Nursery Rhyme. CCXLII. Charms.

[From Dr. Wallis's "Grammatica Lingu Anglican," 12mo, Oxon. 1674, p. 164. This and the nine following are said to be certain cures for the hiccup if repeated in one breath.]         When a Twister a twisting, will twist him a twist;         For the twisting of his twist, he three times doth intwist;         But if one of the twines of the twist do untwist,         The twine that untwisteth, untwisteth the twist.         Untwirling the twine that untwisteth between,         He twirls, with the twister, the two in a twine:         Then twice having twisted the twines of the twine         He twisteth the twine he had twined in twain.         The twain that, in twining, before in the twine,         As twines were intwisted; he now doth untwine:         'Twixt the twain inter-twisting a twine more between,         He, twirling his twister, makes a twist of the twine.