Jetsam; Occasional Verses (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1897. Excerpt: ... ODE ON THE INFLUENCE OF LUCK IN EXAMS. YOU can ne'er the tricks of fortune Calculate, Howsoe'er you be importun-Ate. Should you have the luck to get a Paper A, You will be a Don, et cete-Ra. If however you secure Paper B, You will get a plough most sure-Ly. If "my luck is at its best I may Do quite well: Luck's a factor quite inestima-Ble. And alas my luck was ever A sad thing, Spite of all my best endeavour-ing. Aorists weak I learnt with care From a list; And I got the second aor-Ist. In my Euclid I was great on II. n; But of course I met my fate, I. 7 In my Scripture I was toffy On Bildad; So, of course, they set Zelophe-Had. Algebra exactly suited Such as I; But for x they substituted Y. When next time I learnt to multiPly by y, Z my best attempts would stultiFy. In Greek Test I knew that twisty 'PaKous piece; But I got the vdpSov irio-Tt-In my Lucian even worse it Fared with me, By Dame Fortune's strange perversit Y. Somnium I could translate, Less or more; And the piece was from Piscat-Or. This time I have cut the whole Somnium, Just the things I do not know'll Come. These are causes, unforgotten, Of my pluck; You'll acknowledge there's a lot in Luck. What I write in this strange measure Is no fable; And I hope you've found it pleasur Able. V ELEGY WRITTEN DURING THE GENERAL. T. Mary's tolls the knell of parting day; O The most already are prepared to flee; Still the Invigilator plods his way, And casts a weary, patient eye on me. Nigh draws the finish of the slow exam., And all the air a solemn silence fills, Save here and there a low expressive And the swift scratching of belated quills: Save that from certain regions of the gloom Unhappy souls complain in muffled tone Of such as, wandering up and down the room, Forbid the stealthy glance at smug...