Classic Poem

CANTO FIRST .

'T WAS on the twenty-fourth of May,
A pleasant, warm, sun-shiny day,
Militia folks paraded
With colours spread, with cannon too;
Such loud huzzas, such martial shew;
I thought the town invaded!

But when, on closer look, I spied
The Speaker march with gallant stride,
I knew myself mistaken:
For he, on Trenton's well-fought day,
To Burlington mistook his way,
And fairly sav'd his bacon.

With him a number more appear'd
Whose names their Corporals never heard —
To muster-rolls a stranger:
To save their fines they took the Gun;
Determined with the first to run
On any glimpse of danger.

The great M'Clenachan bestrode
His prancing horse, and fiercely rode:
And faith, he had good reason!
For he was told that, to his sorrow,
He, with a number more, tomorrow
Should be confin'd in prison.

'Tis said, some speculating job
Of his had so inflam'd the mob
That they were grown unruly;
And, swearing " by the Eternal God "
Such villains now should feel the rod,
Resolv'd to " come on coolly. "

The People's Majesty — of Laws
The proper end, the only cause —
Now shone in all its glory!
— Morris the wise; Arnold the brave;
The double Mason; Wistar grave —
Confounded with the Tory!

Nor age, nor wealth, nor rank, nor birth
Avail'd with these true sons of earth,
The offspring of the Valley:
For all the lore of ages past
What car'd the Statesman with his Last,
Or Hero of the Alley?

Cover'd with sweat, with bawling hoarse,
At close of day no tired horse
More gladly reach'd his home.
Each dost his oaken civic crown:
First took a dram — then laid him down
And dream'd of joys to come.

CANTO SECOND .

Now Titan rais'd his flaming head,
And drowsy Centinels to bed
Retir'd from irksome duty:
For they were plac'd, as it behov'd,
To watch if Tory Goods were mov'd,
That they might share the booty.

The Mob tumultuous instant seize
With venom'd rage on whom they please;
The People cannot err!
Can it be wrong, in Freedom's cause,
To tread down justice, order, laws,
When all the mob concur?

But now, thro' Mitchell's brazen throat,
Faction with loud, abusive note
Proclaim'd a Grand Town Meeting:
Where printer's devils, barber's boys,
Apprentice lads, express their joys
The Council Members greeting.

Each vagabond from whipping post,
Or stranger stranded on the coast,
May here reform the State:
The Porter Will , and Shad-roe Jack ,
And Pompey-like McKean , in black,
Decide a People's fate.

The Trained Bands of Germantown
With Clubs and Bayonets came down,
And swell'd the motley train;
Resolv'd to change, like him of old,
Old rags and lampblack into Gold,
Or Chaos bring again.

And now the State-house yard was full,
And Orators so grave, so dull,
Appear'd upon the stage:
But all was riot, noise, disgrace;
And Freedom's sons thro' all the place
In bloody frays engage.

Sagacious Matlack strove in vain
To pour his sense in Dutchmen's brain,
With ev'ry art to please:
Observ'd " that as their Money fell.
" Like Lucifer, to lowest Hell,
" Tho' swift, yet by degrees —

" So should it rise, and goods should fall
" Month after month, and one and all
" Would buy as cheap as ever;
" That they lost all, who grasp'd too much " —
(This Colonel Bull explain'd in Dutch),
— But fruitless each endeavour.

With solemn phiz and action slow,
Arose the Chairman, Roberdeau ,
And made this humane motion:
" That Tories, with their brats and wives,
Should fly, to save their wretched lives,
From Sodom into — Goshen."

He central stood, and all the ground
With people cover'd, him surround;
And thence it came to pass
That, as he spoke with zeal upon't,
He turn'd his face to those in front;
To those behind, — — —

This gave offence — his voice was drown'd.
He should have shown his face all round,
Like whirligig in socket:
Or, if that did his art surpass,
He should at least have ta'en — — —
And put it in his pocket.

Then Hutchinson , that great bull-calf —
A gander has more brains by half —
In croaking, froglike note
Approv'd the motion, and demands
The People's sense, by shew of hands,
To save or damn the vote.

All rais'd their hands, with mighty burst
Of loud acclaim — The case revers'd,
All lift their hands again!
Blue Bayard grinn'd — that long-ear'd ass —
With mobs he saw it was a farce
To reason or explain.

But thoughtful Rush , and artful Gaff ,
And Bryan , too much vex'd to laugh,
Were fill'd with grief and pity;
And soon dismiss'd the Rabble Rout:
Concluding what they were about
With chusing a Committee.

Hoping to get them more in tune
Before the twenty-fifth of June,
Which was the chosen day
For them to meet by sound of Drum;
Unless the Enemy should come
And make them run away.

To tell their Tale, away they speed
To their prime mover, Joseph Reed ,
" The virtuous and sublime! "
So virtuous , that he cheats his friends,
Sublimely cheats to gain his ends;
And glories in the crime.

Ambition is his darling theme:
Integrity an idle dream
That vulgar minds may awe.
At home, abroad, with friend or wife,
In public or in private life,
The tyrant's will is law.

Of deep resentments, wicked, bold,
The thirst of Blood, of Power, of Gold,
Possess alternate sway:
And Johnstone's bribe had surely won
Rebellion's pale-fac'd matchless son,
Had Mammon rul'd that day.

But time would fail me to rehearse
In my poor limping doggrel verse,
His character divine:
Suffice it that in Dunlap's page,
Drawn by himself , from age to age
It shall with splendor shine!