Mythology & Folklore

Three Men of Gotham

by Thomas Love Peacock 1785–1866

From The Oxford Book of English Verse, ed. A. Quiller-Couch (1900)

Mythology & Folklore

Seamen three! What men be ye?
Gotham's three wise men we be.
Whither in your bowl so free?
To rake the moon from out the sea.
The bowl goes trim. The moon doth shine.
And our ballast is old wine.--
And your ballast is old wine.

Who art thou, so fast adrift?
I am he they call Old Care.
Here on board we will thee lift.
No: I may not enter there.
Wherefore so? 'Tis Jove's decree,
In a bowl Care may not be.--
In a bowl Care may not be.

Fear ye not the waves that roll?
No: in charmèd bowl we swim.
What the charm that floats the bowl?
Water may not pass the brim.
The bowl goes trim. The moon doth shine.
And our ballast is old wine.--
And your ballast is old wine.

MLA

Peacock, Thomas Love. “Three Men of Gotham.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/peacock/9/.

Chicago

Peacock, Thomas Love. “Three Men of Gotham.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/peacock/9/.

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