University of Virginia Library

A mighty Weesil of renown,
Well vers'd in things of State,
Was chosen King all o'er the Town,
Of all the Mice and Rats.
His Coronation Day was come,
And all the Grandees meet
The Weesil in a gaudy Room,
And bow beneath his Feet.
His Chair of State was Rind of Cheese,
And o'er his Royal Head
Some Bacon swerd in goodly guise,
Like Canopy was spread.
At length he walks and struts about,
Like any Lord or Duke;
Sometimes he does one Subject flout,
And sometimes one rebuke.
He calls an aged Rat aside,
And ask'd him his advice,
Whether a Project mayn't be try'd
To eat up all the Mice.
Ay quoth the Rat, your Majesty
May be well satisfy'd,
Mice haters are of Monarchy,
And Regal State deride.
The Rats and Weesils now devour
The Mice in piteous sort.
They dye the Cellars with their Gore,
And with their Bones they sport.
At length the Mice are all destroy'd,
The Weesils and the Rats
Would other Food find out abroad,
But that they fear'd the Cats.
The Weesils now together plot,
How they the Rats may eat;
Provision must be daily got,
Kings must have sumptuous Meat.
The Rats now all do go to pot:
Some bak'd, some boil'd, some roasted;
'Tis hop'd they had not then forgot
How they the Mice accosted.

Thus some Men oft by Tyrant Power,
Their Kindred Subject-Slaves devour,
Do all the Villanies are done
To prop a beastly Tyrant Throne;
Tho others Blood the Tyrant fill'd,
They must at length to's Fury yield;
Nought stops a Tyrant's Course but Decollation,
Or else a modern Abdication.