The Schoolmaster's Motto

Hush! silence in School--not a noise!
You shall soon see there's nothing to jeer at,
Master Marsh, most audacious of boys!
Come!--"Palmam qui meruit ferat!"

So this morn in the midst of the Psalm,
The Miss Siffkin's school you must leer at,
You're complained of--Sir! hold out your palm,--
There!--"Palmam qui meruit ferat!"

You wilful young rebel, and dunce!
This offence all your sins shall appear at,
You shall have a good caning at once--
There!--"Palmam qui meruit ferat!"

You are backward, you know, in each verb,
And your pronouns you are not more clear at,
But you're forward enough to disturb,--
There!--"Palmam qui meruit ferat!"

You said Master Twigg stole the plums,
When the orchard he never was near at,
I'll not punish wrong fingers or thumbs,--
There!--"Palmam qui meruit ferat!"

You make Master Taylor your butt,
And this morning his face you threw beer at,
And you struck him--do you like a cut?
There!--"Palmam qui meruit ferat!"

Little Biddle you likewise distress,
You are always his hair, or his ear at,--
He's my Opt, Sir, and you are my Pess:
There!--"Palmam qui meruit ferat!"

Then you had a pitcht fight with young Rous,
An offence I am always severe at!
You discredit to Cicero-House!
There!--"Palmam qui meruit ferat!"

You have made too a plot in the night,
To run off from the school that you rear at!
Come, your other hand, now, Sir,--the right,
There!--"Palmam qui meruit ferat!"

I'll teach you to draw, you young dog!
Such pictures as I'm looking here at!
"Old Mounseer making soup of a frog,"
There!--"Palmam qui meruit ferat!"

You have run up a bill at a shop,
That in paying you'll be a whole year at,--
You've but twopence a week, Sir, to stop!
There!--"Palmam qui meruit ferat!"

Then at dinner you're quite cock-a-hoop,
And the soup you are certain to sneer at--
I have sipped it--it's very good soup,--
There!--"Palmam qui meruit ferat!"

T'other day when I fell o'er the form,
Was my tumble a thing, Sir, to cheer at?
Well for you that my temper's not warm,--
There!--"Palmam qui meruit ferat!"

Why, you rascal! you insolent brat!
All my talking you don't shed a tear at,
There--take that, Sir! and that! that! and that!
There!--"Palmam qui meruit ferat!"