The King Of Brentford-s Testament Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBDB EFGFE AHDHA AFAFIF AIDIAI JAGAAA GABADA BADADA KAEAJA DDDDED DDIDA DADD A AAE AAGAAA ALDLDM BBNBJB AAOADA AFGFA DAAADA APAQEJ DJE D DRO AE QDEDBD BAAAQA QAEAEA DJBJAJ QDGDAD DDADAD AAEAAA JDJDJD D E DA DDDDBD DASAD JDTDAD AAAAA A UQ JAAAVJ JAEAJA AAJAEA JEAEE AAAAAAAA ABABAB| The noble King of Brentford | A |
| Was old and very sick | B |
| He summon'd his physicians | C |
| To wait upon him quick | B |
| They stepp'd into their coaches | D |
| And brought their best physick | B |
| - | |
| They cramm'd their gracious master | E |
| With potion and with pill | F |
| They drench'd him and they bled him | G |
| They could not cure his ill | F |
| 'Go fetch ' says he 'my lawyer | E |
| I'd better make my will ' | - |
| - | |
| The monarch's royal mandate | A |
| The lawyer did obey | H |
| The thought of six and eightpence | D |
| Did make his heart full gay | H |
| 'What is't ' says he 'your Majesty | A |
| Would wish of me to day ' | - |
| - | |
| 'The doctors have belabor'd me | A |
| With potion and with pill | F |
| My hours of life are counted | A |
| O man of tape and quill | F |
| Sit down and mend a pen or two | I |
| I want to make my will | F |
| - | |
| 'O'er all the land of Brentford | A |
| I'm lord and eke of Kew | I |
| I've three per cents and five per cents | D |
| My debts are but a few | I |
| And to inherit after me | A |
| I have but children two | I |
| - | |
| Prince Thomas is my eldest son | J |
| A sober Prince is he | A |
| And from the day we breech'd him | G |
| Till now he's twenty three | A |
| He never caused disquiet | A |
| To his poor Mamma or me | A |
| - | |
| 'At school they never flogg'd him | G |
| At college though not fast | A |
| Yet his little go and great go | B |
| He creditably pass'd | A |
| And made his year's allowance | D |
| For eighteen months to last | A |
| - | |
| 'He never owed a shilling | B |
| Went never drunk to bed | A |
| He has not two ideas | D |
| Within his honest head | A |
| In all respects he differs | D |
| From my second son Prince Ned | A |
| - | |
| 'When Tom has half his income | K |
| Laid by at the year's end | A |
| Poor Ned has ne'er a stiver | E |
| That rightly he may spend | A |
| But sponges on a tradesman | J |
| Or borrows from a friend | A |
| - | |
| 'While Tom his legal studies | D |
| Most soberly pursues | D |
| Poor Ned most pass his mornings | D |
| A dawdling with the Muse | D |
| While Tom frequents his banker | E |
| Young Ned frequents the Jews | D |
| - | |
| 'Ned drives about in buggies | D |
| Tom sometimes takes a 'bus | D |
| Ah cruel fate why made you | I |
| My children differ thus | D |
| Why make of Tom a DULLARD | A |
| And Ned a GENIUS ' | - |
| - | |
| 'You'll cut him with a shilling ' | - |
| Exclaimed the man of wits | D |
| 'I'll leave my wealth ' said Brentford | A |
| 'Sir Lawyer as befits | D |
| And portion both their fortunes | D |
| Unto their several wits ' | - |
| - | |
| 'Your Grace knows best ' the lawyer said | A |
| 'On your commands I wait ' | - |
| 'Be silent Sir ' says Brentford | A |
| 'A plague upon your prate | A |
| Come take your pen and paper | E |
| And write as I dictate ' | - |
| - | |
| The will as Brentford spoke it | A |
| Was writ and signed and closed | A |
| He bade the lawyer leave him | G |
| And turn'd him round and dozed | A |
| And next week in the churchyard | A |
| The good old King reposed | A |
| - | |
| Tom dressed in crape and hatband | A |
| Of mourners was the chief | L |
| In bitter self upbraidings | D |
| Poor Edward showed his grief | L |
| Tom hid his fat white countenance | D |
| In his pocket handkerchief | M |
| - | |
| Ned's eyes were full of weeping | B |
| He falter'd in his walk | B |
| Tom never shed a tear | N |
| But onwards he did stalk | B |
| As pompous black and solemn | J |
| As any catafalque | B |
| - | |
| And when the bones of Brentford | A |
| That gentle king and just | A |
| With bell and book and candle | O |
| Were duly laid in dust | A |
| 'Now gentleman ' says Thomas | D |
| 'Let business be discussed | A |
| - | |
| 'When late our sire beloved | A |
| Was taken deadly ill | F |
| Sir Lawyer you attended him | G |
| I mean to tax your bill | F |
| And as you signed and wrote it | A |
| I prithee read the will ' | - |
| - | |
| The lawyer wiped his spectacles | D |
| And drew the parchment out | A |
| And all the Brentford family | A |
| Sat eager round about | A |
| Poor Ned was somewhat anxious | D |
| But Tom had ne'er a doubt | A |
| - | |
| 'My son as I make ready | A |
| To seek my last long home | P |
| Some cares I had for Neddy | A |
| But none for thee my Tom | Q |
| Sobriety and order | E |
| You ne'er departed from | J |
| - | |
| 'Ned hath a brilliant genius | D |
| And thou a plodding brain | J |
| On thee I think with pleasure | E |
| On him with doubt and pain ' | - |
| 'You see good Ned ' says Thomas | D |
| 'What he thought about us twain ' | - |
| - | |
| 'Though small was your allowance | D |
| You saved a little store | R |
| And those who save a little | O |
| Shall get a plenty more ' | - |
| As the lawyer read this compliment | A |
| Tom's eyes were running o'er | E |
| - | |
| 'The tortoise and the hare Tom | Q |
| Set out at each his pace | D |
| The hare it was the fleeter | E |
| The tortoise won the race | D |
| And since the world's beginning | B |
| This ever was the case | D |
| - | |
| 'Ned's genius blithe and singing | B |
| Steps gayly o'er the ground | A |
| As steadily you trudge it | A |
| He clears it with a bound | A |
| But dulness has stout legs Tom | Q |
| And wind that's wondrous sound | A |
| - | |
| 'O'er fruits and flowers alike Tom | Q |
| You pass with plodding feet | A |
| You heed not one nor t'other | E |
| But onwards go your beat | A |
| While genius stops to loiter | E |
| With all that he may meet | A |
| - | |
| 'And ever as he wanders | D |
| Will have a pretext fine | J |
| For sleeping in the morning | B |
| Or loitering to dine | J |
| Or dozing in the shade | A |
| Or basking in the shine | J |
| - | |
| 'Your little steady eyes Tom | Q |
| Though not so bright as those | D |
| That restless round about him | G |
| His flashing genius throws | D |
| Are excellently suited | A |
| To look before your nose | D |
| - | |
| 'Thank heaven then for the blinkers | D |
| It placed before your eyes | D |
| The stupidest are weakest | A |
| The witty are not wise | D |
| Oh bless your good stupidity | A |
| It is your dearest prize | D |
| - | |
| 'And though my lands are wide | A |
| And plenty is my gold | A |
| Still better gifts from Nature | E |
| My Thomas do you hold | A |
| A brain that's thick and heavy | A |
| A heart that's dull and cold | A |
| - | |
| 'Too dull to feel depression | J |
| Too hard to heed distress | D |
| Too cold to yield to passion | J |
| Or silly tenderness | D |
| March on your road is open | J |
| To wealth Tom and success | D |
| - | |
| 'Ned sinneth in extravagance | D |
| And you in greedy lust ' | - |
| 'I' faith ' says Ned 'our father | E |
| Is less polite than just ' | - |
| 'In you son Tom I've confidence | D |
| But Ned I cannot trust | A |
| - | |
| 'Wherefore my lease and copyholds | D |
| My lands and tenements | D |
| My parks my farms and orchards | D |
| My houses and my rents | D |
| My Dutch stock and my Spanish stock | B |
| My five and three per cents | D |
| - | |
| 'I leave to you my Thomas' | D |
| 'What all ' poor Edward said | A |
| 'Well well I should have spent them | S |
| And Tom's a prudent head' | A |
| 'I leave to you my Thomas | D |
| To you in TRUST for Ned ' | - |
| - | |
| The wrath and consternation | J |
| What poet e'er could trace | D |
| That at this fatal passage | T |
| Came o'er Prince Tom his face | D |
| The wonder of the company | A |
| And honest Ned's amaze | D |
| - | |
| ''Tis surely some mistake ' | - |
| Good naturedly cries Ned | A |
| The lawyer answered gravely | A |
| ''Tis even as I said | A |
| 'Twas thus his gracious Majesty | A |
| Ordain'd on his death bed | A |
| - | |
| 'See here the will is witness'd | A |
| And here's his autograph ' | - |
| 'In truth our father's writing ' | - |
| Says Edward with a laugh | U |
| 'But thou shalt not be a loser Tom | Q |
| We'll share it half and half ' | - |
| - | |
| 'Alas my kind young gentleman | J |
| This sharing cannot be | A |
| 'Tis written in the testament | A |
| That Brentford spoke to me | A |
| 'I do forbid Prince Ned to give | V |
| Prince Tom a halfpenny | J |
| - | |
| ''He hath a store of money | J |
| But ne'er was known to lend it | A |
| He never help'd his brother | E |
| The poor he ne'er befriended | A |
| He hath no need of property | J |
| Who knows not how to spend it | A |
| - | |
| ''Poor Edward knows but how to spend | A |
| And thrifty Tom to hoard | A |
| Let Thomas be the steward then | J |
| And Edward be the lord | A |
| And as the honest laborer | E |
| Is worthy his reward | A |
| - | |
| ''I pray Prince Ned my second son | J |
| And my successor dear | E |
| To pay to his intendant | A |
| Five hundred pounds a year | E |
| And to think of his old father | E |
| And live and make good cheer '' | - |
| - | |
| Such was old Brentford's honest testament | A |
| He did devise his moneys for the best | A |
| And lies in Brentford church in peaceful rest | A |
| Prince Edward lived and money made and spent | A |
| But his good sire was wrong it is confess'd | A |
| To say his son young Thomas never lent | A |
| He did Young Thomas lent at interest | A |
| And nobly took his twenty five per cent | A |
| - | |
| Long time the famous reign of Ned endured | A |
| O'er Chiswick Fulham Brentford Putney Kew | B |
| But of extravagance he ne'er was cured | A |
| And when both died as mortal men will do | B |
| 'Twas commonly reported that the steward | A |
| Was very much the richer of the two | B |
William Makepeace Thackeray
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The King Of Brentford-s Testament is a poem by William Makepeace Thackeray. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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