Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, RABELAIS AND THE LAMPREYS, by HORACE SMITH


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

RABELAIS AND THE LAMPREYS, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: When the eccentric rabelais was physician
Last Line: "but one of most delicious flavour!"
Alternate Author Name(s): Smith, Horatio
Variant Title(s): The Doctor And The Lampreys
Subject(s): Food & Eating; Lampreys; Physicians; Doctors


WHEN the eccentric Rabelais was physician
To Cardinal Lorraine, he sat at dinner
Beside that gormandizing sinner;
Not like the medical magician
Who whisked from Sancho Panza's fauces
The evanescent meats and sauces,
But to protect his sacred master
Against such diet as obstructs
The action of the epigastre,
O'erloads the biliary ducts,
The peristaltic motion crosses,
And puzzles the digestive process.

The Cardinal, one hungry day,
First having with his eyes consumed
Some lampreys that before him fumed,
Had plunged his fork into the prey,
When Rabelais gravely shook his head,
Tapped on his plate three times and said --
"Pah! -- hard digestion! hard digestion!"
And his bile-dreading Eminence,
Though sorely tempted, had the sense
To send it off without a question. --

"Hip! Hallo! bring the lampreys here!"
Cried Rabelais, as the dish he snatched;
And gobbling up the dainty cheer,
The whole was instantly dispatched.

Redden'd with vain attempts at stifling
At once his wrath and appetite,
His patron cried, "Your conduct's rude,
This is no subject, sir, for trifling;
How dare you designate this food
As indigestible and crude,
Then swallow it before my sight?"

Quoth Rabelais, "It may soon be shown
That I don't merit this rebuff:
I tapped the plate, and that you'll own,
Is indigestible enough;
But as to this unlucky fish,
With you so strangely out of favour,
Not only 'tis a wholesome dish,
But one of most delicious flavour!"





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net