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104

ELEGY ON THE DEATH OF JEAN BON ST. ANDRE.

May 14, 1798.

I

All in the town of Tunis,
In Africa the torrid,
On a Frenchman of rank
Was play'd such a prank,
As Lepaux must think quite horrid.
105

II

No story half so shocking,
By kitchen-fire or laundry,
Was ever heard tell,—
As that which befel
The great Jean Bon St. Andre.

III

Poor John was a gallant Captain,
In battles much delighting;
He fled full soon
On the first of June—
But he bade the rest keep fighting.

IV

To Paris then returning,
And recover'd from his panic,
He translated the plan
Of “Paine's Rights of Man”
Into language Mauritanic.

V

He went to teach at Tunis—
Where as Consul he was settled—
Amongst other things,
“That the people are kings!”
Whereat the Dey was nettled.

VI

The Moors being rather stupid,
And in temper somewhat mulish,
Understood not a word
Of the doctrine they heard,
And thought the Consul foolish.

VII

He form'd a Club of Brothers,
And moved some resolutions—
“Ho! ho! (says the Dey),
“So this is the way
“That the French make Revolutions.”
106

VIII

The Dey then gave his orders
In Arabic and Persian—
“Let no more be said—
“But bring me his head!—
“These Clubs are my aversion.”

IX

The Consul quoted Wicquefort,
And Puffendorf and Grotius;
And proved from Vattel
Exceedingly well,
Such a deed would be quite atrocious.

X

'Twould have moved a Christian's bowels
To hear the doubts he stated;—
But the Moors they did
As they were bid,
And strangled him while he prated.

XI

His head with a sharp-edged sabre
They sever'd from his shoulders,
And stuck it on high,
Where it caught the eye,
To the wonder of all beholders.

XII

This sure is a doleful story
As e'er you heard or read of;—
If at Tunis you prate
Of matters of state,
Anon they cut your head off!

XIII

But we hear the French Directors
Have thought the point so knotty;
That the Dey having shown
He dislikes Jean Bon,
They have sent him Bernadotte.
107

Canning, Ellis, and Frere.
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