Thetime arrived again to house the store;
          The labourer collected as before;
          Leaves solely to his lordship were assigned,
          Who sought for those a ready sale to find,
          But through the market ridicule was heard,
          And ev’ry one around his jest preferred:—­
          Pray, Mister Devil, where d’ye grow these greens? 
          How treasure up returns from your demesnes?

          Enragedat what was said, he hurried back,
          And, on the clown, proposed to make attack,
          Who, full of joy, was laughing with his wife,
          And tasting pleasantly the sweets of life. 
          By all the pow’rs of Hell, the demon cried,
          He shall the forfeit pay, I now decide;
          A pretty rascal truly, master Phil: 
          Here, pleasures you expect at will,
          Well, well, proceed; gallant it while allowed;
          For present I’ll remit what I had vowed;
          A charming lady I’m engaged to meet;
          She’s sometimes willing:  then again discreet;
          But soon as I, in cuckold’s row, have placed
          Her ninny husband, I’ll return in haste,
          And then so thoroughly I’ll trim you o’er,
          Such wily tricks you’ll never practise more;
          We’ll see who best can use his claws and nails,
          And from the fields obtain the richest sales. 
          Corn, carrots, radishes, or what you will:—­
          Crop as you like, and show your utmost skill
          No stratagems howe’er with culture blend;
          I’ll take my portion from the better end;
          Within a week, remember, I’ll be here,
          And recollect:—­you’ve every thing to fear.

          Amazedat what the lordly devil said,
          The clod could naught reply, so great his dread;
          But at the gasconade Perretta smiled,
          Who kept his house and weary hours beguiled,
          A sprightly clever lass, with prying eye,
          Who, when a shepherdess, could more descry,
          Than sheep or lambs she watched upon the plain,
          If other views or points she sought to gain. 
          Said she, weep not, I’ll undertake at ease,
          To gull this novice-devil as I please;
          He’s young and ignorant; has nothing seen;
          Thee; from his rage, I thoroughly will skreen;
          My little finger, if I like can show
          More malice than his head and body know.

          Theday arrived, our labourer, not brave,
          Concealed himself, but not in vault nor cave;
          He plunged within a vase extremely large,
          Where holy-water always was in charge;
          No demon would have thought to find him there,
          So well the clod had chosen his repair;
          In sacred stoles he muffled up his skin,
          And, ’bove the water, only kept his chin;
          There we will leave him, while the priests profound
          Repeated Vade retro round and round.