Copernicus, that learned wight,
The glory of his nation,
With draughts of wine refreshed his sight,
And saw the earth's rotation;
Each planet then its orb described,
The moon got under way, sir;
These truths from nature he imbibed
For he drank his bottle a day, sir.
The noble Tycho placed the stars,
Each in its due location;
He lost his nose by spite of Mars,
But that was no privation:
Had he but lost his mouth, I grant
He would have felt dismay, sir,
Bless you, he knew what he should want
To drink his bottle a day, sir.
Cold water makes no lucky hits;
On mysteries the head runs;
Small drink let Keppler time his wits
On the regular polyhedrons:
He took to wine, and it changed the chime
His genius swept away, sir,
Through area varying as the time
At the rate of a bottle a day, sir.
Poor Galileo, forced to rat
Before the Inquisition,
E pur si muove was the pat
He gave them in addition:
He meant, whate'er you think you prove,
The earth must go its way, sirs;
Spite of your teeth I'll make it move,
For I'll drink my bottle a day, sirs.
