THUS says
the Prophet of the Turk:
"Good
Mussulman, abstain from pork.
There is a
part in every swine
No friend
or follower of mine
May taste,
whate'er his inclination,
On pain of
excommunication."
Such
Mohammed's mysterious charge,
And thus he
left the point at large.
Had he the sinful part expressed,
They might
with safety eat the rest;
But for one piece they thought it hard
From the
whole hog to be debarred,
And set
their wit at work to find
What joint
the Prophet had in mind.
Much
controversy straight arose
These
chose the back, the belly those;
By some,
'tis confidently said,
He meant
not to forbid the head;
While
others at that doctrine rail,
And piously
prefer the tail.
Thus,
conscience freed from every clog,
Mohammedans eat up the hog.
You
laugh-'tis well. The tale applied
May make
you laugh on t'other side.
Renounce
the world! the preacher cries.
We do! a.
multitude replies.
While one
as innocent regards
A snug and
friendly game at cards;
And one,
whatever you may say,
Can see no
evil in a play;
Some love a
concert, or a race;
And others
shooting, and the chase.
Reviled and
loved, renounced and followed,
Thus, bit
by bit, the world is swallowed;
Each thinks
his neighbour makes too free,
Yet likes a
slice as well as he.
With
sophistry their sauce they sweeten,
Till quite from tail to snout
'tis eaten.
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