University of Virginia Library

Now at this critical non plus,
Our wight arose and argued thus:
Though constitution's almost done,
There's still some picking in the bone,
A new occasion gives new use,
And let's the prejudices loose,
No writing can be understood,
Or read at once by the multitude,
And in obscurity there's fear;
So, we can get a foot-hold here,
Say that this novel government,
Is form'd by them with an intent
To eat up the offices of the state,
And make each one of themselves great;
That under this outrageous system
No man alive will dare say peas t' them,
That soldiers arm'd with battle axes,
Henceforward will collect the taxes;
That the convention in great fury,
Have taken away the trial by jury;
That liberty of the press is gone,
We shall be hang'd each mothers son;
Say Lord knows what, as comes in head,
Pretences for a scare crow made;
Tell them that Mason of Virginia,
And Randolph shun'd the ignominy
Of putting hand to the state paper,
And Eldridge Gerry made a caper,
The other way: say this and more t' 'em,
And leave the result of it to fortune,
Or in the words of better sense,
To good discretion and Providence.