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| A TRIFLING 1 song you shall hear; | |
| Begun with a trifle and ended. | |
| All trifling people draw near, | |
| And I shall be nobly attended. | |
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| Were it not for trifles a few, | 5 |
| That lately have come into play; | |
| The men would want something to do, | |
| And the women want something to say. | |
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| What makes men trifle in dressing? | |
| Because the ladies, they know, | 10 |
| Admire, by often possessing, | |
| That eminent trifle, a Beau. | |
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| What mortal man would be able | |
| At White’s half an hour to sit, | |
| Or who could bear a tea-table, | 15 |
| Without talking of trifles for wit? | |
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| The Court is from trifles secure; | |
| Gold Keys are no trifles, we see; | |
| White rods are no trifles, I’m sure, | |
| Whatever their bearers may be. | 20 |
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| But if you will go to the place | |
| Where trifles abundantly breed, | |
| The Levée will show you his Grace | |
| Makes promises trifles indeed. | |
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| A coach with six footmen behind, | 25 |
| I count neither trifle, nor sin; | |
| But, ye gods! how oft do we find | |
| A scandalous trifle within. | |
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| A flask of champagne, people think it | |
| A trifle, or something as bad; | 30 |
| But if you’ll contrive how to drink it, | |
| You’ll find it no trifle, egad! | |
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| A parson’s a trifle at sea, | |
| A widow’s a trifle in sorrow; | |
| A peace is a trifle to-day; | 35 |
| Who knows what may happen to-morrow? | |
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| A black coat, a trifle may cloak; | |
| Or to hide it, the red may endeavour; | |
| But if once the army is broke, | |
| We shall have more trifles than ever. | 40 |
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| The stage is a trifle, they say; | |
| The reason, pray carry along; | |
| Because at ev’ry new play, | |
| The house they with trifles so throng. | |
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| But with people’s malice to trifle, | 45 |
| And to set us all on a foot; | |
| The author of this is a trifle, | |
| And his Song is a trifle to boot. | |
