Classic Poem

Ye sable sweepers, and ye coblers all,
Sons of the chimney, masters of the stall,
Whether ye deal in smearing soot, or leather,
Hail to the day that joins your trades together.
Huzza, my jolly coblers! and huzza,
My sable sweepers! Hail the joyous day.

Immortal fame, O coblers, ye derive
From Crispin, a good cobler when alive,
Who kept his stall at Hockley in the Hole,
With nut-brown beer encouraging his soul:
A bonnet blue he wore upon his head,
His nose was copper, and his jerkin red;
For conjurer and astrologer he past,
And mended understandings to his last.
Huzza, my jolly coblers, and huzza,
My sable sweepers! Hail the joyous day.

Sly Jobson, tho' he never learn'd in France,
Not only mended shoes, but taught to dance;
So when he'd worn his pupils soles quite out,
With leading of the booby bears about,
He soon repair'd the damage with his awl,
And brought convenient custom to his stall.
Huzza, my jolly coblers, and huzza,
My sable sweepers! Hail the joyous day.

Nor less distinguish'd is your noble line,
Ye sweepers, sprung from pedigree divine!
Your ancient ancestor, whose name was Smut,
Work'd at the forge, with Vulcan, in his hut.
Once as the limping god was hammering out
Those tongs that pinch'd the Devil by the snout,
Smut chanc'd to jest upon his awkward frame,
Which chas'd the bickering blacksmith into flame;
He hurl'd his hammer at the joker's head,
Which sure had left him on the pavement dead,
But Smut was nimble, and, to shun the stroke,
Sheer up the chimney went, like wreaths of smoke;
Happy to find so snug a hole to creep in,
And since that time he took to chimney-sweeping.
Huzza, my jolly sweepers! hail the day!
My jolly coblers! roar aloud huzza.

And you, meet couple, memorable match,
May live with comfort in your cot of thatch;
While venal m—b—s sell their venal friends,
The cobler brings all soles to serve his ends.
And as the fair miss Danae sate smiling,
To see the gold come pattering thro' the tiling,
Our sweeper joys to see the chimney drop her
Meat, drink, and cloathing in a shower of copper.
Huzza, my jolly coblers, and huzza,
My sable sweepers, hail the joyous day.