 | The Poems of St. George Tucker of Williamsburg, Virginia 1752-1827 |  |
53
Epigrams
[1 The charge to battle should Bellona sound]
[_]
On July 30, 1791, John Page wrote Tucker, “But now for the epigram I promised in the beginning of the scrawl. It is an impromptu occasioned by Mrs. Page's telling me that Webster in one of his lectures said that the word wound was improperly pronounced woond, unless applied as in the epigram—for after writing one I ran out the thought as you say I always do in a second, a Peter Pindaric. Take them both here they are:
When hostile arms assail, and you cry zounds!The deep infected strokes you may call wounds.
But when by gentle glows a lover swoons,
The critic Webster sounds it woonds.
When Mars attacks
With broadsword hacks,
Each frightful gash that's found
Is called a ghastly wound.
When Cupid's darts
Pierce soft hearts
The holes they make
In maid or rake,
Because these die in swoons
Webster says we may call “woonds.”
Tucker replied with these three epigrams:
The charge to battle should Bellona sound
Each well-aimed stroke inflicts a ghastly wound,
But pierced by Cupid's dart when Streppon swooned,
Cries critic Webster softly—“What a woond!”
Each well-aimed stroke inflicts a ghastly wound,
But pierced by Cupid's dart when Streppon swooned,
Cries critic Webster softly—“What a woond!”
A battle fought—cries critic Webster “Zounds!
What blood and slaughter—what disastrous wounds!”
But pierced by Cupid's dart when Streppon swooned
He whispers softly—“bless me! what a woond!”
What blood and slaughter—what disastrous wounds!”
But pierced by Cupid's dart when Streppon swooned
He whispers softly—“bless me! what a woond!”
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Noah Webster's Rule of Pronouncing Simplified
When Daphne, jilted at her toilet swooned,No tender heart was sunk with such a wound;
But when she pricked her finger, friends around
Exclaimed with horror; bless us! what a wound!
[2 God's! To Elysium what a passport's here]
[_]
In another undated letter, Page wrote, “Mousr. De la Borde was going on a visit to Ferney; Madam du Barry begged of him to give Voltaire two kisses from her. He sent her in return these four lines:
Quoi! deux baisers sur la fin de ma vie!Quel passeport daigner vous in envoyer!
Ah! c' en est trop, adorable Egerte.
Je serais mort de plaisir au premier.
Only think of these Verses, when he was almost eighty!”
Page then offered two verse translations of his own:
Ah, dear Egeria you have given
One passport sure too much,
One kiss would send me quick to heaven
Of what use then two such?
One passport sure too much,
One kiss would send me quick to heaven
Of what use then two such?
What! two kisses when near my end!
What passport have you deigned to give me!
Ah! too much of it my dear you send
The first with joy would kill, believe me
What passport have you deigned to give me!
Ah! too much of it my dear you send
The first with joy would kill, believe me
Tucker replied with this one:
Two kisses by Egeria given!
The second I shall lose, I fear:
Transported by the first to heaven.
55
[3 A subject to write a farce on]
A subject to write a farce on;All drest so fine! ... to see the parson.
[4 Columbia's flag displays an emblem bright]
Columbia's flag displays an emblem bright,New stripes her lashes mark—new stars her night.
5
On Reading of Tho Heath's Motion in Congress to Prohibit the Printing of the Speeches of the Members
Yes, Johnny, thou art surely rightThe Press's freedom to subdue,
For should they print what you indite
T'would damn the press, as well as you.
6
On Reading a Ridiculous Encomium on General Washington
The fool that should a diamond varnish,Its genuine luster would but tarnish;
So 'tis when fools by flattery aim,
To gild a truly glorious name.
56
[7 Quoth Jed to Tim, where did our John]
Quoth Jed to Tim, where did our John
Such heaps of knowledge gather.
As if in Paradise he'd been,
With Eve—or Satan, rather?
Such heaps of knowledge gather.
As if in Paradise he'd been,
With Eve—or Satan, rather?
Quoth Tim, I guess that famous tree
That once in Eden grew,
Hath been transplanted to our town,
And got a name quite new.
That once in Eden grew,
Hath been transplanted to our town,
And got a name quite new.
For sure as Latin's learned at college
At Braintree John picked up his knowledge.
At Braintree John picked up his knowledge.
8
Impromptu, on Seeing the Name of Wilson Curle Carved in a Corner of the House of Delegates in Williamsburg, Dated 1776
Whilst on this floor some rise to deathless fame,Curle in the corner sits and carves his name.
(Perhaps better thus:)
Here Henry spoke, and rose to deathless fame:
Curle in the corner sat, and carved his name.
9
Written in a County Courthouse
Here Justice sits and holds her scales:But ah! her balance often fails.
57
10
On a Young Lady Vain of the Number of Her Admirers
See beauteous Chloe, followed by a trainOf powdered coxcombs, of their number vain:
If numerous sweethearts constitutes a toast,
Her namesake in the kennel more can boast.
11
Epigram
When Celia dances, 'tis with as much force,As any racer, straining o'er the course!
Her face, at once, all water and all fire;
If this enflames, that quenches all desire.
12
On the Same
Diana's nymphs returning from the chaseIn crystal streams their fervid limbs solace;
But through the dance when lovely Celia flies,
Each friendly pore, a cooling stream supplies.
[13 When lovely Sappho on the guitar plays]
When lovely Sappho on the guitar playsA gentle rill comes trickling thru' her stays,
Till overwhelmed with exercise and heat
She seems a water nymph; dissolved in sweat.
| The Poems of St. George Tucker of Williamsburg, Virginia 1752-1827 | |