Letter from Prosai Poetico

Miss Vardill

Mr Editor!

There are traitors in Positive House! My chronicles shall not be dumb of it!
Our Sixth Brother’s Tale has been filch’d, and we could not guess
  What had become of it,
Till we heard it was read in your court when all the Nine Muses were round ye,
As a “Lesson for Lovers” in verse subscrib’d by — Sir Pertinax Townly!
Now, sir, a man’s dying in love or in wine is a tale fit for travellers —
Brother Bibo fell only asleep and will swear he’s alive to all cavillers
Who stole the best half of his rhymes let Pertinax Townly make clear, as
We guess they were bought and retail’d by his Muse’s stock-broker,
  Scriblerass —
Let him deal him in no more stolen goods, for an action qui tam is begun to-day
And our Seventh Brother’s Tale shall be sent, tho’ he lurks, we know where, like a run-away!

Prosai Poetico
Secretary of the Taletelling Club
or Brotherhood of Bioscribes