Mephisto

We’ve drunk to everything we know,
From Lang Syne to The Ladies;
Now, one more Toast before we go—
Mephisto, Prince of Hades!
When sober we are wont, ’tis true,
To bury, not to praise him;
But let us give the De’il his due,
And toast him while we raise him.
For tho’ his company we’re taught
To shun, there’s no denying
Mephisto never yet was caught
Beneath false colors flying.
He wears his coat and plume of red
With candor so unswerving
We must applaud, although ’tis said
He took some points from Irving.
Think of the Stage, think of the Church,
Without their villain ruddy,
If Old Nick left them in the lurch
Without an understudy!
As well “Othello” played without
The Gentleman of Color,
Or “Hamlet” with the Prince left out:
Could anything be duller?
A world from all temptation free
Would sadly lack in flavor;
And what would Untried Virtue be
But Salt without its savor?
To pawn his soul the sinner goes
More than half-way to meet him,
Yet when Mephisto would foreclose
He does his best to cheat him.
In Church to-day we sound his Knell,
To-morrow at a revel
We fall to raising him—and—well,
We treat him like the Devil.
So let us toast our Foe of Foes,
Long may we live to rout him.
Here’s to Mephisto! Goodness knows
What would we do without him.
And, good Mephisto, do not spurn
Our Toast with mocking laughter,
Nor yet the compliment return—
By Toasting us hereafter!