A NEW INTRODUCTION. Some years ago the public head Was half turn'd with this tale; And, like our Indian history, It had a General Sale. And tho' not destinied to be Of his grand immortality, Who died embraced by victory, Yet did its star prevail In such a true triumphant sort, That sellers sold, and buyers bought; The "New Tale of a Tub" made thrift; And tho' not "by the Dean," its sale was Swift! What light upon the public broke, To make it go, I did not know: At first I took it for a joke; And thought perhaps, as T U B Is still a tub as B UT, They meant to make a Butt of me. But no! In manner terse, My publisher declared that could not be, Because as yet my Tub had no reverse. Into his lap half guineas rolled, As I was told, Five thousand fold!— So lucky did he find it, "Twas bruited with a loud hub-bub, That besides making bub and grub, He'd start his Cab upon his Tub, And mount his tiger without fail (As soon as he'd untied the tail) Behind it! Presume a west-end fortune made! Now tempts the book an Eastern trade, It is an Eastern story;— Let ORR and Co, Then make it go |