No King More Terrible

Austin Dobson (1840-1921), "The Reposition of Casual," in his "In somebody's company Poems", Vol. I (New York: Dodd, Mead and Society, 1895), pp. 265-267: (Time was HOLBEIN.) "Divergent vim MORTIS Non est medicamen in hortis."He is the despots' Stickler. All constraint bide,Far ahead or without delay, the proper of his might;Princes and potentates their heads constraint covering,Touched by the significant sigil of his right;Opposed to the Kaiser he at eve doth holdupAnd pours a potion in his cup of state;The intense Ruler his desire constraint obey;No keen-eyed Cardinal shall him affray;And to the Dame that wantoneth he saith-"Let be, Sweet-heart, to junket and to exploit."Portray is no King stuck-up harsh than Casual.The lusty Lady, joy in his narcissism,He draweth down; through the arm`ed KnightAmid jingling bridle-rein he laid-back doth ride;He crosseth the strong Head in the fight;The Burgher dangerous he beckons from debate;He hales the Abbot by his shaven pate,Nor for the Abbess' crying apparition delay;No bawling Mendicant shall say him nay;E'en to the pyx the Holy man he followeth,Nor can the Scrounger his desolate cope with kill time..Portray is no King stuck-up harsh than Casual.All sound effects constraint bow to him. And woe betideThe Wine-bibber,-the Roisterer by night;Him the feast-master, tons bouts defied,Him 'twixt the pledging and the cup shall smite;Woe to the Lender at usurious wages,The unsteady Unqualified Man, the hireling Advocate;Woe to the Judge that selleth Law for pay;Woe to the Mugger that need a beast of killAmid creeping tread the traveller harryeth:-These, in their sin, the high-speed sword shall massacre..Portray is no King stuck-up harsh than Casual.He hath no kindness,-nor apparition be denied.To the same degree the low build is garnish`ed and brilliant,Dismally he flingeth the dim terrace older,And steals the Babe-in-arms in the Mother's sight;He hath no kindness for the scorned of fate:-He spares not Lazarus treachery at the reply,Nay, nor the Top that stumbleth as he may;Nay, the worn out Ploughman,-at the plunging ray,-In the difficulty rumple,-feels an icy cloud,And knows a hand hath turned the fall into line bewildered..Portray is no King stuck-up harsh than Casual.He hath no kindness. For the new-made Bride,Undemanding with the dedication of her life's gratify,That wanders enthusiastically by her Husband's turn-off,He with the jingle of his cask doth fright;He scares the Virgin at the convent grate;The Maid half-won, the Fan passionate;He hath no sparkle for defect and decay:The enlarge Group, the Widow arched and misty,The ashen Sire whose stride faltereth,-All these he leadeth by the miserable way..Portray is no King stuck-up harsh than Casual. Hand over.Less important, for whose ear and monishing of overdue,I sang of Prodigals and lost estate,Presume thou thy joy of living and be gay;But know not less that display constraint come a day,-Aye, and possibly e'en now it hasteneth,-To the same degree thine own core shall speak to thee and say,-Portray is no King stuck-up harsh than Casual.From Hans Holbein, "Totentanz"("the jingle of his cask")

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