It was a toss up between posting this verse here or in Lost Quotes 'cos I don't know the poem I only read this one verse in Kenneth Baker's English History in Verse.
Most with the story of his hand or thumb
Conceal (as Honor would) his Grace's bum,
When the rude bullet a large collop tore
Out of that buttock never turn'd before.
Fortune, it seem'd, would give him by that lash
Gentle correction for his fight so rash,
But should the Rump perceiv't, they'd say that Mars
Had now reveng'd them on Aumarle's arse.
Baker includes this in his notes and says its about Monck, the Duke of Albemarle, being wounded in1666. It seems too much of an interesting verse to let pass without comments from Hugh and Johnny
Post Edited (02-16-05 11:11)
Arse Gratia Artis !
Thanks for posting it here, since I don't go to Lost all that much at all !
Waydadoggonminnit! I thought that arse rhymed with lass.
I'm guessing collop is dollop and seem's is seems? I hever heard of George Mon(c)k, the aforesaid Duke, but one infers it is necessary to have been retreating rapidly from the battlefield in order to be wounded in the gluteus maximus.
Seem's should be seem'd, I've just corrected it.
Collop is a slice of meat.
Baker spells the man Monck, but Arthur Bryant uses Monk.
Anyways the admiral was a disaster commanding the fleet against the Dutch off Dover.. He ran his ships aground, lost half his fleet and 8000 men, as well as aquiring a wound.
There's always friendly fire......
pam
Or malice from your own side - revenge perhaps?
The modern term is "fragging" from throwing a fragmentation grenade into the officer's tent
The story about Monck is that he wasn't sure who he supported in the English Civil War and solved the problem by arriving after the battle was over. On the other hand he was pretty enthusiastic and good at fighting foreigners. he wasn't bad as an admiral either: the problem they had was the division in the officers between tarpaulins and gentlemen was exacerbated by the division between royalists and exrepublicans and Charles II's neglect of the navy, even though ships were cheaper than mistresses to maintain. You'll find out more in Pepys.
Aha, most interesting, thanks. Speaking of Mr. (Peeps):
A diarist, Samuel Pepys,
Wrote, "My wife is a woman who slepys
Whenever I'm randy
So I pour me a brandy,
And visit the pen of our shepys."
Thanks for the new word, Johnny - I'm sure it'll come in handy when the vicar visits.
Lovely limerick, Hugh - one of your best.
Don't frag the vicar !
(unless of course he deserves it )