A few, indeed, of her proper sex, Who seem'd to feel her foot on their necks, A few cried "fie !"-and "forward "-and "bold!" But to them it looked like brazen ! 'Twas hard they hinted for flesh and blood, Virtue, and Beauty, and all that's good, To strike to mere dross their topgallants- Nay, what the most talented head on earth But the men sang quite another hymn And its indecorum pardon'd While half of the young-ay, more than half— Like the Jews when their hearts were harden'd. A Golden Leg! what fancies it fired! What a leg to leg-bail Embarrassment's serf! A Golden Leg!-whatever Love sings, 'Twas worth all the legs in stockings and socks'Twas a leg that might be put in the Stocks, N.B.-Not the parish beadle's! And Lady K. nid-nodded her head, Just like a love-apple, huge and red, To represent, She talk'd like the Muse of History. She told how the filial leg was lost; With its weight to a Trojan fraction: And then of the Leg she went in quest; It cost more tricks and trouble by half, Nor yet did the Heiress herself omit And preserve a prominent station. She talk'd and laugh'd far more than her share ; And took a part in "Rich and Rare Were the gems she wore "and the gems were there, She even stood up with a Count of France Vanity, Vanity, apt to betray, Since Satan first play'd the Viper ! But first she doff'd her hunting gear, To row with down the river- And then a space was clear'd on the floor, So the courtly dance was goldenly done, And yet, had the leg been one of those The jeers it had met,-the shouts! the scoff! Had it been a leg like those, perchance, With the steps and figures most proper,Had it hopp'd for a weekly or quarterly sum, How little of praise or grist would have come To a mill with such a hopper! But the Leg was none of those limbs forlornBartering capers and hops for corn That meet with public hisses and scorn, But hark!—as slow as the strokes of a pump, Thump, lump! As the Giant of Castle Otranto might stump Down she goes with a noisy dint, But the supper, alas! must rest untold, It would need the Great Enchanter's charm, He-only HE-could fitly state THE MASSIVE SERVICE OF GOLDEN PLATE, With the proper phrase and expansion— The Rare Selection of FOREIGN WINES The ALPS OF ICE and MOUNTAINS OF PINES, The punch in OCEANS and sugary shrines, The TEMPLE OF TASTE from GUNTER'S DE SIGNS In short, all that WEALTH with A FEAST com bines, In a SPLENDID FAMILY MANSION. Suffice it each mask'd outlandish guest Ate and drank of the very best, According to critical conners And then they pledged the Hostess and Host, Walk'd off with more Than its share of the "Hips!" and honors! "Miss Kilmansegg! Full glasses I beg !— Miss Kilmansegg and her Precious Leg!" HER DREAM. Miss Kilmansegg took off her leg, For the Rout was done and the riot: The Square was hush'd; not a sound was heard; The sky was grey, and no creature stirr'd, Except one little precocious bird, That chirp'd-and then was quiet. So still without,-so still within ;— To drop a pin So intense is silence after a din, It seem'd like Death's rehearsal ! And the taper burnt with as still a flame, The time for sleep had come at last ; Quite a field of Bedfordshire clover; |