Laudator Temporis Acti

Edward E. Bowen (1836-1901), "Giants," Harrow Songs and Other Verses (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1886), pp. 19-21 (first and third stanzas only):

There were wonderful giants of old, you know,
    There were wonderful giants of old;
They grew more mightily, all of a row,
    Than ever was heard or told;
All of them stood their six feet four,
And they threw to a hundred yards or more,
And never were lame, or stiff, or sore;
And we, compared with the days of yore,
    Are cast in a pigmy mould.
        For all of we,
        Whoever we be,
    Come short of the giants of old, you see.

[....]

There were scholars of marvellous force, you know,
    There were scholars of marvellous force;
They never put μὴ when they should put οὺ,
    And the circle they squared, of course.
With Blayds and Merivale, Hope, Monro,
Ridley and Hawkins, years ago,—
And one that I rather think I know—
But we are heavy and dull and slow,
    And growing duller and worse;
        For all of we,
        Whoever we be,
    Come short of the giants of old, you see.

I think that Blayds is a misprint for Blaydes, i.e. Frederick Blaydes (1818-1908).

Labels: typographical and other errors