450 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1797. 
‘“¢ But how to cure the evil? You will fay, 
“ My recipe is laughing it away. 
* Lay bare the weak farrago of thofe men 
“« Who fabricate fuch vifionary fchemes, 
“ As if the night-mare rode upon their pen, 
“ And troubl’d all their ink with hideous dreams. 
* For inftance, when a folemn ghoft ftalks in, 
“« And through a myftic tale, is bufy, 
“ Strip me the gentleman into his fkin, 
s* What is he? 
“ Truly ridiculous enough: 
“ Mere trafh,—and very childith ftuff.”” 
LODGINGS FOR SINGLE GENTLEMEN :— A Tak. 
From the fame. 
HO has e’er been in London, that overgrown place, 
Has feen Ledgings to Let ftare him full in the face. 
Some are good, and let dearly ; while fome, ’tis well known, 
Are fo dear and fo bad, they are beft let alone. 
Derry down. 
Will Waddle, whofe temper was ftudious and lonely, 
Hired lodgings that took fingle gentlemen only ; 
But Will was fo fat he appear’d like a ton ;— 
Or like two fingle gentlemen roll’d into one. 
He enter’d his rooms; and to bed he retreated, 
But, all'the night long, he felt fever’d and heated ; 
And, though heavy to weigh, as a fcore of fat fheep, 
He was not, by any means, heavy to fleep. 
Next night ’*twas the fame ;—and the next ;—and the next; 
He perfpir’d like an ox; he was nervous and vex’d. 
Week pafs’d after week; till, by weekly fucceflion, 
His weakly condition was paft all expretiion. 
In fix months his acquaintance began much to doubt him; 
For his fkin, “ like a lady’s loofe gown,” hung about him. 
He fent for a Doétor ; and cry’d, like a ninny, 
“ [ have loft many pounds—make me well—there’s a guinea.” 
The Doétor look’d wife :—“ a flow fever,” he faid : 
Prefcrib’d fudorifics, znd going to bed.— 
** Sudorifics in bed,” exclaim’d Will, “ are humbugs ;’”’ 
“ I’ve enough of them there, without paying for drugs.” 
Wil kick’d out the Do&er but when ill indeed, 
L’eu difmiffing the Doctor don’t ehvays fucceed ; 
So, calling his hoft, he faid, “+ Sir, do you know, : 
“Tm the fat fingle geatlenran, fix months ago?” 
« Loolde 
