Beguiling

“to beguile the time look like the time look like th’ innocent flower but be the serpent under’t.”

William Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth, Macbeth

Beguile me and riddle me rot, ‘for the ink drips dry the blot

Plause’ me some crank to twitch round the rack and ply with whip to crack

Grindstone to grain and animal to pain as mores are to ground

Pleasure we mete the angels we greet, heav’n revere the sound

Of warning the ghost drivel and boast the horn the ram’s-head blare

Hollow the rolling beast, lie-leavened yeast ‘stead air