1829.] 
In Laudem Bulle Aero-nautice. 503 
Old fathers and mothers, 
Grim uncles and brothers, 
May hunt them from Janu’ry to June ; 
They are off to the stars, 
And in Venus or Mars 
You may spy out their air-balloon. 
Your makers of rhyme 
May at last grow sublime, 
Inspired by a touch at the moon ; 
And lawyers may rise 
For once to the skies, 
In the car of the air-balloon. 
Your ministers, soaring, 
May shun all the boring 
Of country and city baboon; 
Or, like ministers’ spouses, 
Look down on both Houses 
From the car of the air-balloon. 
The sweet six months’ widow 
Her weeds will abide, O, 
No longer, nor cry “ ’Tis too soon !” 
But range the skies over, 
In search of a lover, 
In the car of the air-balloon. 
If you wish for a singe-a 
In Afric or India, 
Or long for an Esquimaux tune, 
Or wish to go snacks 
With the king of the blacks,— 
Why,—call for your air-balloon. 
If, on Teneriffe’s Peak, 
You'd wish for a steak, 
Or dip in Vesuvius your spoon, 
Or slip all the dog-days, 
The rain-days, and fog-days,— 
Go, call for your air-balloon, 
Your doctors of physic 
May banish the phthisic, 
Your cook give you ice-creams in June ; 
If a dun’s in the wind, 
You may leave him behind, 
And be off in your air-balloon. 
On the top of the Andes, 
Who’s tortured with dandies ? 
On Potosi, who meets a buffoon? 
But, for fear I'd get prosy, 
I'll stop at Potosi,— 
So, huzza for the air-balloon ! 
