His tail's short, quick, convulsive coils

Told of more pain than all Job's boils

When Satan brought, with subtle toils

Job's patience to the scratch

For sympathetic tortures spread

From hoof to tail, from tail to head:

All did the anguish catch

And yet, though seemed this sharp correction

Stereotyped in Satan's recollection

As in his smarting hocks;

Not until he the following deed

Had signed and sealed, St. Dunstan freed

The vagabond from stocks

The horse-shoe now saves keel, and roof

From visits of this rover's hoof

The emblem seen preventing

He recks the bond, but more the pain

The nails went so against the grain

The rasp was so tormenting

He will not through Granāda march

For there he knows the horse-shoe arch

At every gate attends him

Nor partridges can he digest

Since the dire horse-shoe on the breast

Most grievously offends him

The name of Smith he cannot bear;

Smith Payne he'll curse, and foully swear

At Smith of Pennsylvania

With looks so wild about the face;

Monro called in, pronounced the case

Clear antismithymania;

And duly certified that Nick

Should be confined as lunatic

Fit subject for commission

But who the deuce would like to be

The devil's person's committee?

So kindred won't petition

Now, since the wicked fiend's at large

Skippers, and housekeepers, I charge

You all to heed my warning

Over your threshold, on your mast

Be sure the horse-shoe's well nailed fast

Protecting and adorning

Here note, if humourists by trade

On waistcoat had the shoe displayed

Lampoon's sour spirit might be laid

And cease its spiteful railing

Whether the humour chanced to be

Joke, pun, quaint ballad, repartee

Slang, or bad