"
With that, he twisted his girdle at me like a rope, as who should say,
"Now you may go hang yourself for me!" and so went away.
Well: I thought I should have swoon'd, "Law!" said I, "what shall I do?
I have lost my money, and shall lose my true love too!"
Then my Lord called me: "Harry," said my Lord, "don't cry,
I'll give you something towards your loss;" and, says my Lady,
"so will I."
"O, but," said I, "what if, after all, the chaplain won't come to?"
For that, he said, (an't please your Excellencies), I must petition you.
The premises tenderly consider'd, I desire your Excellencies' protection,
And that I may have a share in next Sunday's collection:
And, over and above, that I may have your Excellencies' letter,
With an order for the chaplain aforesaid, or, instead of him, a better:
And then your poor petitioner both night and day,
Or the chaplain (for 'tis his trade), as in duty bound, shall ever pray.
XXVII. ELEGY ON PARTRIDGE.
This was written to satirize the superstitious faith placed in the
predictions of the almanac-makers of the period. Partridge was the
name of one of them--a cobbler by profession. Fielding also
satirized the folly in _Tom Jones_. The elegy is upon "his
supposed death", which drew from Partridge an indignant denial.
Well; 'tis as Bickerstaff has guess'd,
Though we all took it for a jest:
Partridge is dead; nay more, he died
Ere he could prove the good 'squire lied.
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