-Epigram from the French

[1]

Who can believe with common sense,
A bacon slice gives God offence;
Or, how a herring has a charm
Almighty vengeance to disarm?
Wrapp'd up in majesty divine,
Does he regard on what we dine?

[Footnote 1: A French gentleman dining with some company on a fast-day, called for some bacon and eggs. The rest were very angry, and reproved him for so heinous a sin; whereupon he wrote the following lines, which are translated above:

  "Peut-on croire avec bon sens
    Qu'un lardon le mil en colere,
  Ou, que manger un hareng,
    C'est un secret pour lui plaire?
  En sa gloire envelope,
  Songe-t-il bien de nos soupes?"