CORA LEE.

Would you hear the story toldOf the controversy bold,That this day I did behold,In a court of low degree,Where his Honor sat like fate,To decide betwixt the stateAnd a wanton villain’s mate,Named Cora Lee?The bold chief of stars was near,As a witness to appear.(By his order, Cora dearWas languishing below.)And for counsel she had gotA descendant of old Wat—Noted for his daring plot,Some years ago.It was he commenced the fuss,“For,” said he, “by this and thus,Here I smell ananimus[1]As strong as musk of yore;And it’s my condensed belief,That in language terse and brief,I can trace it to the chief,E’en to his door.”Then to all it did appearThat the chief was seized with fear;To the lawyer he drew near,And to him muttered low:“I could never think that yeWould be quite so hard with me;You had better let me be,And travel slow.”Then the lawyer quit his chairAs if wasps were buzzing there,And with quite a tragic air,Addressed his Honor thus—“At your hands I claim protection.Keep your eyes in this direction,Take cognizance of his action,Thisanimus!”Then arose the chief of stars,And his visage shone like Mars,When he recks not battle scars,But charges to the fray.And his hand began to glideTo his pocket deep and wide,Where a weapon well suppliedIn waiting lay.

Would you hear the story told

Of the controversy bold,

That this day I did behold,

In a court of low degree,

Where his Honor sat like fate,

To decide betwixt the state

And a wanton villain’s mate,

Named Cora Lee?

The bold chief of stars was near,As a witness to appear.(By his order, Cora dearWas languishing below.)And for counsel she had gotA descendant of old Wat—Noted for his daring plot,Some years ago.

The bold chief of stars was near,

As a witness to appear.

(By his order, Cora dear

Was languishing below.)

And for counsel she had got

A descendant of old Wat—

Noted for his daring plot,

Some years ago.

It was he commenced the fuss,“For,” said he, “by this and thus,Here I smell ananimus[1]As strong as musk of yore;And it’s my condensed belief,That in language terse and brief,I can trace it to the chief,E’en to his door.”

It was he commenced the fuss,

“For,” said he, “by this and thus,

Here I smell ananimus[1]

As strong as musk of yore;

And it’s my condensed belief,

That in language terse and brief,

I can trace it to the chief,

E’en to his door.”

Then to all it did appearThat the chief was seized with fear;To the lawyer he drew near,And to him muttered low:“I could never think that yeWould be quite so hard with me;You had better let me be,And travel slow.”

Then to all it did appear

That the chief was seized with fear;

To the lawyer he drew near,

And to him muttered low:

“I could never think that ye

Would be quite so hard with me;

You had better let me be,

And travel slow.”

Then the lawyer quit his chairAs if wasps were buzzing there,And with quite a tragic air,Addressed his Honor thus—“At your hands I claim protection.Keep your eyes in this direction,Take cognizance of his action,Thisanimus!”

Then the lawyer quit his chair

As if wasps were buzzing there,

And with quite a tragic air,

Addressed his Honor thus—

“At your hands I claim protection.

Keep your eyes in this direction,

Take cognizance of his action,

Thisanimus!”

Then arose the chief of stars,And his visage shone like Mars,When he recks not battle scars,But charges to the fray.And his hand began to glideTo his pocket deep and wide,Where a weapon well suppliedIn waiting lay.

Then arose the chief of stars,

And his visage shone like Mars,

When he recks not battle scars,

But charges to the fray.

And his hand began to glide

To his pocket deep and wide,

Where a weapon well supplied

In waiting lay.

THE CHIEF.

“Ho!” he cried, “you shyster hound,If you go on nosing roundTill ananimusyou’ve found,My dear sir, hearken you:I will open, by my soul!In your carcass such a hole,You will think a wagon poleHas run you through.“Youwould prate about the law?Youwould magnify a flaw?Youwould touch me on the raw?So now, sir, say no more!Keep a padlock on your jaw,Not a sentence, or I’ll draw,And I’ll scatter you like strawAround the floor!”Now the Judge’s face grew redAs a turkey gobbler’s headWhen a scarlet robe is spreadOn the lawn or fence.“I adjourn the court,” he cried,“’Till thatanimushas died,And is buried head and hideFar from hence.”Then the rush was for the door;From the corridors they pour,—Three old women were run o’erWithin the justice hall;And above the tramp and patter,And the cursing and the chatter,And the awful din and clatter,Rose their squall.When the open air was gained,Then the epithets were rained,And the passer’s ear was painedWith profanity flung loose,Back and forth the wordy pair,Shameless swapped opinions there;’Till all parties got their shareOf vile abuse.When the man of “briefs” would flee,Chieftain followed like a bee,Or a shark a ship at seaWhen hunger presses sore;’Till, enraged, the lawyer, heCried, “If fight you want of me,Wait with patience minutes three,Not any more;“’Till I hasten up the stairTo my office, and prepare,Like yourself for rip and tear,And piling bodies dead.Then, if you can blaze it faster,Carve designs for probe or plaster,Quicker work a soul’s disaster,Just waltz ahead.”But alas! his hasty tongue,Vulgar name or sentence flung,And the chieftain’s pride was stungDown to the marrow bone.Now upon him, head and tail,Pitched policemen, tooth and nail,Hot as bees when they assailA lazy drone.And upon the evening breezeRose the “begorras” and the “yees”Of a dozen Mulroonees,As they roughly haleThe poor lawyer through the street,Sometimes lifted from his feet,Sometimes o’er the noddle beat,Toward the jail.Now upon a truss of straw,Lies the counsellor-at-law,Wishing Satan had his pawOn wily Cora Lee.For himself to grief is brought,While theanimushe soughtRunning is, as free as thought,Or like his fee.

“Ho!” he cried, “you shyster hound,

If you go on nosing round

Till ananimusyou’ve found,

My dear sir, hearken you:

I will open, by my soul!

In your carcass such a hole,

You will think a wagon pole

Has run you through.

“Youwould prate about the law?Youwould magnify a flaw?Youwould touch me on the raw?So now, sir, say no more!Keep a padlock on your jaw,Not a sentence, or I’ll draw,And I’ll scatter you like strawAround the floor!”

“Youwould prate about the law?

Youwould magnify a flaw?

Youwould touch me on the raw?

So now, sir, say no more!

Keep a padlock on your jaw,

Not a sentence, or I’ll draw,

And I’ll scatter you like straw

Around the floor!”

Now the Judge’s face grew redAs a turkey gobbler’s headWhen a scarlet robe is spreadOn the lawn or fence.“I adjourn the court,” he cried,“’Till thatanimushas died,And is buried head and hideFar from hence.”

Now the Judge’s face grew red

As a turkey gobbler’s head

When a scarlet robe is spread

On the lawn or fence.

“I adjourn the court,” he cried,

“’Till thatanimushas died,

And is buried head and hide

Far from hence.”

Then the rush was for the door;From the corridors they pour,—Three old women were run o’erWithin the justice hall;And above the tramp and patter,And the cursing and the chatter,And the awful din and clatter,Rose their squall.

Then the rush was for the door;

From the corridors they pour,—

Three old women were run o’er

Within the justice hall;

And above the tramp and patter,

And the cursing and the chatter,

And the awful din and clatter,

Rose their squall.

When the open air was gained,Then the epithets were rained,And the passer’s ear was painedWith profanity flung loose,Back and forth the wordy pair,Shameless swapped opinions there;’Till all parties got their shareOf vile abuse.

When the open air was gained,

Then the epithets were rained,

And the passer’s ear was pained

With profanity flung loose,

Back and forth the wordy pair,

Shameless swapped opinions there;

’Till all parties got their share

Of vile abuse.

When the man of “briefs” would flee,Chieftain followed like a bee,Or a shark a ship at seaWhen hunger presses sore;’Till, enraged, the lawyer, heCried, “If fight you want of me,Wait with patience minutes three,Not any more;

When the man of “briefs” would flee,

Chieftain followed like a bee,

Or a shark a ship at sea

When hunger presses sore;

’Till, enraged, the lawyer, he

Cried, “If fight you want of me,

Wait with patience minutes three,

Not any more;

“’Till I hasten up the stairTo my office, and prepare,Like yourself for rip and tear,And piling bodies dead.Then, if you can blaze it faster,Carve designs for probe or plaster,Quicker work a soul’s disaster,Just waltz ahead.”

“’Till I hasten up the stair

To my office, and prepare,

Like yourself for rip and tear,

And piling bodies dead.

Then, if you can blaze it faster,

Carve designs for probe or plaster,

Quicker work a soul’s disaster,

Just waltz ahead.”

But alas! his hasty tongue,Vulgar name or sentence flung,And the chieftain’s pride was stungDown to the marrow bone.Now upon him, head and tail,Pitched policemen, tooth and nail,Hot as bees when they assailA lazy drone.

But alas! his hasty tongue,

Vulgar name or sentence flung,

And the chieftain’s pride was stung

Down to the marrow bone.

Now upon him, head and tail,

Pitched policemen, tooth and nail,

Hot as bees when they assail

A lazy drone.

And upon the evening breezeRose the “begorras” and the “yees”Of a dozen Mulroonees,As they roughly haleThe poor lawyer through the street,Sometimes lifted from his feet,Sometimes o’er the noddle beat,Toward the jail.

And upon the evening breeze

Rose the “begorras” and the “yees”

Of a dozen Mulroonees,

As they roughly hale

The poor lawyer through the street,

Sometimes lifted from his feet,

Sometimes o’er the noddle beat,

Toward the jail.

Now upon a truss of straw,Lies the counsellor-at-law,Wishing Satan had his pawOn wily Cora Lee.For himself to grief is brought,While theanimushe soughtRunning is, as free as thought,Or like his fee.

Now upon a truss of straw,

Lies the counsellor-at-law,

Wishing Satan had his paw

On wily Cora Lee.

For himself to grief is brought,

While theanimushe sought

Running is, as free as thought,

Or like his fee.

1. Private enmity towards the prisoner.

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