7 At six the host, with sweating buff,
Arrived at Freedom's Pole,
When Wayne, who thought he'd time enough,
Thus speechified the whole :
8 " O ye whom glory doth unite,
Who Freedom's cause espouse,
Whether the wing that's doomed to fight,
Or that to drive the cows;
9 Ere yet you tempt your further way,
Or into action come,
Hear, soldiers, what I have to say,
And take a pint of rum.
to Intemp'rate valor then will string
Each nervous arm the better,
So all the land shall 10! sing,
And read the gen'ral's letter.
11 Know that some paltry refugees,
Whom I've a mind to fight,
Are playing h—1 among the trees
That grow on yonder height.
12 Their fort and block-house we'll level,
And deal a horrid slaughter ;
We'll drive the scoundrels to the devil,
******
13 I under cover of th' attack,
Whilst you are all at blows,
From English Neighb'rhood and Tinack
Will drive away the cows.
14 For well you know the latter is
The serious operation,
And fighting with the refugees
Is only demonstration.''
15 His daring words from all the crowd
Such great applause did gain,
That every man declared aloud
For serious work with Wayne.
16 Then from the cask of rum once more
They took a heady gill,'
When one and all they loudly swore
They'd fight upon the hill.
17 But here—the muse has not a strain
Befitting such great deeds,
Hurra, they cried, hurra for Wayne!
And shouting * * *
Canto 2.
18 Near his meridian pomp, the sun
Had journey'd from the horizon,
When fierce the dusky tribe mov'd on,
Of heroes drunk as poison.
19 The sounds confused of boasting oaths,
Re-echoed through the wood,
Some vow'd to sleep in dead men's clothes,
And some to swim in blood.
20 At Irvine's nod, 'twas fine to see
The left prepared to fight,
The while the drovers, Wayne and Lee,
Drew off upon the right.
21 Which Irvine 'twas Fame don't relate,
Nor can the Muse assist her,
Whether 'twas he that cocks a hat,
Or he that gives a glister.
22 For greatly one was signalized,
That fought at Chestnut Hill,
And Canada immortalized
The vender of the pill.
23 Yet the attendance upon Proctor
They both might have to boast of;
For there was business for the doctor,
And hats to be disposed of.
24 Let none uncandidly infer
That Stirling wanted spunk,
The self-made peer had sure been there,
But that the peer was drunk.
25 But turn we to the Hudson's banks,
Where stood the modest train,
With purpose firm, though slender ranks,
Nor car'd a pin for Wayne.
26 For them the unrelenting hand
Of rebel fury drove,
And tore from ev'ry genial band
Of friendship and of love.
27 And some within a dungeon's gloom,
By mock tribunals laid,
Had waited long a cruel doom,
Impending o'er their heads.
28 Here one bewails a brother's fate.
There one a sire demands,
Cut off, alas! before their date,
By ignominious hands.
29 And silver'd grandsires here appear'd
In deep distress serene,
Of reverend manners that declared
The better days they'd seen.
30 Oh! curs'd rebellion, these are thine,
Thine are these tales of woe;
Shall at thy dire insatiate shrine
Blood never cease to flow ?
31 And now the foe began to lead
His forces to th' attack;
Balls whistling unto balls succeed,
And make the block-house crack.
