Page:Weather-beaten sodger, or, the Burgo-Master of Venice.pdf/7

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[7]

Unto his house by chance to dine,
With other brave commanders fine.

The Burgo-master seeing that,
He straight put on his crownless hat,
With all his other ragged clothes,
And so into the room he goes.
The Captain then began to swear,
Lieutenant, Pray, See who is there,
My ragged Burgo-Master, who
In private from his colours flew.

Straight from the presence of his guests,
He stepp’d away, himself he drest,
In sumptuous robes he drest amain,
And then return’d to them again.
The Captain said, Right worthy Sir,
Here is a foolish ragged cur,
Indu’d with neither wit nor sense,
I’ll hang him e’er I go from hence.

He from his colours did desert,
The Burgo said, Be not so tart,
In presence of these gentlemen,
Write his discharge here’s guineas ten.
He wrote the same and took the gold,
The Burgo Master said, Behold
I am the man, and now at last
What once I said is come to pass.

The Captain then began to fume,
And told his gallants in the room,
If he had known as much before,
It should have cost him ten times more.
And then within a month or less,
The Knight who once he did address,
To lend him five pounds on the road,
came there to take up his abode.