King Crack[1] And His Idols.

WRITTEN AFTER THE LATE NEGOTIATION FOR A NEW MINISTRY.


King Crack was the best of all possible Kings,
    (At least, so his Courtiers would swear to you gladly,)
But Crack now and then would do heterodox things,
    And at last took to worshipping Images sadly.

Some broken-down Idols, that long had been placed
    In his father's old Cabinet, pleased him so much,
That he knelt down and worshipt, tho'--such was his taste!--
    They were monstrous to look at and rotten to touch.

And these were the beautiful Gods of King Crack!--
    But his People disdaining to worship such things
Cried aloud, one and all, "Come, your Godships must pack--
    "You'll not do for us, tho' you may do for Kings."

Then trampling these images under their feet,
    They sent Crack a petition, beginning "Great Caesar!
"We're willing to worship; but only entreat
    "That you'll find us some decenter godheads than these are."

"I'll try," says King Crack--so they furnisht him models
    Of better shaped Gods but he sent them all back;
Some were chiselled too fine, some had heads stead of noddles,
    In short they were all much too godlike for Crack.

So he took to his darling old Idols again,
    And just mending their legs and new bronzing their faces,
In open defiance of Gods and of man,
    Set the monsters up grinning once more in their places.