The Monkey and the Leopard

A monkey and a leopard were / The rivals at a country fair. / Each advertised his own attractions. / Said one, 'Good sirs, the highest place / My merit knows; for, of his grace, / The king hath seen me face to face; / And, judging by his looks and actions, / I gave the best of satisfactions. / When I am dead, 'tis plain enough, / My skin will make his royal muff. / So richly is it streak'd and spotted, / So delicately waved and dotted, / Its various beauty cannot fail to please. ' / And, thus invited, everybody sees; / But soon they see, and soon depart. / The monkey's show-bill to the mart / His merits thus sets forth the while, / All in his own peculiar style: -- / 'Come, gentlemen, I pray you, come; / In magic arts I am at home. / The whole variety in which / My neighbour boasts himself so rich, / Is to his simple skin confined, / While mine is living in the mind. / Your humble servant, Monsieur Gille, / The son-in-law to Tickleville, / Pope's monkey, and of great renown, / Is now just freshly come to town, / Arrived in three bateaux, express, / Your worships to address; / For he can speak, you understand; / Can dance, and practise sleight-of-hand; / Can jump through hoops, and balance sticks; / In short, can do a thousand tricks; / And all for blancos six -- [1] / Not, messieurs, for a sou. / And, if you think the price won't do, / When you have seen, then he'll restore / Each man his money at the door.'

[1]: _Blancos six._ -- The blanc was a French copper coin, six of which were equivalent in value to something over a penny of the present English money.