Sestina Otiosa

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Our great work, the Otia Merseiana,Edited by learned Mister Sampson,And supported by Professor Woodward,Is financed by numerous Bogus MeetingsHastily convened by Kuno MeyerTo impose upon the Man of Business.

All in vain! The accomplished Man of BusinessDisapproves of Otia Merseiana,Turns his back on Doctor Kuno Meyer;Cannot be enticed by Mister Sampson,To be present at the Bogus Meetings,Though attended by Professor Woodward.

Little cares the staid Professor Woodward:He, being something of a man of business,Knows that not a hundred Bogus MeetingsTo discuss the Otia MerseianaCan involve himself and Mister SampsonIn the debts of Doctor Kuno Meyer.

So the poor deluded Kuno Meyer,Unenlightened by Professor Woodward --Whom, upon the word of Mister Sampson,He believes to be a man of businessFit to run the Otia Merseiana --Keeps on calling endless Bogus Meetings.

Every week has now its Bogus Meetings,Punctually convened by Kuno MeyerIn the name of Otia Merseiana:Every other week Professor WoodwardTakes his place, and, as a man of business,Audits the accounts with Mister Sampson.

He and impecunious Mister SampsonAre the mainstay of the Bogus Meetings;But the alienated Man of BusinessCannot be allured by Kuno MeyerTo attend and meet Professor Woodward,Glory of the Otia Merseiana.

Kuno Meyer! Great Professor Woodward!Bogus Meetings damn, for men of business,Mister Sampson's Otia Merseiana.

INDEX TO SESTINA OTIOSA

ABSENTEE. See Man of Business.

AUDITORS. See Mister and Professor.

BACK. Man of Business's, on whom turned, l. 9.

BOGUS MEETINGS. Called to finance the Otia, l. 4, and to secure the support of the Man of Business, l. 6; attended chiefly by Prof. Woodward and Mr. Sampson, ll. 12, 31-32; not attended by the Man of Business, ll. 11, 34-35; their convener Dr. Meyer, ll. 5, 24-26; short notice at which they are called, l. 5; punctuality observed in calling them, l. 26; called every week, l. 25; their number, l. 4; their eternal recurrence, l. 24; their failure to alter the incidence of existing liabilities, ll. 15-18; this failure foreseen by Prof. Woodward, ibid.; their ultimate disastrous effect, ll. 38-39.

BUSINESS. See Man.

DELUSIONS. See Kuno Meyer.

FAILURE. See Bogus Meetings.

GLORY. See Greatness.

GREATNESS. See Professor Woodward.

KUNO MEYER. His business impetuosity, l. 5; convenor of Bogus Meetings, ll. 5, 26; how treated by the man of Business, l. 9; his belief that the Bogus Meetings might bring about a redistribution of financial liability, ll. 15-18; this belief not shared by Prof. Woodward, ibid.; his academic degree, l. 9; his pitiable character, l. 19; his unhappy delusions, ibid.; his unenlightenment, l. 20; his misplaced punctuality, l. 26; the futility of his attempts upon the Man of Business, ll. 34-35; apostrophized, l. 37.

LIABILITY. See Kuno Meyer.

MAN OF BUSINESS. Attempted imposition upon, l. 6; his accomplishments, l. 7; his disapprobation of the Otia, l. 8; his back, on whom turned, l. 9; his estranged attitude, l. 33; his superiority to Meyer's enticements, l. 34; his refusal to attend Bogus Meetings, l. 35; his indifference to meeting Prof. Woodward, ibid.

MEETINGS. See Bogus.

MERSEIANA. See Otia.

MEYER. See Kuno.

MISTER SAMPSON. Great work edited by, ll. 1-2; his alleged erudition, l. 2; failure of his attempts to induce the Man of Business to attend Bogus Meetings, l. 10; uninvolved in Kuno Meyer's liabilities, ll. 17-18; heartless deception of Kuno Meyer by, ll. 21-22; co-auditor of accounts with Prof. Woodward, l. 30; his indigent circumstances, l. 31; a mainstay of Bogus Meetings, l. 32; ruin of his great work attributable to excessive Bogus Meetings, l. 39.

OTIA MERSEIANA. Referred to as an important publication, l. 1; its editor, l. 2; its chief supporter, l. 3; financed by Bogus Meetings, l. 4; disapproved of by the Man of Business, l. 8; discussed at Bogus Meetings, l. 16; executive ability of Prof. Woodward with regard to, l. 23; invoked by Kuno Meyer, l. 27; its glory, l. 36; Bogus Meetings prejudicial to interests of, l. 39.

POVERTY. See Mister Sampson.

PROFESSOR WOODWARD. His support given to the Otia, l. 3; his attendance at Bogus Meetings, ll. 12, 28, 31, 32, 35; his indifference to abstentions from Bogus Meetings, l. 13; his character defined, l. 13; his attitude in regard to financial difficulties, ll. 14-18; his greatness, l. 37; his business talent, ll. 14, 29; testified to by Mr. Sampson, l. 21; believed in by Kuno Meyer, ll. 22, 23; his solicitude for Mr. Sampson, l. 17; his labours as auditor, l. 30; distinction conferred by him on the Otia, l. 36; his reticience towards Kuno Meyer, l. 20; apostrophized, l. 37.

SAMPSON. See Mister.

WEEK, every. See Bogus Meetings.

WEEK, every other. See Bogus Meetings.

WOODWARD. See Professor.

© Raleigh Walter Alexander