Mercury to Mars

Miss Richardson (L.I.F.)

  Says Mercury to Mars
  “Come prithee cease your jars
  Let us have no more ado
  Or dearly we may rue
  See Jove with rage is big
  And shakes his amber wig
Contention’s in vain I declare oh!
  A majority of votes
  My conquest sure denotes
  Constellations all incline
  To decide the vict’ry mine
  I’ll ask the Lady Venus
  To make harmony between us
And friendship eternal we’ll swear oh!”

  Mars quickly then replies
  Rage flashing from his eyes
  “Do you think I’m such an ass
  As to let this matter pass
  No, having once possessed
  Pow’r supreme o’er the Chest
No usurper shall reign I declare oh
  But as I feel assured
  Hermes ne’er will be endured
  I venture to suggest
  That the members of the Chest
  Shall decide as they think best
  And by their great behest
I’ll abide by the Styx, I swear oh!”

  And now behold the cause
  Submitted to the laws
  Of the members of the Chest
  Who flock from East to West
  Clever counsel is engaged
  By the opponents enraged
And stern is the judge I declare oh.
  The pleadings are begun
  And, after some time, done
  Victor Mercury’s pronounced
  And Ares is renounced
  Thus eloquence prevails
  When slaughter’s power fails
And war yields to rhetoric I swear oh!

Herminius