AN E L E GY ON THE DEATH OF A MAD DOG. * GOOD people all, of every sort, Give ear unto my song, It cannot hold you long. In Islington there was a man, Of whom the world might say, That still a godly race he ran, Whene'er he went to pray. A kind and gentle heart he had, To comfort friends and foes; The naked every day he clad, When he put on his cloaths. And in that town a dog was found, As many dogs there be, Both mungrel, puppy, whelp, and hound, And curs of low degree. This * This, and the following Poem, appeared in The Vicar of Wakefield, which was published in the year 1765. This dog and man at first were friends, But when a pique began, Went mad and bit the man. Around from all the neighb'ring streets, The wond'ring neighbours ran, And swore the dog had lost his wits, To bite so good a man. The wound it seem'd both sore and sad, To every christian eye ; And while they swore the dog was mad, They swore the man would die. But soon a wonder came to light, That shew'd the rogues they ly'd; The man recover'd of the bite, The dog it was that dy'd. |