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[[Handwritten in ink]]

THE AIR BALLOON.
1
By land, let them travel, as many as list,
And by sea, those who like the hard fare;
In an airy Balloon, whilst I sit at my ease,
And pleasantly glide thro' the air.
2
Round this Globe, is the farthest they ever can reach,
Let them travel night, morning and noon;
Such excursions as these, are but mere bagatelles,
When compar'd with a trip to the Moon!
3
In my Chariot Aerial, how pleasant to go,
To see all my Friends in the Stars;
Take a breakfast with Mercury, and dine if I please,
With Jupiter, Saturn or Mars.
4
And should I fatigued, or wearisome prove,
Whilst from planet to planet, I'm dodging;
With Venus, I'm welcome to tarry all night;
Where on Earth can you find such a Lodging?
Morning Herald May 10. 1784.
copied by William Upcott. 102 Upper St. Islington
Aug.30.1840]]
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The Air Balloon
By the Revd. Wm. Purcell.

With heads light as Zephyr, the vapor as light
Whose hearts pant to visit the moon;
Prepare with the woodcocks to take your spring flight,
And handsel the Air Balloon.
2.
This overgrown Bladder but waits to be tried
Within soft and swiftly you'll find
(As safe as a thief in a mill) room to ride
(And leave Terra Firma) behind.
3.
With besoms we'll sweep thro' the skies as we soar
From cobwebs their drapery clean;
Jove's moonlings  we'll snuff, which were ne'er snuffed before
While whisking's their Orbits between.
4.
The man in the moon with his huge platter face,
His guests at his threshold shall greet;
With wonder from earth shall each pilgrim embrace
And laugh at the novel conceit.
5.
Old moons here may laugh, in the laugh we'll unite
Midst his Groves and his Glades asked to roam;
When his welcome once wanes we'll wish him good night,
And again as we went, hasten home.
6.
And when we get home in the Bladder Balloon,
Our wits and our wonder shall run
On all the fine sights which we saw in the moon,
And then we'll go visit the Sun.

[[443 - handwritten in pencil at bottom of page]]