The Poems of Philip Freneau Volume II Part 21

DIALOGUE AT HYDE-PARK CORNER[149]

(London)

_Burgoyne_

Let those who will, be proud and sneer And call you an unwelcome peer, But I am glad to see you here: The prince that fills the British throne, Unless successful, honours none; Poor Jack Burgoyne!--you're not alone.

_Cornwallis_

Thy ships, De Gra.s.se, have caused my grief-- To rebel sh.o.r.es and their relief There never came a luckier chief: In fame's black page it shall be read, By Gallic arms my soldiers bled-- The rebels thine in triumph led.

_Burgoyne_

Our fortunes different forms a.s.sume, I called and called for elbow-room,[150]

Till Gates discharged me to my doom;[151]

But you, that conquered far and wide, In little York thought fit to hide, The subject ocean at your side.

_Cornwallis_

And yet no force had gained that post-- Not Washington, his country's boast, Nor Rochambeau, with all his host, Nor all the Gallic fleet's parade-- Had Clinton hurried to my aid, And Sammy Graves been not afraid.

_Burgoyne_

For head knocked off, or broken bones, Or mangled corpse, no price atones; Nor all that prattling rumour says, Nor all the piles that art can raise, The poet's or the parson's praise.

_Cornwallis_

Though I am brave, as well as you, Yet still I think your notion true; Dear brother Jack, our toils are o'er-- With foreign conquests plagued no more, We'll stay and guard our native sh.o.r.e.

[149] Text from the edition of 1809. The poem first appeared in the _Freeman's Journal_, April 24, 1782.

[150] See Vol. I, page 166, note.

[151]

"Had I been blest with _elbow-room_, I might have found a different doom."--_Ed. 1786._

ON THE LATE ROYAL SLOOP OF WAR GENERAL MONK[152]

(Formerly the Washington)

Mounting Six Quarter Deck Wooden Guns

When the _Washington_ ship by the English was beat, They sent her to England to shew their great feat, And Sandwich straitway, as a proof of his s.p.u.n.k, Dashed out her old name, and called her the _Monk_.

"This _Monk_ hated Rebels (said Sandy)--'od rot 'em-- "So heave her down quickly, and copper her bottom; "With the sloops of our navy we'll have her enrolled, "And manned with picked sailors to make her feel bold;

"To shew that our king is both valiant and good, "Some guns shall be iron, and others be wood, "And, in truth, (though I wish not the secret to spread) "All her guns should be wooden--to suit with his head."

[152] First published in the _Freeman's Journal_, April 24, 1782. On April 10, the Journal contained the following account of the battle:

"Yesterday the _Hyder Ally_, a vessel fitted out for the protection of this river and its trade, returned to Chester after a severe conflict with a vessel of superior force, which with great gallantry and good conduct on the part of Capt. Barney and his crew, has been captured and brought into port. The particulars of the action, as far as we have been able to collect them, are that a fleet of merchantmen, having proceeded down the bay, were met by an enemy's frigate of forty guns, with the _General Monk_, Sloop of War, and _Fair American_, privateer; the _General Monk_ having eighteen nine pounders and one hundred and fifty men. The fleet endeavored to return, but were pursued by the frigate, sloop, and privateer. The _Fair American_ being engaged with one of the fleet, and the frigate being at a considerable distance, gave the _Hyder Ally_ an opportunity to attack the _General Monk_ singly, which Capt.

Barney embraced, and after a very close and brave attack of about thirty minutes, the _General Monk_ surrendered to her inferior adversary. The _General Monk_ had fifty-three men killed and wounded, among whom are most of the officers; on board the _Hyder Ally_ there were fifteen killed and wounded. A brig, one of the fleet, was taken, and the _General Greene_ left engaged with the _Fair American_. The conduct of Capt. Barney has given the greatest satisfaction and shows him truly worthy of the trust committed to him."

TRUTH ANTIc.i.p.aTED[153][A]

A Rivingtonian Dialogue

[A] "Occasioned by the naval victory gained by Admiral Rodney and Capt. Cornwallis, of the British fleet in the West Indies, over the squadron of Count De Gra.s.se."--_Freneau's note to 1809 edition._

What brilliant events have of late come to pa.s.s, No less than the capture of Monsieur de Gra.s.se!

His majesty's printer has told it for true, As we had it from him, so we give it to you.

Many folks of discernment the story believed, And the devil himself it at first had deceived, Had it not been that Satan imported the stuff, And signed it George Rodney, by way of high proof.[154]

Said Satan to Jemmy, "Let's give them the whappers-- "Some news I have got that will bring in the coppers, "And truth it shall be, though I pa.s.s it for lies, "And making a page of your newspaper size.

"A wide field is open to favour my plan, "And the rebels may prove that I lie--if they can; "Since they jested and laughed at our lying before, "Let it pa.s.s for a lie, to torment them the more.

"My wings are yet wet with the West-India dew, "And Rodney I left, to come hither to you, "I left him bedeviled with brimstone and smoke, "The French in distress, and their armament broke.

"For news so delightful, with heart and with voice "The Tories of every degree may rejoice; "With charcoal and sulphur shall utter their joy "'Till they all get as black as they paint the old Boy."

Thus, pleased with the motion, each cutting a caper, Down they sat at the table, with pen, ink, and paper; In less than five minutes the matter was stated, And Jemmy turned scribe, while Satan dictated.

"Begin (said the devil) in the form of a Letter, "(If you call it true copy, 'tis so much the better) "Make Rodney a.s.sert he met the French fleet, "Engaged it, and gave 'em a total defeat.

"But the better to vamp up a show of reality, "The tale must be told with circ.u.mstantiality, "What vessels were conquered by Britain's bold sons, "Their quotas of men, and their number of guns.

"There's the _Villa de Paris_--one hundred and ten-- "Write down that George Rodney has killed half her men-- "That her hull and her rigging are shattered and shaken, "Her flag humbled down, and her admiral taken.

"_Le Cesar_, 'tis true, is a seventy-four, "But the _Villa de Paris_ was thirty-six more; "With a grey goose's quill if that ship we did seize on, "_Le Cesar_ must fall, or I'll know what's the reason.

"The next that I fix on to take is the _Hector_, "(Her name may be Trojan, but shall not protect her) "Don't faulter, dear comrade, and look like a goose, "If we've taken these three, we can take _Glorieuse_.

"The last mentioned ship runs their loss up to four, "_Le Diadem_ sunk, shall make it one more; "And now, for the sake of round numbers, dear cousin, "Write _Ardent_, and then we have just half-a-dozen!"

Jemmy smiled at the notion, and whispered "O fy!