Poem by George Canning

The Elderly Gentleman

By the side of a murmuring stream  
               an elderly gentleman sat.  
On the top of his head was a wig,  
               and a-top of his wig was his hat. 
 
The wind it blew high and blew strong,  
               as the elderly gentleman sat;  
And bore from his head in a trice,  
               and plunged in the river his hat. 
 
The gentleman then took his cane  
               which lay by his side as he sat; 
And he dropped in the river his wig, 
                in attempting to get out his hat. 
 
His breast it grew cold with despair,  
               and full in his eye madness sat; 
So he flung in the river  
               his cane to swim with his wig and his hat. 
 
Cool reflexion at last came across  
              while this elderly gentleman sat; 
So he thought he would follow the stream  
               and look for his cane, wig and hat. 
 
His head being thicker than common,  
               o’er-balanced the rest of his fat; 
And in plumped this son of a woman  
               to follow his wig, cane and hat. 

1. The Traitor's Epitah
2. On the Death of His Eldest Son
3. Parody
4. All the Talents
5. The Pilgrimage to Mecca

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