A COUNSEL in the Common Pleas, Who was esteemed a mighty wit, Upon the strength of a chance hit Amid a thousand flippancies, And his occasional bad jokes In bullying, bantering, browbeating, Ridiculing, and maltreating Women, or other timid folks, In a late cause resolved to hoax A clownish Yorkshire farmer -- one Who, by his uncouth look and gait, Appeared expressly meant by Fate For being quizzed and played upon: So having tipped the wink to those In the back rows, Who kept their laughter bottled down, Until our wag should draw the cork, He smiled jocosely on the clown, And went to work. "Well, Farmer Numscull, how go calves at York?" "Why -- not, sir, as they do wi' you, But on four legs, instead of two." "Officer!" cried the legal elf, Piqued at the laugh against himself, "Do pray keep silence down below there. Now look at me, clown, and attend; Have I not seen you somewhere, friend?" "Yees -- very like -- I often go there." "Our rustic's waggish -- quite laconic," The counsel cried, with grin sardonic; "I wish I'd known this prodigy, This genius of the clods, when I On circuit was at York residing. Now, Farmer, do for once speak true -- Mind, you're on oath, so tell me, you, Who doubtless think yourself so clever, Are there as many fools as ever In the West Riding?" "Why -- no, sir, no; we've got our share, But not so many as when @3you@1 were there!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...I HAVE SEEN THE SPRING' by SARA TEASDALE A VOYAGE TO CYTHERA by CHARLES BAUDELAIRE THE BALLAD OF PROSE AND RHYME by HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON A LECTURE UPON THE SHADOW by JOHN DONNE AN ANTE-BELLUM SERMON by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR ROBIN HOOD, TO A FRIEND by JOHN KEATS |