[
  {
    "title": "The Alley",
    "author": "Alexander Pope",
    "lines": [
      "IMITATIONS OF ENGLISH POETS. SPENSER.",
      "",
      "  In every town, where Thamis rolls his tyde,",
      "    A narrow pass there is, with houses low;",
      "  Where ever and anon the stream is eyed,",
      "    And many a boat soft sliding to and fro.",
      "    There oft are heard the notes of infant woe,",
      "  The short thick sob, loud scream, and shriller squall:",
      "    How can ye, mothers, vex your children so?",
      "  Some play, some eat, some cack against the wall,",
      "  And as they crouchen low, for bread and butter call.",
      "",
      "  And on the broken pavement, here and there,",
      "    Doth many a stinking sprat and herring lie;",
      "  A brandy and tobacco shop is near,",
      "    And hens, and dogs, and hogs are feeding by;",
      "    And here a sailor's jacket hangs to dry.",
      "  At every door are sunburnt matrons seen,",
      "    Mending old nets to catch the scaly fry;",
      "  Now singing shrill, and scolding oft between;",
      "  Scolds answer foul-mouth'd scolds; bad neighbourhood, I ween.",
      "",
      "  The snappish cur (the passenger's annoy)",
      "    Close at my heel with yelping treble flies;",
      "  The whimpering girl, and hoarser-screaming boy,",
      "    Join to the yelping treble shrilling cries;",
      "    The scolding quean to louder notes doth rise,",
      "  And her full pipes those shrilling cries confound;",
      "    To her full pipes the grunting hog replies;",
      "  The grunting hogs alarm the neighbours round,",
      "  And curs, girls, boys, and scolds, in the deep base are drown'd.",
      "",
      "  Hard by a sty, beneath a roof of thatch,",
      "    Dwelt Obloquy, who in her early days",
      "  Baskets of fish at Billingsgate did watch,",
      "    Cod, whiting, oyster, mack'rel, sprat, or plaice:",
      "    There learn'd she speech from tongues that never cease.",
      "  Slander beside her, like a magpie, chatters,",
      "    With Envy (spitting cat!), dread foe to peace;",
      "  Like a cursed cur, Malice before her clatters,",
      "  And vexing every wight, tears clothes and all to tatters.",
      "",
      "  Her dugs were mark'd by every collier's hand,",
      "    Her mouth was black as bull-dog's at the stall:",
      "  She scratchèd, bit, and spared ne lace ne band,",
      "    And 'bitch' and 'rogue' her answer was to all;",
      "    Nay, even the parts of shame by name would call:",
      "  Yea, when she passèd by or lane or nook,",
      "    Would greet the man who turn'd him to the wall,",
      "  And by his hand obscene the porter took,",
      "  Nor ever did askance like modest virgin look.",
      "",
      "  Such place hath Deptford, navy-building town,",
      "    Woolwich and Wapping, smelling strong of pitch;",
      "  Such Lambeth, envy of each band and gown,",
      "    And Twick'nam such, which fairer scenes enrich,",
      "    Grots, stutues, urns, and Jo--n's dog and bitch,",
      "  Ne village is without, on either side,",
      "    All up the silver Thames, or all adown;",
      "  Ne Richmond's self, from whose tall front are eyed",
      "  Vales, spires, meandering streams, and Windsor's towery pride."
    ],
    "linecount": "55"
  }
]