Bishop Bougram's Apology

'Tis in a manner far from thrasonical That I come to you in full canonical What I chose to do was to instill my love On acolytes below while I was above When the holy Church I entered in my prime I, the Church,entered many, time after time Those altar cherubs whom I picked out to spoil I anointed warmly with my sacred oil How could I resist faces so innocent Wreathed in the swirl of the thurible's scent To hold them close tightly and their soft flesh feel Made my whole self dizzily tingle and reel How truly uplifting was my fierce,fierce joy When I had communion with a chosen boy They knew our closeness was clearly God given And that in confession would I be shriven For all the worldly good I did on God's earth Then entry to heaven is my deserved berth. Alas,your Grace,you cannot in all conscience enter here Too much dark concupiscence on your soul sits,I do fear Too concentrated were you on carnal desire That leaves you to roast now in the eternal fire Begone! For scandalising the young Round your neck must a millstone be hung And into the depths of Hades will you descend There to endure your torment without end