Winthrop Mackworth Praed

Here you will find the Poem The Talented Man of poet Winthrop Mackworth Praed

The Talented Man

DEAR Alice! you'll laugh when you know it, -- 
Last week, at the Duchess's ball, 
I danced with the clever new poet, -- 
You've heard of him, -- Tully St. Paul. 
Miss Jonquil was perfectly frantic; 
I wish you had seen Lady Anne! 
It really was very romantic, 
He is such a talanted man! 

He came up from Brazenose College, 
Just caught, as they call it, this spring; 
And his head, love, is stuffed full of knowledge 
Of every conceivable thing. 
Of science and logic he chatters, 
As fine and as fast as he can; 
Though I am no judge of such matters, 
I'm sure he's a talented man. 

His stories and jests are delightful; -- 
Not stories or jests, dear, for you; 
The jests are exceedingly spiteful, 
The stories not always quite true. 
Perhaps to be kind and veracious 
May do pretty well at Lausanne; 
But it never would answer, -- good gracious! 
Chez nous -- in a talented man. 

He sneers, -- how my Alice would scold him! -- 
At the bliss of a sigh or a tear; 
He laughed -- only think! -- when I told him 
How we cried o'er Trevelyan last year; 
I vow I was quite in a passion; 
I broke all the sticks of my fan; 
But sentiment's quite out of fashion, 
It seems, in a talented man. 

Lady Bab, who is terribly moral, 
Has told me that Tully is vain, 
And apt -- which is silly -- to quarrel, 
And fond -- which is sad -- of champagne. 
I listened, and doubted, dear Alice, 
For I saw, when my Lady began, 
It was only the Dowager's malice; -- 
She does hate a talented man! 

He's hideous, I own it. But fame, love, 
Is all that these eyes can adore; 
He's lame, -- but Lord Byron was lame, love, 
And dumpy, -- but so is Tom Moore. 
Then his voice, -- such a voice! my sweet creature, 
It's like your Aunt Lucy's toucan: 
But oh! what's a tone or a feature, 
When once one's a talented man? 

My mother, you know, all the season, 
Has talked of Sir Geoffrey's estate; 
And truly, to do the fool reason, 
He has been less horrid of late. 
But today, when we drive in the carriage, 
I'll tell her to lay down her plan; -- 
If ever I venture on marriage, 
It must be a talented man! 

P.S. -- I have found, on reflection, 
One fault in my friend, -- entre nous; 
Without it, he'd just be perfection; -- 
Poor fellow, he has not a sou! 
And so, when he comes in September 
To shoot with my uncle, Sir Dan, 
I've promised mamma to remember 
He's only a talented man!