who enter here | J |
| 'Pure hands bring hither without stain ' | - |
| A second pules 'Hence hence profane ' | - |
| Hard by i' th' shell of half a nut | P |
| The holy water there is put | R |
| A little brush of squirrels' hairs | J |
| Composed of odd not even pairs | J |
| Stands in the platter or close by | G |
| To purge the fairy family | M |
| Near to the altar stands the priest | S |
| There offering up the holy grist | T |
| Ducking in mood and perfect tense | J |
| With much good do't him reverence | J |
| The altar is not here four square | J |
| Nor in a form triangular | J |
| Nor made of glass or wood or stone | K |
| But of a little transverse bone | K |
| Which boys and bruckel'd children call | M |
| Playing for points and pins cockall | M |
| Whose linen drapery is a thin | U |
| Sub ile and ductile codling's skin | U |
| Which o'er the board is smoothly spread | V |
| With little seal work damasked | V |
| The fringe that circumbinds it too | V |
| Is spangle work of trembling dew | V |
| Which gently gleaming makes a show | W |
| Like frost work glitt'ring on the snow | W |
| Upon this fetuous board doth stand | V |
| Something for shew bread and at hand | V |
| Just in the middle of the altar | J |
| Upon an end the Fairy psalter | J |
| Graced with the trout flies' curious wings | J |
| Which serve for watchet ribbonings | J |
| Now we must know the elves are led | V |
| Right by the Rubric which they read | V |
| And if report of them be true | V |
| They have their text for what they do | V |
| Ay and their book of canons too | V |
| And as Sir Thomas Parson tells | J |
| They have their book of articles | J |
| And if that Fairy knight not lies | J |
| They have their book of homilies | J |
| And other Scriptures that design | X |
| A short but righteous discipline | L |
| The bason stands the board upon | Y |
| To take the free oblation | Y |
| A little pin dust which they hold | V |
| More precious than we prize our gold | V |
| Which charity they give to many | Y |
| Poor of the parish if there's any | Y |
| Upon the ends of these neat rails | J |
| Hatch'd with the silver light of snails | J |
| The elves in formal manner fix | J |
| Two pure and holy candlesticks | J |
| In either which a tall small bent | V |
| Burns for the altar's ornament | V |
| For sanctity they have to these | J |
| Their curious copes and surplices | J |
| Of cleanest cobweb hanging by | G |
| In their religious vestery | V |
| They have their ash pans and their brooms | J |
| To purge the chapel and the rooms | J |
| Their many mumbling mass priests here | V |
| And many a dapper chorister | V |
| Their ush'ring vergers here likewise | J |
| Their canons and their chaunteries | J |
| Of cloister monks they have enow | Y |
| Ay and their abbey lubbers too | V |
| And if their legend do not lie | G |
| They much affect the papacy | J |
| And since the last is dead there's hope | Z |
| Elve Boniface shall next be Pope | Z |
| They have their cups and chalices | J |
| Their pardons and indulgences | J |
| Their beads of nits bells books and wax | J |
| Candles forsooth and other knacks | J |
| Their holy oil their fasting spittle | M |
| Their sacred salt here not a little | M |
| Dry chips old shoes rags grease and bones | J |
| Beside their fumigations | J |
| Many a trifle too and trinket | V |
| And for what use scarce man would think it | V |
| Next then upon the chanter's side | V |
| An apple's core is hung up dried | V |
| With rattling kernels which is rung | A2 |
| To call to morn and even song | B2 |
| The saint to which the most he prays | J |
| And offers incense nights and days | J |
| The lady of the lobster is | J |
| Whose foot pace he doth stroke and kiss | J |
| And humbly chives of saffron brings | J |
| For his most cheerful offerings | J |
| When after these he's paid his vows | J |
| He lowly to the altar bows | J |
| And then he dons the silk worm's shed | V |
| Like a Turk's turban on his head | V |
| And reverently departeth thence | J |
| Hid in a cloud of frankincense | J |
| And by the glow worm's light well guided | V |
| Goes to the Feast that's now provided | V |
Robert Herrick
(1)
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