Sat in his garret,
Eating toast and tea;
A little brown mouse,
Jumped into the house,
And stole it all away.
DII.
[The snail scoops out hollows, little rotund chambers, in
limestone, for its residence. This habit of the animal is so
important in its effects, as to have attracted the attention
of geologists, and Dr. Buckland alluded to it at the meeting
of the British Association in 1841. See Chambers' 'Popular
Rhymes,' p. 43. The following rhyme is a boy's invocation to
the snail to come out of such holes.]
Snail, snail, come out of your hole,
Or else I will beat you as black as a coal.
DIII.
Sneel, snaul,
Robbers are coming to pull down your wall;
Sneel, snaul,
Put out your horn,
Robbers are coming to steal your corn,
Coming at four o'clock in the morn.
DIV.
Burnie bee, burnie bee,
Tell me when your wedding be?
If it be to-morrow day,
Take your wings and fly away.
DV.
Some little mice sat in a barn to spin;
Pussy came by, and popped her head in;
"Shall I come in, and cut your threads off?"
"Oh! no, kind sir, you will snap our heads off!"
DVI.
The sow came in with the saddle,
The little pig rock'd the cradle
The dish jump'd over the table
To see the pot with the ladle.
The broom behind the butt
Call'd the dish-clout a nasty slut:
Oh! Oh! says the gridiron, can't you agree?
I'm the head constable,--come along with me.
DVII.
"What do they call you?"
"Patchy Dolly."
"Where were you born?"
"In the cow's horn."
"Where were you bred?"
"In the cow's head."
"Where will you die?"
"In the cow's eye."
DVIII.
As I went over the water,
The water went over me.
I saw two little blackbirds sitting on a tree:
The one called me a rascal,
The other called me a thief;
I took up my little black stick,
And knocked out all their teeth.
DIX.
Four and twenty tailors went to kill a snail,
The best man among them durst not touch her tail;
She put out her horns like a little Kyloe cow,
Run, tailors, run, or she'll kill you all e'en now.
DX.
[A Dorsetshire version.]
'Twas the twenty-ninth of May, 'twas a holiday,
Four and twenty tailors set out to hunt a snail;
The snail put forth his horns, and roared like a bull,
Away ran the tailors, and catch the snail who wull.
DXI.
Croak! said the Toad, I'm hungry, I think,
To-day I've had nothing to eat or to drink,
I'll crawl to a garden and jump through the pales,
And there I'll dine nicely on slugs and on snails;
Ho, ho! quoth the Frog, is that what you mean?
Then I'll hop away to the next meadow stream,
There I will drink, and eat worms and slugs too,
And then I shall have a good dinner like you.
DXII.
Gray goose and gander,
Waft your wings together,
And carry the good king's daughter
Over the one strand river.
DXIII.
Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, where have you been?
I've been up to London to look at the queen.
Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, what did you there?
I frighten'd a little mouse under the chair.
DXIV.
I had a little dog, and they called him Buff;
I sent him to the shop for a hap'orth of snuff;
But he lost the bag, and spill'd the snuff,
So take that cuff, and that's enough.
DXV.
All of a row,
Bend the bow,
Shot at a pigeon,
And killed a crow.
DXVI.
The cock doth crow,
To let you know,
If you be wise,
'Tis time to rise.
DXVII.
There was an owl lived in an oak,
Wisky, wasky, weedle;
And every word he ever spoke
Was fiddle, faddle, feedle.
A gunner chanced to come that way,
Wisky, wasky, weedle;
Says he, "I'll shoot you, silly bird."
Fiddle, faddle, feedle.
DXVIII.
When the snow is on the ground,
Little Robin Red-breast grieves;
For no berries can be found,
And on the trees there are no leaves.
The air is cold, the worms are hid,
For this poor bird what can be done?
We'll strew him here some crumbs of bread,
And then he'll live till the snow is gone.
DXIX.
A pie sate on a pear-tree,
A pie sate on a pear-tree,
A pie sate on a pear-tree,
Heigh O, heigh O, heigh O!
Once so merrily hopp'd she,
Twice so merrily hopp'd she,
Thrice so merrily hopp'd she,
Heigh O, heigh O, heigh O!
DXX.
[An ancient Suffolk song for a bad singer.]
There was an old crow
Sat upon a clod:
There's an end of my song,
That's odd!
DXXI.
Cuckoo, Cuckoo,
What do you do?
In April
I open my bill;
In May
I sing night and day;
In June
I change my tune;
In July
Away I fly;
In August
Away I must.
DXXII.
"Robert Barnes, fellow fine,
Can you shoe this horse of mine?"
"Yes, good sir, that I can,
As well as any other man:
There's a nail, and there's a prod,
And now, good sir, your horse is shod."
DXXIII.
Catch him, crow! carry him, kite!
Take him away till the apples are ripe;
When they are ripe and ready to fall,
Home comes [Johnny,] apples and all.
DXXIV.
Dickery, dickery, dare,
The pig flew up in the air;
The man in brown soon brought him down,
Dickery, dickery, dare.
DXXV.
Hickety, pickety, my black hen,
She lays eggs for gentlemen;
Gentlemen come every day
To see what my black hen doth lay.
DXXVI.
Pussy sat by the fire-side
In a basket full of coal-dust;
Bas-
ket,
Coal-
dust,
In a basket full of coal-dust!
DXXVII.
Little Robin Red-breast
Sat upon a rail:
Niddle naddle went his head,
Wiggle waggle went his tail.
DXXVIII.
Little Robin Red-breast,
Sat upon a hirdle;
With a pair of speckled legs,
And a green girdle.
DXXIX.
Johnny Armstrong kill'd a calf,
Peter Henderson got the half;
Willy Wilkinson got the head,
Ring the bell, the calf is dead!
DXXX.
Hie hie, says Anthony,
Puss in the pantry
Gnawing, gnawing
A mutton mutton-bone;
See now she tumbles it,
See now she mumbles it,
See how she tosses
The mutton mutton-bone.
DXXXI.
A long-tail'd pig, or a short-tail'd pig,
Or a pig without e'er a tail,
A sow-pig, or a boar-pig,
Or a pig with a curly tail.
DXXXII.
Once I saw a little bird,
Come hop, hop, hop;
So I cried, little bird,
Will you stop, stop, stop?
And was going to the window,
To say how do you do?
But he shook his little tail,
And far away he flew.
DXXXIII.
[The following stanza is of very considerable antiquity, and
is common in Yorkshire. See Hunter's 'Hallamshire Glossary,'
p. 56.]
Lady-cow, lady-cow, fly thy way home,
Thy house is on fire, thy children all gone,
All but one that ligs under a stone,
Fly thee home, lady-cow, ere it be gone.
DXXXIV.
Riddle me, riddle me, ree,
A hawk sate upon a tree;
And he says to himself, says he,
Oh dear! what a fine bird I be.
DXXXV. [Bird boy's song.]
Eat, Birds, eat, and make no waste,
I lie here and make no haste;
If my master chance to come,
You must fly, and I must run.
DXXXVI.
Pussy cat Mole,
Jump'd over a coal,
And in her best petticoat burnt a great hole.
Poor pussy's weeping, she'll have no more milk,
Until her best petticoat's mended with silk.
DXXXVII.
As I went to Bonner,
I met a pig
Without a wig,
Upon my word and honour.
DXXXVIII.
There was a little one-eyed gunner
Who kill'd all the birds that died last summer.
DXXXIX.
There was a piper, he'd a cow,
And he'd no hay to give her
He took his pipes and played a tune,
Consider, old cow, consider!
The cow considered very well,
For she gave the piper a penny,
That he might play the tune again,
Of corn rigs are bonnie!
DXL.
As titty mouse sat in the witty to spin,
Pussy came to her and bid her good ev'n,
"Oh, what are you doing, my little 'oman?"
"A spinning a doublet for my gude man."
"Then shall I come to thee and wind up thy thread,"
"Oh no, Mrs. Puss, you'll bite off my head."
DXLI.
Shoe the colt,
Shoe the colt,
Shoe the wild mare,
Here a nail,
There a nail,
Yet she goes bare.
DXLII.
Betty Pringle had a little pig,
Not very little and not very big,
When he was alive he lived in clover,
But now he's dead, and that's all over.
So Billy Pringle he laid down and cried,
And Betty Pringle she laid down and died;
So there was an end of one, two, and three:
Billy Pringle he,
Betty Pringle she,
And the piggy wiggy.
DXLIII.
Cock Robin got up early,
At the break of day,
And went to Jenny's window,
To sing a roundelay.
He sang Cock Robin's love
To the pretty Jenny Wren,
And when he got unto the end,
Then he began again.
DXLIV.
I had two pigeons bright and gay,
They flew from me the other day;
What was the reason they did go?
I cannot tell for I do not know.
DXLV.
Jack Sprat's pig,
He was not very little,
Nor yet very big;
He was not very lean,
He was not very fat;
He'll do well for a grunt,
Says little Jack Sprat.
DXLVI.
[The Proverb of Barnaby Bright is given by Ray and Brand as
referring to St. Barnabas.]
Barnaby Bright he was a sharp cur,
He always would bark if a mouse did but stir;
But now he's grown old, and can no longer bark,
He's condemn'd by the parson to be hanged by the clerk.
DXLVII.
Pussy cat eat the dumplings, the dumplings,
Pussy cat eat the dumplings.
Mamma stood by,
And cried, Oh, fie!
Why did you eat the dumplings?
DXLVIII.
The robin and the wren,
They fought upon the parrage pan;
But ere the robin got a spoon,
The wren had eat the parrage down.
DXLIX.
Little Bob Robin,
Where do you live?
Up in yonder wood, sir,
On a hazel twig.
DL.
The winds they did blow,
The leaves they did wag;
Along came a beggar boy,
And put me in his bag.
He took me up to London,
A lady did me buy,
Put me in a silver cage,
And hung me up on high.
With apples by the fire,
And nuts for to crack,
Besides a little feather bed
To rest my little back.
DLI.
I had a little cow, to save her,
I turned her into the meadow to graze her;
There came a heavy storm of rain,
And drove the little cow home again.
The church doors they stood open,
And there the little cow was cropen:
The bell-ropes they were made of hay,
And the little cow eat them all away:
The sexton came to toll the bell,
And pushed the little cow into the well!
DLII.
In the month of February,
When green leaves begin to spring,
Little lambs do skip like fairies,
Birds do couple, build, and sing.
DLIII.
Pussy sits behind the fire,
How can she be fair?
In comes the little dog,
Pussy, are you there?
So, so, Mistress Pussy,
Pray how do you do?
Thank you, thank you, little dog,
I'm very well just now.
DLIV.
The dove says coo, coo, what shall I do?
I can scarce maintain two.
Pooh, pooh, says the wren, I have got ten,
And keep them all like gentlemen!
DLV.
Bow, wow, wow,
Whose dog art thou?
Little Tom Tinker's dog,
Bow, wow, wow.
DLVI.
Pitty Patty Polt,
Shoe the wild colt!
Here a nail;
And there a nail;
Pitty Patty Polt.
DLVII.
How d' 'e dogs, how? whose dog art thou,
Little Tom Tinker's dog! what's that to thou?
Hiss! bow, a wow, wow!
DLVIII.
Bobbin-a-Bobbin bent his bow,
And shot at a woodcock and kill'd a yowe:
The yowe cried ba, and he ran away,
But never came back 'till midsummer-day.
DLIX.
A little cock sparrow sat on a green tree, (_tris_)
And he cherruped, he cherruped so merry was he; (_tris_)
A little cock-sparrow sat on a green tree,
And he cherruped, he cherruped so merry was he.
A naughty boy came with his wee bow and arrow, (_tris_)
Determined to shoot this little cock sparrow, (_tris_)
A naughty, &c.
Determined, &c.
This little cock sparrow shall make me a stew, (_tris_)
And his giblets shall make me a little pie too, (_tris_)
Oh, no! said ye sparrow I won't make a stew,
So he flapped his wings and away he flew!
DLX.
Snail, snail, put out your horns,
I'll give you bread and barleycorns.
DLXI.
[The following song is given in Whiter's 'Specimen, or a
Commentary on Shakespeare,' 8vo, London, 1794, p. 19, as
common in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. Dr. Farmer gives another
version as an illustration of a ditty of Jacques in 'As You
Like It,' act ii, sc. 5. See Malone's Shakespeare, ed. 1821,
vol. vi, p. 398; Caldecott's 'Specimen,' 1819, note on 'As You
Like It,' p. 11; and Douce's 'Illustrations,' vol. i, p. 297.]
Dame, what makes your ducks to die?
What the pize ails 'em? what the pize ails 'em?
They kick up their heels, and there they lie,
What the pize ails 'em now?
Heigh, ho! heigh, ho!
Dame, what makes your ducks to die?
What a pize ails 'em? what a pize ails 'em?
Heigh, ho! heigh, ho!
Dame, what ails your ducks to die?
Eating o' polly-wigs, eating o' polly-wigs.
Heigh, ho! heigh, ho!
DLXII.
Lady bird, lady bird, fly away home,
Thy house is on fire, thy children all gone,
All but one, and her name is Ann,
And she crept under the pudding-pan.
DLXIII.
Little Robin Redbreast sat upon a tree,
Up went Pussy cat, and down went he;
Down came Pussy cat, and away Robin ran;
Says little Robin Redbreast, "Catch me if you can."
Little Robin Redbreast jump'd upon a wall,
Pussy cat jump'd after him, and almost got a fall,
Little Robin chirp'd and sang, and what did Pussy say?
Pussy cat said "Mew," and Robin jump'd away.
DLXIV.
There was a little boy went into a barn,
And lay down on some hay;
An owl came out and flew about,
And the little boy ran away.
DLXV.
Snail, snail, shut out your horns;
Father and mother are dead:
Brother and sister are in the back yard,
Begging for barley bread.
DLXVI.
I had a little hen, the prettiest ever seen,
She washed me the dishes, and kept the house clean:
She went to the mill to fetch me some flour;
She brought it home in less than an hour;
She baked me my bread, she brew'd me my ale,
She sat by the fire and told many a fine tale.
DLXVII.
Pussey cat sits by the fire,
How did she come there?
In walks the little dog,
Says, "Pussey! are you there?
How do you do, Mistress Pussey?
Mistress Pussey, how d'ye do?"
"I thank you kindly, little dog,
I fare as well as you!"
DLXVIII.
[A north country version of a very common nursery rhyme, sung
by a child, who imitates the crowing of a cock.]
Cock-a-doodle-do,
My dad's gane to ploo;
Mammy's lost her pudding-poke,
And knows not what to do.
DLXIX.
Higglepy Piggleby,
My black hen,
She lays eggs
For gentlemen;
Sometimes nine,
And sometimes ten,
Higglepy Piggleby,
My black hen!
DLXX.
Pretty John Watts,
We are troubled with rats,
Will you drive them out of the house?
We have mice, too, in plenty,
That feast in the pantry;
But let them stay,
And nibble away;
What harm in a little brown mouse?
DLXXI.
Jack Sprat
Had a cat,
It had but one ear;
It went to buy butter,
When butter was dear.
DLXXII.
On Christmas eve I turn'd the spit,
I burnt my fingers, I feel it yet;
The cock sparrow flew over the table;
The pot began to play with the ladle.
DLXXIII.
See, saw, Margery Daw,
The old hen flew over the malt house,
She counted her chickens one by one,
Still she missed the little white one,
And this is it, this is it, this is it.
DLXXIV.
Hurly, burly, trumpet trase,
The cow was in the market place,
Some goes far, and some goes near,
But where shall this poor henchman steer?
DLXXV.
There was an old woman had three cows,
Rosy, and Colin, and Dun;
Rosy and Colin were sold at the fair,
And Dun broke his head in a fit of despair
And there was an end of her three cows,
Rosy, and Colin, and Dun.
DLXXVI.
I'll away yhame,
And tell my dame,
That all my geese
Are gane but yane;
And it's a steg (_gander_),
And it's lost a leg;
And it'll be gane
By I get yhame.
DLXXVII.
[Imitated from a pigeon.]
Curr dhoo, curr dhoo,
Love me, and I'll love you!
DLXXVIII.
I like little pussy, her coat is so warm,
And if I don't hurt her she'll do me no harm;
So I'll not pull her tail, nor drive her away,
But pussy and I very gently will play.
DLXXIX.
Little cock robin peep'd out of his cabin,
To see the cold winter come in,
Tit, for tat, what matter for that,
He'll hide his head under his wing!
DLXXX.
The pettitoes are little feet,
And the little feet not big;
Great feet belong to the grunting hog,
And the pettitoes to the little pig.
DLXXXI.
Charley Warley had a cow.
Black and white about the brow;
Open the gate and let her go through,
Charley Warley's old cow!
DLXXXII.
I had a little cow;
Hey-diddle, ho-diddle!
I had a little cow, and it had a little calf,
Hey-diddle, ho-diddle; and there's my song half.
I had a little cow;
Hey-diddle, ho-diddle!
I had a little cow, and I drove it to the stall;
Hey-diddle, ho-diddle; and there's my song all!
DLXXXIII.
_The Cock._ Lock the dairy door,
Lock the dairy door!
_The Hen._ Chickle, chackle, chee,
I haven't got the key!
DLXXXIV.
I had a little pony,
His name was Dapple-gray,
I lent him to a lady,
To ride a mile away;
She whipped him, she slashed him,
She rode him through the mire;
I would not lend my pony now
For all the lady's hire.
DLXXXV.
Bah, bah, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes, marry, have I,
Three bags full:
One for my master,
And one for my dame,
But none for the little boy
Who cries in the lane.
DLXXXVI.
Hussy, hussy, where's your horse?
Hussy, hussy, gone to grass!
Hussy, hussy, fetch him home,
Hussy, hussy, let him alone.
DLXXXVII.
Leg over leg,
As the dog went to Dover;
When he came to a stile,
Jump he went over.
DLXXXVIII.
Rowsty dowt, my fire's all out,
My little dame is not at home!
I'll saddle my cock, and bridle my hen,
And fetch my little dame home again!
Home she came, tritty trot,
She asked for the porridge she left in the pot;
Some she ate and some she shod,
And some she gave to the truckler's dog;
She took up the ladle and knocked its head,
And now poor Dapsy dog is dead!
DLXXXIX.
Little boy blue, come blow up your horn,
The sheep's in the meadow, the cow's in the corn;
Where's the little boy that looks after the sheep?
He's under the hay-cock fast asleep.
Will you wake him? No, not I;
For if I do, he'll be sure to cry.
DXC.
Goosey, goosey, gander,
Where shall I wander?
Up stairs, down stairs,
And in my lady's chamber;
There I met an old man
That would not say his prayers;
I took him by the left leg,
And threw him down stairs.
DXCI.
Goosy, goosy, gander,
Who stands yonder?
Little Betsy Baker;
Take her up, and shake her.
[Illustration]
SIXTEENTH CLASS.
ACCUMULATIVE STORIES.
DXCII.
I sell you the key of the king's garden:
I sell you the string that ties the key, &c.
I sell you the rat that gnawed the string, &c.
I sell you the cat that caught the rat, &c.
I sell you the dog that bit the cat, &c.
DXCIII.
[Traditional pieces are frequently so ancient, that
possibility will not be outraged by conjecturing the John
Ball of the following piece to be the priest who took so
distinguished a part in the rebellion temp. Richard II.]
John Ball shot them all;
John Scott made the shot,
But John Ball shot them all.
John Wyming made the priming,
And John Brammer made the rammer,
And John Scott made the shot,
But John Ball shot them all.
John Block made the stock,
And John Brammer made the rammer,
And John Wyming made the priming,
And John Scott made the shot,
But John Ball shot them all.
John Crowder made the powder,
And John Block made the stock,
And John Wyming made the priming,
And John Brammer made the rammer,
And John Scott made the shot,
But John Ball shot them all.
John Puzzle made the muzzle,
And John Crowder made the powder,
And John Block made the stock,
And John Wyming made the priming,
And John Brammer made the rammer,
And John Scott made the shot,
But John Ball shot them all.
John Clint made the flint,
And John Puzzle made the muzzle,
And John Crowder made the powder,
And John Block made the stock,
And John Wyming made the priming,
And John Brammer made the rammer,
And John Scott made the shot,
But John Ball shot them all.
John Patch made the match,
John Clint made the flint,
John Puzzle made the muzzle,
John Crowder made the powder,
John Block made the stock,
John Wyming made the priming,
John Brammer made the rammer,
John Scott made the shot,
But John Ball shot them all.
DXCIV.
1. This is the house that Jack built.
2. This is the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
3. This is the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
4. This is the cat,
That kill'd the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
5. This is the dog,
That worried the cat,
That kill'd the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
6. This is the cow with the crumpled horn,
That toss'd the dog,
That worried the cat,
That kill'd the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
7. This is the maiden all forlorn,
That milk'd the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That kill'd the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
8. This is the man all tatter'd and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milk'd the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That kill'd the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
9. This is the priest all shaven and shorn,
That married the man all tatter'd and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That kill'd the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
10. This is the cock that crow'd in the morn,
That waked the priest all shaven and shorn,
That married the man all tatter'd and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milk'd the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That kill'd the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
11. This is the farmer sowing his corn,
That kept the cock that crow'd in the morn,
That waked the priest all shaven and shorn,
That married the man all tatter'd and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milk'd the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
DXCV.
[The original of 'The house that Jack built' is presumed to be
a hymn in _Sepher Haggadah_, fol. 23, a translation of which
is here given. The historical interpretation was first given
by P. N. Leberecht, at Leipsic, in 1731, and is printed in the
'Christian Reformer,' vol. xvii, p. 28. The original is in
the Chaldee language, and it may be mentioned that a very fine
Hebrew manuscript of the fable, with illuminations, is in the
possession of George Offer, Esq. of Hackney.]
1. A _kid_, _a kid_, my father bought,
For two pieces of money:
A kid, a kid.
2. Then came _the cat_, and ate the kid,
That my father bought
For two pieces of money:
A kid, a kid.
3. Then came _the dog_, and bit the cat,
That ate the kid,
That my father bought
For two pieces of money:
A kid, a kid.
4. Then came _the staff_, and beat the dog,
That bit the cat,
That ate the kid,
That my father bought
For two pieces of money:
A kid, a kid.
5. Then came _the fire_, and burned the staff,
That beat the dog,
That bit the cat,
That ate the kid,
That my father bought
For two pieces of money:
A kid, a kid.
6. Then came _the water_, and quenched the fire,
That burned the staff,
That beat the dog,
That bit the cat,
That ate the kid,
That my father bought
For two pieces of money:
A kid, a kid.
7. Then came _the ox_, and drank the water,
That quenched the fire,
That burned the staff,
That beat the dog,
That bit the cat,
That ate the kid,
That my father bought
For two pieces of money:
A kid, a kid.
8. Then came _the butcher_, and slew the ox,
That drank the water,
That quenched the fire,
That burned the staff,
That beat the dog,
That bit the cat,
That ate the kid,
That my father bought
For two pieces of money:
A kid, a kid.
9. Then came _the angel of death_, and killed the butcher,
That slew the ox,
That drank the water,
That quenched the fire,
That burned the staff,
That beat the dog,
That bit the cat,
That ate the kid,
That my father bought
For two pieces of money:
A kid, a kid.
10. Then came _the Holy One_, blessed be He!
And killed the angel of death,
That killed the butcher,
That slew the ox,
That drank the water,
That quenched the fire,
That burned the staff,
That beat the dog,
That bit the cat,
That ate the kid,
That my father bought
For two pieces of money:
A kid, a kid.
The following is the interpretation:
1. The kid, which was one of the pure animals, denotes the
Hebrews.
The father, by whom it was purchased, is Jehovah, who
represents himself as sustaining this relation to the Hebrew
nation. The two pieces of money signify Moses and Aaron,
through whose mediation the Hebrews were brought out of Egypt.
2. The cat denotes the Assyrians, by whom the ten tribes were
carried into captivity.
3. The dog is symbolical of the Babylonians.
4. The staff signifies the Persians.
5. The fire indicates the Grecian empire under Alexander the
Great.
6. The water betokens the Roman, or the fourth of the great
monarchies to whose dominions the Jews were subjected.
7. The ox is a symbol of the Saracens, who subdued Palestine,
and brought it under the caliphate.
8. The butcher that killed the ox denotes the crusaders,
by whom the Holy Land was wrested out of the hands of the
Saracens.
9. The angel of death signifies the Turkish power, by which
the land of Palestine was taken from the Franks, and to which
it is still subject.
10. The commencement of the tenth stanza is designed to show
that God will take signal vengeance on the Turks, immediately
after whose overthrow the Jews are to be restored to their
own land, and live under the government of their long-expected
Messiah.
DXCVI.