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The Rolling English Road |
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THE ROLLING ENGLISH ROAD1
By G. K. Chesterton
Before the Roman came to Rye or out to Severn strode, The rolling English drunkard made the rolling English
road. A reeling road, a rolling road that rambles round the shire, And after him the parson ran, the sexton and the squire A merry road, a mazy road, and such as we did tread The night we went to Birmingham by way of Beachy
Head.
I knew no harm of Bonaparte and plenty of the Squire, And for to fight the Frenchman I did not much desire, But I did bash their baggonets because they came arrayed To straighten out the crooked road an English drunkard
made, Where you and I went down the lane with ale mugs in
our hands The night we went to Glastonbury by way of Goodwin
Sands.
His sins they were forgiven him ; or why do flowers run Behind him ; and the hedges all strengthening in the sun ? The wild thing went from left to right and knew not
which was which, But the wild rose was above him when they found him
in the ditch.
1 From " The Flying Inn." 161 |
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