And on the third, a minister sent o'er
To raise the devil on this peaceful shore.
But what strange feelings blow me up with wonder,
And burst my breeches and my brain asunder,
When I reflect that this religious race,
These pious heirs of heaven's peculiar grace,
These bosom friends of every mother's son,
Who wears a star, a diadem or crown,
For us, themselves, and all creation's sake,
Have martyr'd Liberty at Faction's stake;
And having much seditious truck to spare,
Determine all mankind shall have a share,
And bent on holy crusade, lend a hand
To spread confusion over every
land;
And though to some, French freedom is a pill,
They'll force it down their throats against their will:
And Doctor Genet for Columbian phthisic,
Has brought a store of this new kind of physic,
And says 'twill be agreeable to France,
To change our Asthma to St. Vitus' dance,
And "si vous plait permettez moi one trial,
"Vill donnez vous le contents of mon phial."
And can it be? Can this ungrateful soil,
Look careless on and see her neighbour toil,
Her bosom friend, her old substantial prop,
At war with reason, scarce in sight of hope,
By hellish despots, tumbled to the ground,
Her ancles fetter'd and her elbows bound?
And how can we in such a case succeed?
The brave escape where paltry cowards bleed;
And these curst demons of despotic sway
Will prick our backsides if we run away.
Against our only hope if they prevail,
They'll hither come as fast as they can sail;
Old England hates us, and she'll scull them over,
And try once more her foothold to recover,
That she may have a place some future day,
Whene'er she breaks to stow herself away.
Methinks I see, convuls'd with dreadful pains,
Fair Freedom's Genius stretch'd on Gallia's plains;
Around her butcher'd sons in millions lie,
Beneath the ax the heirs of virtue die,
While Law and Peace are into exile fled
Her temples prostrate, and her Louis dead;
With stern disdain her kindling looks inflame,
To view the murders sanction'd by her name;
Around her head a bandage tight she binds,
Her deep-drawn sighs increase the passing winds;
While with one hand she wipes her dewy eyes,
The other stretches towards Columbia's skies
In awful silence-Freedom's sons draw near!
Ye who the Cap of Liberty revere !
That sacred Cap, which fools in order sped,
In grand rotation, round from head to head-
That Cap, by Liberty and Lice inspired,
Which every wearer's head with courage fired--
E'en aged Sam. of Freedom always full,
Bar'd to this wond'rous Cap his doating skull,
And Captain S- -s proclaim'd that one and all,
Should bend the knee before this modern Baal.*
This form divine, this bright celestial maid,
With heart-distressing groans implores your aid;
For lo! assail'd by cholic pangs severe.
No pill of Hullt to take, no Hd near,
Soon will the lovely maid resign her breath,
And kick life's bucket to the shades of death.
Then press her, press her, with a strict embrace,
Nor spare an Indian hug in such a case;
Perhaps a proper squeeze may do her good,
Rouse up her faculties, and stír her blood.
Can we stand tamely by and see the French
In such a sea of Despots take a drench,
And yet refuse a helping hand, to save
The half drown'd wretches from a watery grave?
If we do this, by all indignant Heaven,
Doubtless our heads will in two parts be riven.
To Europe's courts, now faint and sick at heart,
Of each disease that braves the healing art,
The story tell, that we to party blind,
In our own way, wish well to all mankind.
Let us entreat, eat humble-pye, and beg
With abject crouching, and with bended leg,
That they no more will draw the murderous dirk,
But leave the French to do that kind of work.
* See the accounts published of the celebration of a civic feast on board of the Ambuscade Frigate in Boston, when Governor Adams decorated himself with this glorious insignia of Jacobinic freedom; and of the grand procession in New-York, in honour of the French victories.
† A celebrated medicine for the cholic.
But more especially, we'll try again,
To tie them fast to their old cousin Spain.
But if the stubborn Dons refuse to hear,
And nought can make the rascals ope the ear,
Then let Columbia's Eagle spread her tail,
And on her hovering wings adventurous sail.
Then, then, no doubt, the German troops will fly,
Like chickens frighted when the hawk is nigh-
Then shall this Eagle ope an easy trade,
Where Spanish silver-Spanish gold is made,
Their southern settlements to us will fall,
For heaven intends that we shall have them all.
For since the Frenchmen cannot live at home,
Where villains govern, and where murderers roam,
Let them but cross th' Atlantic's spacious flood,
To teach our citizens the use of blood.
Oh glorious time! when this too peaceful realm,
Shall find some Robespierre to take the helm,
Some pious Danton, or some mild Marat,
To mend our morals and to save the state,
Some good Dupont,* to whom alone 'tis given,
To show mankind the modest road to heaven.
Some beauteous females of the Poissard race,
Their country's glory and their sex's grace,
For soul-attracting charms not more renown'd
Than sweet-toned voices of enchanting sound;
*This virtuous member of the French Convention, in the course of a debate, took an opportunity publicly to avow himself an atheist, and this candid declaration was received with great applause by the majority of that enlightened body.
Those tones which Pity's self might joy to hear,
Which smote so sweetly on the dying ear,
When Paris waked her festivals of death,
And mangled thousands yielded up their breath.
But should America prove so unjust,
So much opposed to kicking up a dust,
As thief or murderer, fearful of the law,
Flies for his life to 'scape the bailiff's paw,
So with my boys I'll fly to yonder wood,
Where human hell-hounds cannot smell my blood.
There safely lodg'd in wood-chuck burrow deep,
Secure from ships, we'll suck our paws and sleep;
Save now and then, upon a rainy day,
When all is still along the desart way,
From Allegany's cliffs I'll let them see
The land, the ungrateful land that will be free.
Teach them to praise the works of Anarch's hand,
And always ready for a bobbery stand.
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