CLIV.

A few, indeed, of her proper sex,
Who seem’d to feel her foot on their necks,
And fear’d their charms would meet with checks
  From so rare and splendid a blazon—­
A few cried “fie!”—­and “forward”—­and “bold!”
And said of the Leg it might be gold,
  But to them it look’d like brazen!

CLV.

’Twas hard they hinted for flesh and blood,
Virtue and Beauty, and all that’s good,
  To strike to mere dross their topgallants—­
But what were Beauty, or Virtue, or Worth,
Gentle manners, or gentle birth,
Nay, what the most talented head on earth
  To a Leg worth fifty Talents!

CLVI.

But the men sang quite another hymn
Of glory and praise to the precious Limb—­
Age, sordid Age, admired the whim
  And its indecorum pardon’d—­
While half of the young—­ay, more than half—­
Bow’d down and worshipp’d the Golden Calf,
  Like the Jews when their hearts were harden’d.

CLVII.

A Golden Leg!—­what fancies it fired! 
What golden wishes and hopes inspired! 
  To give but a mere abridgment—­
What a leg to leg-bail Embarrassment’s serf! 
What a leg for a Leg to take on the turf! 
  What a leg for a marching regiment!

CLVIII.

A Golden Leg!—­whatever Love sings,
’Twas worth a bushel of “Plain Gold Rings”
  With which the Romantic wheedles. 
’Twas worth all the legs in stockings and socks—­
’Twas a leg that might be put in the Stocks,
  N.B.—­Not the parish beadle’s!

CLIX.

And Lady K. nid-nodded her head,
Lapp’d in a turban fancy-bred,
Just like a love-apple huge and red,
  Some Mussul-womanish mystery;
    But whatever she meant
      To represent,
  She talked like the Muse of History.

CLX.

She told how the filial leg was lost;
And then how much the gold one cost;
  With its weight to a Trojan fraction: 
And how it took off, and how it put on;
And call’d on Devil, Duke, and Don,
Mahomet, Moses, and Prester John,
  To notice its beautiful action.

CLXI.

And then of the Leg she went in quest;
And led it where the light was best;
And made it lay itself up to rest
  In postures for painter’s studies: 
It cost more tricks and trouble by half,
Than it takes to exhibit a six-legg’d Calf
  To a boothful of country Cuddies.

CLXII.

Nor yet did the Heiress herself omit
The arts that help to make a hit,
  And preserve a prominent station. 
She talk’d and laugh’d far more than her share;
And took a part in “Rich and Rare
Were the gems she wore”—­and the gems were there,
  Like a Song with an Illustration.