A war ’gainst TRUTH and HONOUR, horrid deed!
To root up FREEDOM, and make VIRTUE bleed,
To stab the constitution’s very soul,
That right destroy, which now supports the whole;
Elections right, that firm, that great support,
’Gainst venal statesmen, and a slavish court:
Yet none should suffer for such mighty guilt,
Nor all the blood which might that day be spilt:
Altho’ by hir’d villains some should be slain,
The villains tri’d, condemn’d, ’twou’d be in vain,
In vain the nation should for justice call,
[print edition page 107]
A pardon would be sent from Surgeons Hall;
That King should laugh, his minions should laugh too,
To think each day they butcher’d one, or two.
Such deeds as these would fire my soul with rage,
And make me e’en against my safety, wage
War with vill’ny, and stamp that TYRANT’s crimes,
That he might live, and stink to after-times.
Thrice happy NOW, when ev’ry blessing springs,
From GEORGE the THIRD, we boast the BEST of KINGS,
Should such a King succeed to England’s Throne,
(Tho’ born a Briton, they must blush to own;)
He would from France, to shameful insults yield,
And be afraid the British sword to wield;
Our cannon, France shall neither fear nor dread,
When known to her, a Patriot King was dead;
And he who reign’d, a scripture rule did know,
To strike him once, would turn for t’other blow;
The terror of our fleets should be no more,
Nor carry thunder to a foreign shore;
But piece, by piece, be left to rot away,
With BRITISH GLORY, moulder and decay;
The insulting Spaniard, unchastis’d shall dare,
To seize a ship, and off her rudder tare;
While England, neither dreaded, nor ador’d,
Stains with her pen, the lusture of her sword;
In cowardice gives up her rightful claim,
And blasts at once, her honour, and her name:
Curst be the time, the day, when that is told,
That England’s Empire of the sea is sold.
Such deeds as these, would fire my soul with rage,
And make me e’en against my safety, wage
War with vill’ny and stamp that TYRANT’S crimes,
That he might live and stink to after-times.
[print edition page 108]
Thrice happy NOW, when ev’ry blessing springs,
From GEORGE the THIRD, we boast the BEST of KINGS.
Should such a King succeed to England’s throne,
(Tho’ born a Briton, they must blush to own;)
Should he in meanness bred, laugh at all law,
The senate keep by bribes, and fraud in awe;
That parliament to loyal mandates true,
With England’s ruin, shall fix Boston’s too;
Her charters shall destroy, her rights invade,
Her commerce ruin, and the town blockade;
Shall fill that place, with men by slaughter fed,
To rob the starving people of their bred;
And fix by force, some curst oppressive laws,
Made through Scots villainy, (without a cause;)
In base compliance with that Tyrant’s will,
Her freedom to destroy, or blood to spill;
And step, by step, most infamous design,
Thus the whole constitution undermine;
First take from Boston, all the rights we gave,
Make each American, a Scotsman’s slave;
And next in chains the English shall be bound,
By that same King, in whom no truth they found;
Should I then live, I’d rather league with Hell,
Or rise in arms, and ’gainst that King rebel
Than be his slave, by all thats just and good,
I’d rather see my children roll in blood.
Such deeds as these, would fire my soul with rage,
And make me e’en against my safety, wage
War with vill’ny, and stamp that Tyrant’s crimes,
That he might live, and stink to after-times;
Would make me call forth antient British rage,
To just revenge, or mark the coward age.
Thrice happy NOW, when ev’ry blessing springs,
From GEORGE the THIRD, we boast the BEST of KINGS.
[print edition page 109]
Should such a King succeed to England’s throne,
(The nation must, with dire oppression groan,)
Should he in meanness bred, laugh at all law,
The Senate keep by bribes,
