The Poems of Philip Freneau Volume II Part 16

The Tories came with long address, With poems groan'd the Royal press, And all in William's praise-- The boy astonish'd look'd about To find their vast dominions out, Then answer'd in amaze,

"Where all your empire wide can be, "Friends, for my soul I cannot see: "'Tis but an empty name; "Three wasted islands and a town "In rubbish bury'd--half burnt down, "Is all that we can claim:

"I am of royal birth, 'tis true, "But what, alas! can princes do, "No armies to command?

"Cornwallis conquer'd and distrest, "Sir Henry Clinton grown a jest, "I curse and leave the land."

[123] Published in the _Freeman's Journal_, January 30, 1782. "Prince William Henry, third son of George III, afterwards William IV, entered the navy as midshipman at the age of fourteen in 1779. He sailed in the _Prince George_ of 98 guns to Gibralter, in the course of which cruise he saw some service under Rodney in conflict with the Spanish fleet; and it was in this ship, accompanied by Admiral Digby, that he arrived at New York in September, 1781."--_Duyckinck._ He was received with great enthusiasm and ceremony. In the _Freeman's Journal_ of January 25, 1782, was the following, doubtless from the pen of Freneau: "It is observable that the arrival of Prince William Henry in New York filled the British with 'joy ineffable and universal.' The very chimney sweeps, smitten with the poetic flame, composed odes in his praise, some of which were inserted in _The Royal Gazette_." The 1809 edition was given a long French motto from Mirabeau, which Freneau translates as follows: "The favourites of a throne bask in its sunshine, like b.u.t.terflies in a fine day. Their very slaves at the foot of royalty partake of the delusion.

They keep a nation under their feet, and their every folly influences and is followed by the mult.i.tude. They care not if their fathers and their nearest relatives are trampled into the dust, provided _they_ can figure away in the circles of a court, etc."

LORD DUNMORE'S PEt.i.tION TO THE LEGISLATURE OF VIRGINIA[124]

_Humbly Sheweth--_

That a silly old fellow, much noted of yore, And known by the name of John, earl of Dunmore, Has again ventured over to visit your sh.o.r.e.

The reason of this he begs leave to explain-- In England they said you were conquered and slain, (But the devil take him who believes them again)--

So, hearing that most of you rebels were dead, That some had submitted, and others had fled, I mustered my Tories, myself at their head,

And over we scudded, our hearts full of glee, As merry as ever poor devils could be, Our ancient dominion, Virginia, to see;

Our shoe-boys, and tars, and the very cook's mate Already conceived he possessed an estate, And the Tories no longer were cursing their fate.

Myself, (the don Quixote) and each of the crew, Like Sancho, had islands and empires in view-- They were captains, and kings, and the devil knows who:

But now, to our sorrow, disgrace, and surprise, No longer deceived by the Father of Lies,[A]

We hear with our ears, and we see with our eyes:--

[A] The printer of the Royal Gazette.--_Freneau's note, ed.

of 1786._

I have therefore to make you a modest request, (And I'm sure, in my mind, it will be for the best) Admit me again to your mansions of rest.

There are Eden, and Martin, and Franklin, and Tryon,[125]

All waiting to see you submit to the Lion, And may wait till the devil is king of Mount Sion:--

Though a brute and a dunce, like the rest of the clan, I can govern as well as most Englishmen can; And if I'm a drunkard, I still am a man:

I missed it some how in comparing my notes, Or six years ago I had joined with your votes; Not aided the negroes in cutting your throats.[126]

Although with so many hard names I was branded, I hope you'll believe, (as you will if you're candid) That I only performed what my master commanded.

Give me lands, wh.o.r.es and dice, and you still may be free; Let who will be master, we sha'nt disagree; If king or if Congress--no matter to me;--

I hope you will send me an answer straitway, For 'tis plain that at Charleston we cannot long stay-- And your humble pet.i.tioner ever shall pray.

DUNMORE.

CHARLESTON, _Jan. 6, 1782_.

[124] First published in the _Freeman's Journal_, February 13, 1782, and printed almost without change in the various editions. Lord Dunmore was appointed Royal Governor of Virginia in 1770, but, after a stormy career was forced to flee from the colony after the news of Lexington had reached the Southern patriots.

[125] "The last Royal Governors: Robert Eden of Maryland; Joseph Martin of North Carolina; William Franklin of New Jersey; William Tryon of New York."--_Duyckinck._

[126] After the second patriot convention a.s.sembled in Richmond, Va., in March, 1775, to take measures toward putting the colony in a state of defence, Dunmore, "To intimidate the Virginians, issued proclamations and circulated a rumor that he would incite an insurrection of their slaves.... 'The whole country,' said he, 'can easily be made a solitude; and by the living G.o.d! if any insult is offered to me or to those who have obeyed my orders, I will declare freedom to the slaves and lay the town in ashes.'"--_Bancroft._

EPIGRAM[127]

Occasioned by the t.i.tle of Mr. Rivington's[A] New York Royal Gazette being scarcely legible

[A] Royal printer to his Britannic majesty while his forces held the city of New York, from 1776 to November 25, 1783.--_Freneau's note._

Says Satan to Jemmy, "I hold you a bet "That you mean to abandon our Royal Gazette, "Or, between you and me, you would manage things better "Than the t.i.tle to print on so sneaking a letter.

"Now being connected so long in the art "It would not be prudent at present to part; "And people, perhaps, would be frightened, and fret "If the devil alone carried on the Gazette."

Says Jemmy to Satan (by the way of a wipe), "Who gives me the matter should furnish the type; "And why you find fault, I can scarcely divine, "For the types, like the printer, are certainly thine.

"'Tis yours to deceive with the semblance of truth, "Thou friend of my age, and thou guide of my youth!

"But, to prosper, pray send me some further supplies, "A sett of new types, and a sett of new lies."

[127] Published in the _Freeman's Journal_, February 13, 1782.

A SPEECH[128]

That should have been spoken by the King of the Island of Britain to his Parliament

My lords, I can hardly from weeping refrain, When I think of this year and its cursed campaign;[129]

But still it is folly to whine and to grieve, For things will yet alter, I hope and believe.

Of the four southern States we again are bereav'd, They were just in our grasp (or I'm sadly deceiv'd): There are wizards and witches that dwell in those lands, For the moment we gain them, they slip from our hands.

Our prospects at present most gloomy appear; Cornwallis returns with a flea in his ear, Sir Henry is sick of his station we know-- And Amherst, though press'd, is unwilling to go.