The lady and the pye; or, know thyself

Table of contents

- [titlepage]

The LADY, &c.

A WORTHY Squire of sober life,

Had a conceited boasting wise;

Of him she daily made complaint,

Herself she thought a very saint.

She lov'd to load mankind with blame,

And on their errors build her fame.

Her favourite subject of dispute

Was Eve and the forbidden fruit.

"Had I been Eve," she often cried,

"Man had not fall'n nor woman died;

"I still had kept the orders given,

"Nor for an apple lost my heaven;

"To gratify my curious mind,

"I ne'er had ruin'd all mankind;

"Nor from a vain desire to know,

"Entail'd on all my race such woe.

The Squire reply'd, "I fear 'tis true,

"The same ill spirit lives in you:

"Tempted alike, I dare believe,

"You would have disobey'd like Eve."

The lady storm'd and still deny'd

Both curiosity and pride.

The Squire some future day at dinner,

Resolv'd to try this boastful sinner;

He griev'd such vanity possest her,

And thus in serious terms address'd her.

"Madam, the usual splendid feast,

"With which our wedding day is grac'd,

"With you I must not share to-day,

"For business summons me away.

"Of all the dainties on the table,

"Pray eat as long as you are able;

"Indulge in every costly dish;

"Enjoy, 'tis what I really wish;

"Only observe one prohibition,

"Nor think it a severe condition;

"On one small dish which cover'd stands,

"You must not dare to lay your hands;

"Go—disobey not on your life,

"Or henceforth you're no more my wife."

The treat was serv'd, the Squire was gone,

The murm'ring lady din'd alone:

She saw whate'er could grace a feast,

Or charm the eye, or please the taste.

But while she rang'd from this to that,

From ven'son haunch to turtle fat;

On one small dish she chanc'd to light,

By a deep cover hid from sight.

"Oh! here it is—yet not for me!

"I must not taste, nay, dare not see.

"Why place it there? or why forbid

"That I so much as lift the lid?

"Prohibited of this to eat,

"I care not for the sumptuous treat.

"I wonder if 'tis fowl or fish,

"To know what's there I merely wish.

"I'll look—O no, I lose for ever,

"If I'm betray'd my husband's favour.

"I own I think it vastly hard,

"Nay, tyranny, to be debarr'd.

"John you may go—the wine's decanted

"I'll ring or call you when you're wanted."

Now left alone, she waits no longer,

Temptation presses more and stronger.

"I'll peep—the harm can ne'er be much,

"For tho' I peep I will not touch;

"Why I'm forbid to lift this cover

"One glance will tell, and then 'tis over.

"My husband's absent, so is John,

"My peeping never can be known."

Trembling, she yielded to her wish,

And rais'd the cover from the dish:

She starts—for lo! an open pye

From which six living sparrows fly.

She calls, she screams, with wild surprise,

"Haste John and catch these birds," she cries;

John hears not, but to crown her shame,

In at her call, her husband came.

Sternly he frown'd as thus he spoke,

"Thus is your vow'd allegiance broke!

"Self-ign'rance led you to believe

"You did not share the sin of Eve.

"Like her's, how blest was your condition!

"How small my gentle prohibition!

"Yet you, tho' fed with every dainty,

"Sat pining in the midst of plenty.

"This dish, thus singled from the rest,

"Of your obedience was the test.

"Your mind, unbroke by self denial,

"Cou'd not sustain this slender trial.

"Humility from hence be taught,

"Learn candour to another's fault;

"Go know, like Eve, from this sad dinner,

"You're both a vain and curious sinner."

Z.

THE END.

CHEAP REPOSITORY.

THE LADY and the PYE; OR, KNOW THYSELF.

Sold by J. MARSHALL, (PRINTER to the CHEAP REPOSITORY for Moral and Religious Tracts) No. 17, Queen-Street, Cheapside, and No. 4, Aldermary Church-Yard, and R. WHITE, Piccadilly, London.

By S. HAZARD, at Bath; J. Elder, at Edinburgh, and by all Booksellers, Newsmen, and Hawkers, in Town and Country.

PRICE ONE HALFPENNY, Or 2s. 3d. per 100.—1s. 3d. for 50. 9d. for 25. A Cheaper Edition for Hawkers.

[Entered at Stationers Hall.]

Information about this book

Title statement

The lady and the pye; or, know thyself

More, Hannah, 1745-1833.

Publication

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University of Oxford Text Archive
Oxford University Computing Services
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ID [ota]

http://ota.ox.ac.uk/id/4009

ID [isbn10]

1106010086

ID [isbn13]

9781106010087

ID [TCP]

K038487.000

ID [BIBNO]

CW3316809136

ID [ECLL]

1135801200

Availability

Distributed by the University of Oxford under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

Source

— The lady and the pye; or, know thyself, More, Hannah, 1745-1833.. 8p. ; 8⁰. [London] :: Sold by J. Marshall, and R. White, London. By S. Hazard, at Bath; J. Elder, at Edinburgh, and by all booksellers, newsmen, and hawkers, in town and country,. [1796]. [Signed Z., i.e. Hannah More.] [At head of titlepage: 'Cheap repository'.] [Reproduction of original from the British Library.] [English Short Title Catalog, ESTCT37463.] [Electronic data. Farmington Hills, Mich. : Thomson Gale, 2003. Page image (PNG). Digitized image of the microfilm version produced in Woodbridge, CT by Research Publications, 1982-2002 (later known as Primary Source Microfilm, an imprint of the Gale Group).]

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