1Two mountebanks
contended for a stage
, 2A spruce
young gallant, t’other well in age. 3The various brags
that furthered this contention 4Are too too tedious in this place to mention.
5The governor of the town did thus decide
6That by their antidotes they should be tried
. 7Each of them poison should the other give,
8And he that by preparatives
did live 9Should have the present stage and future glory,
10And the defunct should live in this sad story
. 11The lots were drawn, the young man first did dress
12An ugly toad in sippets
for his mess
, 13With verdigris
for sauce, this he presents, 14Which the old mountebank sadly resents
; 15Yet he with many faces
ate
it up. 16The sauce he most unwilling did sup,
17For the young quacksalver
would never lean
18Till, like Jack Sprat, he licked the platter clean.
19Then, looking that he should have fall’n and died,
20His young antagonist he did deride
, 21Saying, “You gave to me a fulsome
dish, 22But I will neatly satisfy your wish.
23I’ll offer what is pleasing to your sight,
24Naught but this little piece of aconite
, 25Which, as philosophers do all presume,
26Had its original from Cerberus’s
spume
. 27When strong Alcides
drew him up to Earth 28His foam gave hellish aconite its birth
.” 29The young man fain
would have this bit refused; 30The old man to baffling
being not used, 31Gave him the root, which he no sooner ate
32But his sad heart and every vein did beat,
33His mouth to either ear did stretch so wide,
34And in this horrid posture straight he died.
35Then let this teach all in their youthful age
36Not to contest with those
are old and sage
. 37Nor like this gallant
on their wit rely, 38Lest they, like him, ere long do grinning lie;
39This bold young quack, his proud attempts did feild
; 40Then let me ever to my betters yield.