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O, Tempora! O, Mores! · Ririro.com - Poetry

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: O tempora, O moris, O times, O manners! It is
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: my opinion that you are changing sadly your dominion. I
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: mean the reign of manners hath long ceased, For men
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  Speaker 1: have none at all, or bad at least. And as
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  Speaker 1: for times, although tis said by many The good old
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: times were far the worst of any, Of which sound
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: doctrine I believe each tittle, Yet still I think these
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: worse than them a little. I've been a-thinking, isn't that
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: the phrase? I like your Yankee words and Yankee ways.
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: I've been a-thinking whether it were best To take things
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  Speaker 1: seriously or all in jest, Whether, with grim Heraclitus of yore,
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  Speaker 1: To weep, as he did, till his eyes were sore.
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: Or rather, laugh with him, that queer philosopher, Democritus of Thrace,
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  Speaker 1: who used to toss over the page of life and
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  Speaker 1: grin at the dog ears, as though he'd say, why,
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  Speaker 1: who the devil cares? This is a question which, oh heaven,
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  Speaker 1: withdraw the luckless query from a member's claw. Instead of
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  Speaker 1: two sides, Bob has nearly eight, each fit to furnish
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  Speaker 1: forth four hours debate. What shall be done? I'll lay
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  Speaker 1: it on the table and take the matter up when
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  Speaker 1: I'm more able. And in the meantime, to prevent all bother,
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: I'll neither laugh with one nor cry with the other,
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  Speaker 1: nor deal in flattery or aspersions foul, but taking one
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  Speaker 1: by each hand, merely growl. Ah, growl, say you, my friend,
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: and pray at what? Why, really, sir, I almost had forgot.
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: But damn it, sir, I deem it a disgrace that
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  Speaker 1: things should stare us boldly in the face and daily
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: strut the street with bows and scrapes who would be
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: men by imitating apes. I beg your pardon, reader, for
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: the oath. The monkeys make me swear, though something loath.
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: I'm apt to be discursive in my style, but pray
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: be patient. Yet a little while will change me, And
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: as politicians do, I'll mend my manners and my measures too.
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: Of all the cities, and I've seen no few, For
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  Speaker 1: I have traveled, friend, as well as you, I don't
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  Speaker 1: remember one upon my soul, But take it generally upon
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  Speaker 1: the whole, As members say they like their logic taken,
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  Speaker 1: Because divided it may chance be shaken, So pat, agreeable,
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: and vastly proper. As this for a neat, frisky counter-hopper.
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  Speaker 1: Here he may revel to his heart's content, Flounce like
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  Speaker 1: a fish in his own element, Toss back his fine
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: curls from their forehead fair, And hop over counters with
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  Speaker 1: a vester's air. Complete at night what he began that morning,
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  Speaker 1: And having cheated ladies, dance with them, For at a ball,
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  Speaker 1: what fair one can escape The pretty little hand that
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  Speaker 1: sold her tape? Or who so cold, so callous to
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: refuse The youth who cut the ribbon for her shoes?
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: One of these fish, par excellence the bow, God help me,
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  Speaker 1: it has been my lot to know, At least by sight,
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: for I'm a timid man, And always keep from laughing
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: if I can. But speak to him, he'll make you
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: such grimace, Lord, to be grave exceeds the power of face.
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  Speaker 1: The hearts of all the ladies are with him, their
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: bright eyes on his tom and jerry brim, and dovetailed
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  Speaker 1: coat obtained at cost, while then those eyes won't turn
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  Speaker 1: on anything like men. His very voice is musical delight.
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  Speaker 1: His form, once seen, becomes a part of sight. In short,
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  Speaker 1: his shirt collar, his look, his tone, is the beau
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  Speaker 1: ideal fancied for Adonis. Philosophers have often held dispute as
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  Speaker 1: to the seat of thought in man and brute. For
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: that the power of thought attends the latter, my friend,
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  Speaker 1: the beau, hath made a settled matter. And spite of
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  Speaker 1: all dogmas, current in all ages, one settled fact is
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  Speaker 1: better than ten sages. For he does think, Though I
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: am often in doubt, If I can tell exactly what about. Ah, yes,
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  Speaker 1: his little foot and ankle trim, Tis there the seat
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: of reason lies in him. A wise philosopher would shake
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  Speaker 1: his head, He then, of course, must shake his foot instead.
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  Speaker 1: At me, in vengeance, shall that foot be shaken. Another
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  Speaker 1: proof of thought I'm not mistaken, Because to his cat's
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  Speaker 1: eyes I hold a glass. and let him see himself,
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  Speaker 1: a proper ass. I think he'll take this likeness to himself,
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  Speaker 1: but if he won't, he shall, a stupid elf. And
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  Speaker 1: lest the guessing throw the fool in fits, I close
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: the portrait with the name of Pitts.