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قراءة كتاب The Horse Shoe The True Legend of St. Dunstan and the Devil, Showing How the Horse-Shoe Came to Be a Charm against Witchcraft

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‏اللغة: English
The Horse Shoe
The True Legend of St. Dunstan and the Devil, Showing How the Horse-Shoe Came to Be a Charm against Witchcraft

The Horse Shoe The True Legend of St. Dunstan and the Devil, Showing How the Horse-Shoe Came to Be a Charm against Witchcraft

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دار النشر: Project Gutenberg
الصفحة رقم: 7

spelling, we should see

Good humour still prevailing

And oh! if Equity, as well

As Nisi Prius, would not sell

Reason's perfection ever

To wrangling suitors sans horse-shoe

Lawyers would soon have nought to do

Their subtle efforts ceasing too

Reason from right to sever

While Meux the symbol wears, tant mieux

Repelling sinful aid to brew

His liquid strains XX;

Still, I advise, strong drinks beware

No horse-shoe thwarts the devil there

Or demon-mischief checks

And let me rede you, Mr. Barry

Not all your arms of John, Dick, Harry

Plantagenet, or Tudor;

Nor your projections, or your niches

Affluent of crowns and sculptile riches

Will scare the foul intruder

He'll care not for your harp a whistle

Nor lion, horse, rose, shamrock, thistle

Horn'd head, or Honi soit;

Nor puppy-griffs, though doubtless meant

Young senators to represent

Like Samson, armed with jaw

Only consult your sober senses

And ponder well the consequences

If in some moment evil

The old sinner should take Speaker's chair

Make Black Rod fetch the nobles there

And with them play the devil!

Then do not fail, great architect

Assembled wisdom to protect

From Satan's visitation

With horse-shoe fortify each gate

Each lion's paw; and then the State

Is safe from ruination






POSTSCRIPT.

T HE courteous reader's indulgence will, it is hoped, extend to a waiver of all proofs and vouchers in demonstration of the authenticity of this tale, which is "simply told as it was told to me." Any one who can show that it is not the true tale, will greatly oblige, if he can and will a tale unfold, that is the true one. If this is not the true story and history of the horse-shoe's charm against the wicked one, what is? That's the question.

There's nothing like candour; and so it is here candidly and ingenuously confessed that the original deed mentioned in the poem, has hitherto eluded the most diligent searches and researches. As yet, it cannot be found, notwithstanding all the patient, zealous, and persevering efforts of learned men, erudite antiquarians, law and equity chiffonniers, who have poked and pored, in, through, over, and among, heaps, bundles, and collections, of old papers, vellums, parchments, deeds, muniments, documents, testaments, instruments, ingrossments, records, writings, indentures, deed polls, escrows, books, bills, rolls, charters, chirographs, and exemplifications, in old English, German text, black letter, red letter, round-hand, court-hand,

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