Charms Of Precedence - A Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AAABACDAEFGGHIJJKKLL BBBBMNOOPPLLQQRSLTLL UVBBWWXXBBLLYYZZBBMN A2B2DDOOBBZZC2C2B2B2 D2D2BBOOE2E2B2B2BBSD F2F2XXOOBBG2G2B2B2BB DDDDDBBH2H2DDDDBBBBI 2I2J2J2B2B2I2I2DDDDL LK2K2L2L2M2M2N2N2LLB 2B2B2B2DDK2K2O2O2DDB 2B2P2P2OODDB2B2B2B2K 2K2OODDLLLLQ2Q2B2B2D DB2B2ZZLLGGDDB2B2JJH 2H2ZZDAL2L2DDLL

'Sir will you please to walk before 'A
'No pray Sir you are next the door 'A
'Upon mine honour I'll not stir 'A
'Sir I'm at home consider Sir'B
'Excuse me Sir I'll not go first 'A
'Well if I must be rude I mustC
But yet I wish I could evade itD
'Tis strangely clownish be persuaded 'A
Go forward Cits go forward SquiresE
Nor scruple each what each admiresF
Life squares not Friends with your proceedingG
It flies while you display your breedingG
Such breeding as one's grannum preachesH
Or some old dancing master teachesI
Oh for some rude tumultuous fellowJ
Half crazy or at least half mellowJ
To come behind you unawaresK
And fairly push you both down stairsK
But Death's at hand let me advise yeL
Go forward Friends or he'll surprise yeL
Besides how insincere you areB
Do ye not flatter lie forswearB
And daily cheat and weekly prayB
And all for this to lead the wayB
Such is my theme which means to proveM
That though we drink or game or loveN
As that or this is most in fashionO
Precedence is our ruling passionO
When college students take degreesP
And pay the beadle's endless feesP
What moves that scientific bodyL
But the first cutting at a gaudyL
And whence such shoals in bare conditionsQ
That starve and languish as physiciansQ
Content to trudge the streets and stare atR
The fat apothecary's chariotS
But that in Charlotte's chamber seeL
Moli re's M decin malgr luiT
The leech howe'er his fortunes varyL
Still walks before the apothecaryL
Flavia in vain has wit and charmsU
And all that shines and all that warmsV
In vain all human race adore herB
For Lady Mary ranks before herB
O Celia gentle Celia tell usW
You who are neither vain nor jealousW
The softest breast the mildest mienX
Would you not feel some little spleenX
Nor bite your lip nor furl your browB
If Florimel your equal nowB
Should one day gain precedence of yeL
First served though in a dish of coffeeL
Placed first although where you are foundY
You gain the eyes of all aroundY
Named first though not with half the fameZ
That waits my charming Celia's nameZ
Hard fortune barely to inspireB
Our fix'd esteem and fond desireB
Barely where'er you go to proveM
The source of universal loveN
Yet be content observing thisA2
Honour's the offspring of capriceB2
And worth howe'er you have pursued itD
Has now no power but to exclude itD
You'll find your general reputationO
A kind of supplemental stationO
Poor Swift with all his worth could ne'erB
He tells us hope to rise a peerB
So to supply it wrote for fameZ
And well the wit secured his aimZ
A common patriot has a driftC2
Not quite so innocent as SwiftC2
In Britain's cause he rants he laboursB2
'He's honest faith ' have patience NeighboursB2
For patriots may sometimes deceiveD2
May beg their friends' reluctant leaveD2
To serve them in a higher sphereB
And drop their virtue to get thereB
As Lucian tells us in his fashionO
How souls put off each earthly passionO
Ere on Elysium's flowery strandE2
Old Charon suffer'd them to landE2
So ere we meet a court's caressesB2
No doubt our souls must change their dressesB2
And souls there be who bound that wayB
Attire themselves ten times a dayB
If then 'tis rank which all men covetS
And saints alike and sinners love itD
If place for which our courtiers throngF2
So thick that few can get alongF2
For which such servile toils are seenX
Who's happier than a king a queenX
Howe'er men aim at elevationO
'Tis properly a female passionO
Women and beaus beyond all measureB
Are charm'd with rank's ecstatic pleasureB
Sir if your drift I rightly scanG2
You'd hint a beau was not a manG2
Say women then are fond of placesB2
I waive all disputable casesB2
A man perhaps would something lingerB
Were his loved rank to cost a fingerB
Or were an ear or toe the price on 'tD
He might deliberate once or twice on 'tD
Perhaps ask Gataker's advice on 'tD
And many as their frames grow oldD
Would hardly purchase it with goldD
But women wish precedence everB
'Tis their whole life's supreme endeavourB
It fires their youth with jealous rageH2
And strongly animates their ageH2
Perhaps they would not sell outrightD
Or maim a limb that was in sightD
Yet on worse terms they sometimes choose itD
Nor even in punishment refuse itD
Pre eminence in pain you cryB
All fierce and pregnant with replyB
But lend your patience and your earB
An argument shall make it clearB
But hold an argument may failI2
Beside my title says A TaleI2
Where Avon rolls her winding streamJ2
Avon the Muses' favourite themeJ2
Avon that fills the farmers' pursesB2
And decks with flowers both farms and versesB2
She visits many a fertile valeI2
Such was the scene of this my TaleI2
For 'tis in Evesham's Yale or near itD
That folks with laughter tell and hear itD
The soil with annual plenty bless'dD
Was by young Corydon possess'dD
His youth alone I lay before yeL
As most material to my storyL
For strength and vigour too he had themK2
And 'twere not much amiss to add themK2
Thrice happy lout whose wide domainL2
Now green with grass now gilt with grainL2
In russet robes of clover deepM2
Or thinly veil'd and white with sheepM2
Now fragrant with the bean's perfumeN2
Now purpled with the pulse's bloomN2
Might well with bright allusion store meL
But happier bards have been before meL
Amongst the various year's increaseB2
The stripling own'd a field of peaseB2
Which when at night he ceased his laboursB2
Were haunted by some female neighboursB2
Each morn discover'd to his sightD
The shameful havoc of the nightD
Traces of this they left behind themK2
But no instructions where to find themK2
The devil's works are plain and evilO2
But few or none have seen the devilO2
Old Noll indeed if we may creditD
The words of Echard who has said itD
Contrived with Satan how to fool usB2
And bargain'd face to face to rule usB2
But then Old Noll was one in tenP2
And sought him more than other menP2
Our shepherd too with like attentionO
May meet the female fiends we mentionO
He rose one morn at break of dayD
And near the field in ambush layD
When lo a brace of girls appearsB2
The third a matron much in yearsB2
Smiling amidst the pease the sinnersB2
Sat down to cull their future dinnersB2
And caring little who might own themK2
Made free as though themselves had sown themK2
'Tis worth a sage's observationO
How love can make a jest of passionO
Anger had forced the swain from bedD
His early dues to love unpaidD
And Love a god that keeps a potherL
And will be paid one time or otherL
Now banish'd Anger out of doorL
And claim'd the debt withheld beforeL
If Anger bid our youth revileQ2
Love form'd his features to a smileQ2
And knowing well 'twas all grimaceB2
To threaten with a smiling faceB2
He in few words express'd his mindD
And none would deem them much unkindD
The amorous youth for their offenceB2
Demanded instant recompenceB2
That recompence from each which shameZ
Forbids a bashful Muse to nameZ
Yet more this sentence to discoverL
'Tis what Bet grants her loverL
When he to make the strumpet willingG
Has spent his fortune to a shillingG
Each stood awhile as 'twere suspendedD
And loth to do what each intendedD
At length with soft pathetic sighsB2
The matron bent with age repliesB2
''Tis vain to strive justice I knowJ
And our ill stars will have it soJ
But let my tears your wrath assuageH2
And show some deference for ageH2
I from a distant village cameZ
Am old God knows and something lameZ
And if we yield as yield we mustD
Despatch my crazy body first 'A
Our shepherd like the Phrygian swainL2
When circled round on Ida's plainL2
With goddesses he stood suspendedD
And Pallas's grave speech was endedD
Own'd what she ask'd might be his dutyL
But paid the compliment to beautyL

William Shenstone



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