How lovely the elder brother?s 
Life all laced in the other?s, 
Lóve-laced!?what once I well 
Witnessed; so fortune fell. 
When Shrovetide, two years gone,
Our boys? plays brought on 
Part was picked for John, 
Young Jóhn: then fear, then joy 
Ran revel in the elder boy. 
Their night was come now; all 
Our company thronged the hall; 
Henry, by the wall, 
Beckoned me beside him: 
I came where called, and eyed him 
By meanwhiles; making my play
Turn most on tender byplay. 
For, wrung all on love?s rack, 
My lad, and lost in Jack, 
Smiled, blushed, and bit his lip; 
Or drove, with a diver?s dip,
Clutched hands down through clasped knees? 
Truth?s tokens tricks like these, 
Old telltales, with what stress 
He hung on the imp?s success. 
Now the other was bráss-bóld:
Hé had no work to hold 
His heart up at the strain; 
Nay, roguish ran the vein. 
Two tedious acts were past; 
Jack?s call and cue at last;
When Henry, heart-forsook, 
Dropped eyes and dared not look. 
Eh, how áll rúng! 
Young dog, he did give tongue! 
But Harry?in his hands he has flung
His tear-tricked cheeks of flame 
For fond love and for shame. 
Ah Nature, framed in fault, 
There ?s comfort then, there ?s salt; 
Nature, bad, base, and blind,
Dearly thou canst be kind; 
There dearly thén, deárly, 
I?ll cry thou canst be kind.