Salmagundi; or, The whim-whams and opinions of Launcelot Langstaff, esq. [pseud.] and others. By William Irving, James Kirke Paulding and Washington Irving. Printed from the original ed., with a preface and notes by Evert A. Duyckinck.

GOLDEN DAYS. 145
Your five-inch chitterlings and nine-inch ruffs!
Gods! how ye strut, at times in all your state,
Amid the visions of my thoughtful pate!
I see ye move the solemn minuet o'er,
The modest foot scarce rising from the floor;
No thundering rigadoon with boisterous prance,
No pigeon-wing disturb your contre-danse.
But silent as the gentle Lethe's tide,
Adown the festive maze ye peaceful glide I
Still in my mental eye each name appearsEach modest beauty of departed years;
Close by mamma I see her stately march,
Or sit, in all the majesty of starch;When for the dance a stranger seeks her hand,
I see her doubting, hesitating stand;
Yield to his claim with most fastidious grace,
And sigh for her intended in his place I
Ah! golden days; when every gentle fair
On sacred Sabbath conn'd with pious care
Her Holy Bible, or her prayer-book o'er,
Or studied honest Bunyan's drowsy lore;
Travell'd with him the PILGRIMI'S PROGRESS through,
And storm'd the famous town of MAN-SOUL too:Beat Eye and Ear-gate up with thundering jar,
And fought triumphant through the HOLY WAR;
Or if, perchance, to lighter works inclined,
They sought with novels to relax the mind,'Twas GRANDISON'S politely formal page,
Or CLELIA or PAMELA were the rage.
No plays were then-theatrics were unknownA learned pig-a dancing monkey shown-'7