Thomas Humphry Ward, ed. The English Poets. 1880–1918.rnVol. III. The Eighteenth Century: Addison to Blake
John Byrom (16921763)Epigrams
I
It is the quid that makes the quis;
In such as lie more deeply hid
It is the quis that makes the quid.
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God bless the King—I mean the faith’s defender!
God bless (no harm in blessing!) the Pretender!
But who pretender is, or who is king—
God bless us all!—that ’s quite another thing.