your zodiac here is the life of man in one round chapter; and now i'll read it off, straight out of the book. to begin, there's aries, or the ram - lecherous dog, he begets us; then, taurus, or the bull - he bumps us the first thing; then gemini, or the twins - that is, virtue and vice; we try to reach virtue, when lo! comes cancer the crab, and drags us back; and here, going from virtue, leo, a roaring lion, lies in the path - he gives a few fierce bites and surly dabs with his paw; we escape, and hail virgo, the virgin! that's our first love; we marry and think to be happy for aye, when pop comes libra, or the scales - happiness weighed and found wanting; and while we are very sad about that, lord! how we suddenly jump, as scorpio, or the scorpion, stings us in rear; we are curing the wound, when whang come the arrows all round; sagittarius, or the archer, is amusing himself. as we pluck out the shafts, stand aside! here's the battering-ram, capricornus, or the goat; full tilt, he comes rushing, and headlong we are tossed; when aquarius, or the water-bearer, pours out his whole deluge and drowns us; and, to wind up, with pisces, or the fishes, we sleep. there's a sermon now, writ in high heaven, and the sun goes through it every year, and yet comes out of it all alive and hearty.
