Religion

On a Curate's Complaint of Hard Duty

by Jonathan Swift 1667–1745

Religion

I marched three miles through scorching sand,
With zeal in heart, and notes in hand;
I rode four more to Great St. Mary,
Using four legs, when two were weary:
To three fair virgins I did tie men,
In the close bands of pleasing Hymen;
I dipp'd two babes in holy water,
And purified their mother after.
Within an hour and eke a half,
I preach'd three congregations deaf;
Where, thundering out, with lungs long-winded,
I chopp'd so fast, that few there minded.
My emblem, the laborious sun,
Saw all these mighty labours done
Before one race of his was run.
All this perform'd by Robert Hewit:
What mortal else could e'er go through it!

MLA

Swift, Jonathan. “On a Curate's Complaint of Hard Duty.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/swift/125/.

Chicago

Swift, Jonathan. “On a Curate's Complaint of Hard Duty.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/swift/125/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

More by Jonathan Swift