The poetical works of Leigh Hunt Now finally collected, revised by himself, and edited by his son, Thornton Hunt. With illustrations by Corbould |
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THE ROYAL LINE. |
 | The poetical works of Leigh Hunt |  |
320
THE ROYAL LINE.
[1836?]
William I. The sturdy Conq'ror, politic, severe;
William II. Light-minded Rufus, dying like the deer;
Henry I. Beau-clerc, who everything but virtue knew;
Stephen. Stephen, who graced the lawless sword he drew;
Henry II. Fine Henry, hapless in his sons and priest;
Richard I. Richard, the glorious trifler in the East;
John. John, the mean wretch, tyrant and slave, a liar;
Henry III. Imbecile Henry, worthy of his sire;
Edward I. Long-shanks, well nam'd, a great encroacher he;
Edward II. Edward the minion dying dreadfully;
Edward III. The splendid veteran, weak in his decline;
Richard II. Another minion, sure untimely sign;
Henry IV. Usurping Lancaster, whom wrongs advance;
Henry V. Harry the Fifth, the tennis-boy of France;
Henry VI. The beadsman, praying while his Margaret fought;
Edward IV. Edward, too sensual for a kindly thought;
Edward V. The little head, that never wore the crown;
Richard III. Crookback, to nature giving frown for frown;
Henry VII. Close-hearted Henry, the shrewd carking sire;
Henry VIII. The British Bluebeard, fat, and full of ire;
Edward VI. The sickly boy, endowing and endow'd;
Mary. III Mary, lighting many a living shroud;
Elizabeth. The lion-queen, with her stiff muslin mane;
James I. The shambling pedant, and his minion train;
Charles I. Weak Charles, the victim of the dawn of right;
Cromwell. Cromwell, misuser of his home-spun might;
Charles II. The swarthy scape-grace, all for ease and wit;
James II. The bigot out of season, forc'd to quit;
William III. The Dutchman, call'd to see our vessel through;
Anne. Anna made great by conquering Marlborough;
George I. George, vulgar soul, a woman-hated name;
George II. Another, fonder of his fee than fame;
George III. A third, too weak, instead of strong, to swerve;
George IV. And fourth, whom Canning and Sir Will preserve.
| The poetical works of Leigh Hunt | |