University of Virginia Library

Search this document 
The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore

Collected by Himself. In Ten Volumes
  

expand sectionI, II. 
expand sectionIII, IV. 
expand sectionV. 
expand sectionVI, VII. 
collapse sectionVIII, IX. 
expand section 
expand section 
collapse section 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 1. 
 2. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
RIVAL TOPICS.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
expand section 
expand section 
expand section 
expand sectionX. 


188

RIVAL TOPICS.

AN EXTRAVAGANZA.

Oh W---ll---ngt---n and Stephenson,
Oh morn and evening papers,
Times, Herald, Courier, Globe, and Sun,
When will ye cease our ears to stun
With these two heroes' capers?
Still “Stephenson” and “W---ll---ngt---n,”
The everlasting two!—
Still doom'd, from rise to set of sun,
To hear what mischief one has done,
And t'other means to do:—
What bills the banker pass'd to friends,
But never meant to pay;
What Bills the other wight intends,
As honest, in their way;—

189

Bills, payable at distant sight,
Beyond the Grecian kalends,
When all good deeds will come to light,
When W---ll---ngt---n will do what's right,
And Rowland pay his balance.
To catch the banker all have sought,
But still the rogue unhurt is;
While t'other juggler—who'd have thought?
Though slippery long, has just been caught
By old Archbishop Curtis;—
And, such the power of papal crook,
The crosier scarce had quiver'd
About his ears, when, lo, the Duke
Was of a Bull deliver'd!
Sir Richard Birnie doth decide
That Rowland “must be mad,”
In private coach, with crest, to ride,
When chaises could be had.
And t'other hero, all agree,
St. Luke's will soon arrive at,
If thus he shows off publicly,
When he might pass in private.

190

Oh W---ll---ngt---n, oh Stephenson,
Ye ever-boring pair,
Where'er I sit, or stand, or run,
Ye haunt me every where.
Though Job had patience tough enough,
Such duplicates would try it;
Till one's turn'd out and t'other off,
We shan't have peace or quiet.
But small's the chance that Law affords—
Such folks are daily let off;
And, 'twixt the' Old Bailey and the Lords,
They both, I fear, will get off.
 

The date of this squib must have been, I think, about 1828–9.