The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore Collected by Himself. In Ten Volumes |
 | I, II. |
 | III, IV. |
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KING CRACK
AND HIS IDOLS.
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| V. |
| VI, VII. |
| VIII, IX. |
| X. |
 | The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore |  |
175
KING CRACK AND HIS IDOLS.
WRITTEN AFTER THE LATE NEGOTIATION FOR A NEW M*N*STRY.
King Crack was the best of all possible Kings,
(At least, so his Courtiers would swear to you gladly,)
But Crack now and then would do het'rodox things,
And, at last, took to worshipping Images sadly.
(At least, so his Courtiers would swear to you gladly,)
But Crack now and then would do het'rodox things,
And, at last, took to worshipping Images sadly.
Some broken-down Idols, that long had been plac'd
In his father's old Cabinet, pleas'd him so much,
That he knelt down and worshipp'd, though—such was his taste!—
They were monstrous to look at, and rotten to touch.
In his father's old Cabinet, pleas'd him so much,
That he knelt down and worshipp'd, though—such was his taste!—
They were monstrous to look at, and rotten to touch.
176
And these were the beautiful Gods of King Crack!—
But his People, disdaining to worship such things,
Cried aloud, one and all, “Come, your Godships must pack—
“You'll not do for us, though you may do for Kings.”
But his People, disdaining to worship such things,
Cried aloud, one and all, “Come, your Godships must pack—
“You'll not do for us, though you may do for Kings.”
Then, trampling these images under their feet,
They sent Crack a petition, beginning “Great Cæsar!
“We're willing to worship; but only entreat
“That you'll find us some decenter Godheads than these are.”
They sent Crack a petition, beginning “Great Cæsar!
“We're willing to worship; but only entreat
“That you'll find us some decenter Godheads than these are.”
“I'll try,” says King Crack—so they furnish'd him models
Of better shap'd Gods, but he sent them all back;
Some were chisell'd too fine, some had heads 'stead of noddles,
In short, they were all much too godlike for Crack.
Of better shap'd Gods, but he sent them all back;
Some were chisell'd too fine, some had heads 'stead of noddles,
In short, they were all much too godlike for Crack.
177
So he took to his darling old Idols again,
And, just mending their legs and new bronzing their faces,
In open defiance of Gods and of man,
Set the monsters up grinning once more in their places.
And, just mending their legs and new bronzing their faces,
In open defiance of Gods and of man,
Set the monsters up grinning once more in their places.
One of those antediluvian Princes, with whom Manetho and Whiston seem so intimately acquainted. If we had the Memoirs of Thoth, from which Manetho compiled his History, we should find, I dare say, that Crack was only a Regent, and that he, perhaps, succeeded Typhon, who (as Whiston says) was the last King of the Antediluvian Dynasty.
| The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore | |