BETA

Stanzas to Kate,

On appearing before her after a casual
turn up.

“ —— A black eye in a recent scuffle,
“ For sometimes we must box without the muffle.”
Don Juan .
All punish’d and penitent down on the
knee,1
I bend to thee, Kate, to avert an adieu :2
Oh, let not thine eyes, love, look black upon
me.3
Because mine are forc’d to look black upon
you.4
Am I worse in your eyes, for being worse in
my own?5
Are the women to punish, as well as the men?6
I thought you’d have brought, when you
found me alone,7
Opodeldoc and smiles to restore me again.8
You know I love sparring and poesy, Kate,9
And scarcely care whether I’m hit at or
kiss’d ;10
You know that Spring* equally makes me
elate,11
With the blow of a flower, and the blow of
a fist.12
You know as you walk’d one damp evening
of late,13
With your beau at your side, that a bow
in the sky14
Arch’d its colours ethereal, and surely my
Kate,15
This must be the rainbow I had in my eye.16
Forgive me, and never, oh, never again,17
I’ll cultivate light blue, or brown inebriety ;18
I’ll give up all chance of a fracture or sprain,19
And part, worse thin all, with Pierce Egan’s
society.20
Forgive me, and mufflers I’ll carefully pull21
O’er my knuckles hereafter, to make them
well bred ;22
To mollify digs in the kidney with wool,23
And temper with leather a punch of the head.24
And Kate !— if you’ll fib from your fore-
head that frown,25
And spar with a lighter and prettier tone ;26
I’ll look,—if the swelling should ever go
down,27
And these eyes look again,—upon you, love,
alone!28
* There is both a Boxer and a Season of this name.