Character Of Charles Brown
I.
He
is
to
weet
a
melancholy
carle:
Thin
in
the
waist,
with
bushy
head
of
hair
As
hath
the
seeded
thistle
when
in
parle
It
holds
the
Zephyr,
ere
it
sendeth
fair
Its
light
balloons
into
the
summer
air;
Therto
his
beard
had
not
begun
to
bloom,
No
brush
had
touch'd
his
chin
or
razor
sheer;
No
care
had
touch'd
his
cheek
with
mortal
doom,
But
new
he
was
and
bright
as
scarf
from
Persian
loom.
II.
Ne
cared
he
for
wine,
or
half-and-half;
Ne
cared
he
for
fish
or
flesh
or
fowl,
And
sauces
held
he
worthless
as
the
chaff,
He
'sdeigned
the
swine-head
at
the
wassail-bowl;
Ne
with
lewd
ribbalds
sat
he
cheek
by
jowl,
Ne
with
sly
Lemans
in
the
scorner's
chair;
But
after
water-brooks
this
Pilgrim's
soul
Panted,
and
all
his
food
was
woodland
air
Though
he
would
oft-times
feast
on
gilliflowers
rare.
III.
The
slang
of
cities
in
no
wise
he
knew,
Tipping
the
wink
to
him
was
heathen
Greek;
He
sipp'd
no
olden
Tom
or
ruin
blue,
Or
nantz
or
cherry-brandy
drank
full
meek
By
many
a
damsel
hoarse
and
rouge
of
cheek;
Nor
did
he
know
each
aged
watchman's
beat,
Nor
in
obscured
purlieus
would
he
seek
For
curled
Jewesses
with
ankles
neat,
Who
as
they
walk
abroad
make
tinkling
with
their
feet.
