THE
WISH
.
I.
SHOULD
I
e'er
become
parson
(
for
so
I'm
inclin'd
)
May
I
get
a
snug
benefice
pat
to
my
mind
,
Large
enough
to
allow
of
a
wife
at
my
table
,
A
cow
in
my
yard
,
and
a
nag
in
my
stable
.
May
my
flock
n'er
embroil
me
in
quarrels
and
strife
,
In
good
humour
I'd
live
all
the
days
of
my
life
,
And
die
before
tir'd
of
myself
or
my
wife
.
II
.
With
a
friend
or
two
near
me
of
equal
degree
,
As
like
me
in
all
things
as
pea
is
to
pea
;
On
a
pudding
and
joint
who
contented
can
dine
,
With
a
glass
of
old
Port
,
and
October
divine
.
May
my
flock
n'er
embroil
me
in
quarrels
and
strife
,
In
good
humour
I'd
live
all
the
days
of
my
life
,
And
die
before
tir'd
of
myself
or
my
wife
.
III
.
May
my
offerings
and
tythes
make
me
always
appear
With
a
clean
tho'
coarse
shirt
ev'ry
day
in
the
year
;
For
of
all
living
things
,
not
excepting
a
swine
,
The
beastliest
of
beasts
,
is
a
beastly
divine
.
May
my
flock
n'er
embroil
me
in
quarrels
and
strife
,
In
good
humour
I'd
live
all
the
days
of
my
life
,
And
die
before
tir'd
of
myself
or
my
wife
.
IV
.
May
I
ne'er
grow
too
grave
,
not
to
join
in
the
fun
,
When
my
lord
cracks
a
joke
,
or
the
squire
cuts
a
pun
,
For
if
life
is
a
jest
,
as
the
wisest
have
spoke
,
He
lives
the
best
life
then
who
cuts
the
best
joke
.
May
my
flock
n'er
embroil
me
in
quarrels
and
strife
,
In
good
humour
I'd
live
all
the
days
of
my
life
,
And
die
before
tir'd
of
myself
or
my
wife
.
V.
With
no
mystical
learning
I'd
trouble
my
head
,
Relying
on
faith
,
which
will
do
in
its
stead
;
With
knowledge
enough
heaven's
gates
to
unlock
,
And
to
take
the
strait
road
there
along
with
my
flock
.
May
my
flock
n'er
embroil
me
in
quarrels
and
strife
,
In
good
humour
I'd
live
all
the
days
of
my
life
,
And
die
before
tir'd
of
myself
or
my
wife
.
VI
.
With
a
bottle
or
two
of
prime
wine
on
my
shelf
,
To
recur
to
whene'er
I
am
tir'd
of
myself
;
And
a
good
natur'd
muse
to
retire
to
at
leisure
,
Who
will
wrap
me
in
rhimes
,
and
inspire
me
with
measure
.
May
my
flock
n'er
embroil
me
in
quarrels
and
strife
,
In
good
humour
I'd
live
all
the
days
of
my
life
,
And
die
before
tir'd
of
myself
or
my
wife
.
VII
.
To
enjoy
what
I
have
,
without
wishing
for
more
,
For
contentment
with
little
is
doubling
one's
store
;
And
when
I
am
gone
,
may
my
successor
say
,
He's
gone
,
and
I
wish
I
could
live
the
same
way
:
For
his
flock
ne'er
embroil'd
him
in
quarrels
or
strife
,
In
good
humour
he
liv'd
all
the
days
of
his
life
,
And
died
before
tir'd
of
himself
or
his
wife
.