But I'll have in exchange"-here his eye flash'd with

rage

"That chap with the buttons-he gave me the Page!"

"Come, come," the Saint answer'd, "you very well know The young man's no more his than your own to bestow

Touch one button of his if you dare, Nick no;

no!

Cut your stick, sir-come, mizzle!-be off with you!go!"

The Devil grew hot - "If I do I'll be shot! An you come to that, Cuthbert, I'll tell you what's

what;

He has asked us to dine here, and go we will not!

Why, you Skinflint, -at least You may leave us the feast!

Here we've come all that way from our brimstone

abode,

Ten million good leagues, Sir, as ever you strode, And the deuce of a luncheon we've had on the road-Go!' 'Mizzle!' indeed Mr. Saint, who are

you,

I should like to know? - 'Go?' - I'll be hanged if

I do!

He invited us all-we've a right here-it's known
That a Baron may do what he likes with his own-

Here, Asmodeus

mustard!

a slice of that beef; now the

What have you got? - oh, apple pie - try it with

custard!"

The Saint made a pause As uncertain, because

He knew Nick is pretty well "up" in the laws,
And they might be on his side-and then he'd such

claws!

On the whole, it was better, he thought, to retire
With the curly-wigg'd boy he'd pick'd out of the fire,
And give up the victuals-to retrace his path,

And to compromise-(spite of the Member for Bath).

So to Old Nick's appeal,

heel,

As he turn'd on his

He replied, "Well, I'll leave you the mutton and

veal,

And the soup à la Reine, and the sauce Bechamel !
As The Scroope did invite you to dinner, I feel
I can't well turn you out-'twould be hardly genteel-
But be moderate, pray, and remember thus much,
Since you're treated as Gentlemen, show yourselves

such,

And don't make it late, But mind and go straight Home to bed when you've finish'd-and don't steal the

plate!

Nor wrench off the knocker, or bell from the gate.

Walk away, like respectable Devils, in peace,
And don't 'lark' with the watch, or annoy the

police!"

Having thus said his say, That Palmer grey Took up little Le Scroope, and walk'd coolly away, While the Demons all set up a "Hip! hip! hurray!" Then fell, tooth and claw, on the victuals, as they Had been guests at Guildhall upon Lord Mayor's day, All scrambling and scuffling for what was before 'em, No care for precedence or common decorum.

Few ate more hearty Than Madam Astarte, And Hecate,-considered the Belles of the party. Between them was seated Leviathan, eager To "do the polite," and take wine with Belphegor; Here was Morbleu (a French devil), supping soup

meagre,

And there, munching leeks, Davy Jones of Tredegar
(A Welsh one), who'd left the domains of Ap Morgan,
To "follow the sea," and next him Demogorgon, -
Then Pan with his pipes, and Fauns grinding the

organ

To Mammon and Belial, and half a score dancers,
Who'd joined with Medusa to get up "the Lancers; "
-Here's Lucifer lying blind drunk with Scotch ale,
While Beelzebub's tying huge knots in his tail.
There's Setebos, storming because Mephistopheles

Gave him the lie, Said he'd "blacken his eye,"

And dash'd in his face a whole cup of hot coffee

lees ;

Ramping and roaring, Hiccoughing, snoring,

Never was seen such a riot before in

A gentleman's house, or such profligate revelling
At any soirée-where they don't let the Devil in.

Hark! as sure as fate The clock's striking
Eight!

(An hour which our ancestors called "getting late,")
When Nick, who by this time was rather elate,

Rose up and addressed them.

"'Tis full time," he said,

"For all elderly Devils to be in their bed;

For my own part I mean to be jogging, because
I don't find myself now quite so young as I was;
But, Gentlemen, ere I depart from my post,
I must call on you all for one bumper-the toast
Which I have to propose is,

HOST!

OUR EXCELLENT

-Many thanks for his kind hospitality-may
We also be able, To see at our table

Himself, and enjoy, in a family way,
His good company downstairs at no distant day:

You'd, I'm sure, think me rude If I did not
include

In the toast my young friend there, the curly-wigg'd

Heir!