Modern chivalry :: :: University of Virginia Library

What time the States had settled peace
With adversaries over seas,
And troops disbanded, it seem'd good,
To institute a brotherhood,
Among the chieftains of the war,
Of Cincinnati character,
Who now laid by their arms and came,
To seek an agricultural fame---
On territory they had sav'd;
For as together they had brav'd,
The toils of service, wish'd a tie,
At least upon the memory,
Of that companionship; hence 'twas,
The institution came to pass,
Of a society and badge.
At first it did provoke the rage,
Of several of the citizens,

xxxi

As being savouring of designs,
Of a nobility of title;
And chevaliering here a little;
And hence, when one of these in's gate,
Came to a village of the state,
With badge dependant at his bosom,
It seem'd a singular rosy crozum,
And drew attention and surmise;
And every one that seem'd more wise,
Began discussion of th' affair.
A certain pedagogue was there,
Did first accost, and ask'd the rise,
And the intendment of device,
And why he wore a turkey there,
Effigies of a bird of the air,
And other such interrogatories.
The Cincinnat who heard the queries,
Explain'd the history of the club,
And effigy upon the bob;
Vidilicet, that having fought,
And put the adversar's to trot,
Retir'd from war, like Cincinnatus,
And were about to plant potatoes;
But first in memory of their warfare,
And individuals did most care for,
Had set up club and wore a badge.
And what bird have you in the cage,
Quoth pedagogue? is it a goose,
That you have chosen for your use?
Or a wild turkey or a swan?

xxxii

This hurt the Cincinnati man----
Quoth he, I will not say you mean,
T' affront, and throw out with design,
This sarcasm on the badge we wear;
For 'tis an eagle of the air,
And emblematical of power,
As having dominion of the lower,
The fowls of the stack-yard and the grove;
And hence become the bird of Jove,
And is device upon the badge,
Which you and other fools with rage,
Decry and vilify and abuse,
As being without sense or use;
Because your ignorance is such,
You cannot comprehend it much,
The meaning of the hieroglyphic,
Or motto that is scientific,
Devis'd by scholars that were good,
And authors of similitude.
Quoth pedagogue, I own I saw
It had a bird's tail and a claw;
But never did so far encroach,
To look distinctly on the broach
Whether a grey goose or a drake,
That gives himself i' th' roost a shake,
But what resemblance is there here,
To him of Roman character;
Who wore no brochet at his button;
Or a remarkable escutcheon;
But when he quit the war and battle;

xxxiii

Return'd t' his harrow and draft cattle,
Without a goose-resembling bauble;
Or other bird or beast, could gabble,
A word of Latin or of Greek.
But what the phrase it seems to speak?
Relinquit omnia, servare
Rempublicam; by the lord Harry,
The Roman had not much to leave,
And would have laugh'd himself in's sleeve,
T' have had these words applied to him.
And you that are of modern time,
Were in the same predicament,
Before were to the warfare sent;
So that the point is not in this,
From whence eulogium takes its rise,
The having left a steer or two,
Or an old horse with which did plow;
But your returning to your place,
When armies had been sent to grass;
So that 'twere better you had made it,
Nunc victor ad aratrum redit:
Or some such phraseology,
Designating the eulogy,
Which really did belong to such,
As not ambitious over much,
Return'd from victory and war,
To till their ground, and take the care,
Of stock upon their farms; but wore,
No other ensign than before,
With barbarous Latin such as this,

xxxiv

Assum'd for their hypothesis.
Quoth Cincinnat, a great Quintilian,
You are, and have read books a million;
Can give a Latin word to teach us,
Which way the Romans pull'd up breeches;
Or how tobacco quid in cheek,
Was turn'd by the enlighten'd Greek;
You cough and grunt by syntax rules
Drawn from the prosody of schools;
But though I know not Cincinnatus,
Or other Roman that begat us,
The club nam'd after him is good
And I could shew it if I would;
But easier to dissolve the knot
By slitting nose or cutting throat;
Than talking about book or classic,
And reading till it makes the eyes ach;
For that my business is; this, yours;
Which sophistry, a hanger cures.
So say no more about the matter.
Meantime with ignorance and ill-nature,
There was a certain clergyman,
That took upon him to explain,
The meaning of the badge and use,
By reading history of the Jews;
Conceiv'd was an idolater,
That from the eastern climes came there
With native sparrow at his breast;
Or what else bird it was express'd;
Egyptian ibis or a stork,

xxxv

That did among the sedges lurk,
In face of dictate that was given,
By decalogue that came from heaven,
Inhibiting the worshiping,
Of graven bird or beast or thing;
Or otherwise a great magician,
He was, and dangerous on the occasion;
For had a trinket of his own,
And abracadrabra writ thereon,
With some infernal spell or force,
Above a common Christian's powers.
The Cincinnat enrag'd to hear
Attack upon his character,
Addressed himself to the populace,
Were then assembled at the place.
Quoth he, though no great orator
Experience being more in war,
Yet sense of injury and wrong,
May loosen word-strings of my tongue;
Enable me to tell my tale
In way, perhaps, acceptable;
Especially as candour hears,
As is evinc'd by your drop'd ears.
For well aware that public lies,
Insinuation and surmise,
Had got the start of me, I fear'd,
I would not be with candour heard.
But to begin----'tis gone abroad,
That I have image of false god,
Hung at my breast; the effigy

xxxvi

Of bird, or beast, or fish or fly;
Which idol grav'd in bit of gold,
Like the idolaters of old,
I worship, and put up a prayer,
Tho' but a wild fowl of the air.
The clergyman has given rise,
To this religious prejudice,
As natural to every mind,
To breed according to its kind;
But nothing more dissimilar,
Than that a soldier in the war,
Should worship God at all, or beast,
In effigy or shape express'd;
For seldom worship the true God,
Save when some danger comes the road;
Unless the swearing by the Lord,
Or zounds or zucks, or some such word,
May be accounted reverence,
Express'd to the Omnipotence;
And therefore much less probable
T' adore the visual beak or bill
Of this small eaglet that I wear.
As to idolatry am clear;
For though know nothing more about,
Religions that are set on foot
Than a grey goose; yet catholic,
Let all men worship till they're sick;
Nor interfere with church or psalm,
But be plain soldier as I am.
You that compose my audience,

xxxvii

Are persons of superior sense,
And can with others set that right
Misrepresented by the wight,
And save my hard earn'd character,
And the good name I wish to bear.
There was a citizen just by,
Who listened to apology.
Quoth he it may not be the shape
Of bird or beast at which you gape,
For sake of reverence or of prayer;
But to distinguish what you are;
The only saviours of the cause;
It being not the truth; whereas
Are many others that have fought,
And taken the Hessians by the throat,
And may deserve more solid praise,
Than wearing that small thing of brass,
Unworthy even of you that chuse,
To have the ensign of the goose.
Is't not ridiculous that one,
Who in the service has been known,
As champion of a sober cause,
Which with it such advantage draws
As to secure our liberty,
And place the thirteen stripes on high
In this severe and ruggid clime,
Should turn his thoughts to such a whim
As savours of a ruder age,
When every light-head wore a badge;
And is no trophy or a spoil

xxxviii

The warrior earn'd, upon the soil,
But arbitrary honor made,
By some one of the brazier trade;
And is no special proof of worth;
There are so many to hold forth.
Pretension to the same device;
For the peculiar honor lies,
In being distinguish'd in desert.
Are you the only that merit,
In revolution brought about?
Or are there not amongst the croud,
Some others that have just pretence,
If not with sword, at least with brains,
To patriotism in the cause?
If not with arms they have withjaws
In councils of the several states,
Or by their writings in Gazettes,
Rebuff'd the British power and force
And militated with discourse;
And many who have spoke and wrote,
Have also on occasion fought.
And there are victims of the cause,
By operation of the laws;
In favor of the general good.
What think you of the multitude,
Reduc'd by fluctuating paper,
Estates vanishing like vapour,
And brought to beggary and loss:
For take the people in the gross,
And all have suffer'd more or less;

xxxix

And so may claim by services,
At least a bit of lead or pewter,
As their deservings are minuter,
And institute a club or so,
For what they did against the foe,
In their particular grades and places;
So that the multitude increases,
To an infinity of badges;
The honorary rights and wages,
Of the whole bulk of citizens.
In this there was but little sense,
To which the Cincinnat replied,
As having more reason on his side.
Quoth he, it is a small affair,
If at the period of the war,
We instituted this our club,
To recreate us after rub,
And wear a badge which some arraign
As visionary toy, and vain;
But is not fancy that supplies,
One half of things which are our choice;
And all beyond the dress and food,
Is but imaginary good?
The cut, the colour of the garb
Distinguishing the Jew from Ar'b;
And all kinds of appendages,
Of different tribes and nations dress
Have their foundation in caprice;
Not from necessity take rise.
The savages that are untaught

Do wear their honors at the snout;
And nature sanctions the pursuit
By giving feathers to the brute.
The badge we wear is not a charm
Of Physical or moral harm;
But forcibly doth operate,
And in the human mind create
A love of fame and dignity,
By having this before the eye;
As, in the British isle, a star
And Garter, is reward of war;
And the St, Louis cross in France,
In other places like advance:
It is a small thing if from toil,
Of summers sun and winters soil,
Deficient in the stipend due,
We wear a thing distinct from you,
A trifling signet of our own,
Shall scarcely cost us half a crown,
Is there a law against the usage,
Proscribing it as a surplussage;
So that a writ of capias corpus
Can have the virtue to disturb us,
If there is neither rule of nature,
Or jurisprudence that can deter,
Why not just let the things go on,
In the same channel 'tis begun?
For though not great the excellence,
Yet have there not been men of sense
Among the Romans and the Greeks,

xli

That wore such things about their necks?
A bull or button at the breast;
Or elsewhere, that has well express'd,
The signal honor they had won,
By keeping adversaries down;
Or saving citizen at least;
And yet the thing not made a jest,
By persons that have talk'd like you?
Quoth citizen, it may be true;
And also in the modern days,
There have been found out many ways,
To tickle fancies of the fools.
There scarcely is a king but gulls,
His courtiers with appendages,
(At least when he is moneyless)
Of title, or some silly badge
With which they dance like birds in cage,
Proud of a feather that is red,
Or blue, because they take't in head,
It does them honor with the prince;
But here we have a little sense,
In these United States, and hate,
Such phantasy of a wrong pate;
And wish t' have merit of our own,
And not a mark to make it known,
Hung up like sign at tavern door,
Or barber's pole your nose before,
Evincing what there is within,
You could not other ways divine.
Besides why do you quote the Greeks,

xlii

Or Romans that had like dogs tricks?
There is a difference in the case;
For there, the people's suffrages,
Bestow'd the honor that was worn;
But here it would not serve your turn,
But you yourselves assum'd device.
Quoth Cincinnat, 'tis all damn'd lies;
We took it up, 'tis true, but yet,
It may be said the gift of the state,
Because the honor was our right,
And by deserving we came by 't.
Be that as't may the thing is safe,
And well befitting to the brave;
Quite innocent in name and nature;
Nor works a harm to single creature,
Is neither error, nor a sin,
T' offend a layman or divine.
At this the clergyman spoke out,
Who still was standing in the croud.
Quoth he, have said, and say it again
The thing is heathenish and vain,
And wearer an idolater,
Of whom there is just cause to fear,
Being some false prophet come to light
As is laid down in sacred writ,
That fell deceivers would arise,
In latter times to blind our eyes,
And draw us from the truth we hold;
For as to that same bit of gold,
What use? unless simbolical,

xliii

Of something bad and magical,
With rhyme that is engrav'd thereon?
If the mythology was known,
It might be found it was that gog,---
And magog that has lain incog,
So long in the apocalypse;
And now emerging from eclipse,
Has risen in such shape to men.
The Cincinnat to him again:
Quoth he, it ill becomes a priest,
To travel from his sphere, and jest,
About this trinket that I wear;
Against it roaring like a bear,
Who should be reasoning with the jew,
Wherever he can find a clue;
Or with the infidel, about,
The devil's horns and cloven foot.
Is this the knowledge that you gather,
From every old and half dead father,
As Chrystostom or Poly-carp,
Who on a different string did harp;
From you, about our institutions,
Instead of prayers and absolutions,
And teaching from the catechism,
The origin of faith and schism:
Which is unnatural and absurd,
Deserves to be chastis'd and cur'd?
For have you not an ample scope;
Or as we say, enough of rope,
To vent your rage and crudities,

xliv

Against the errors that arise,
Of fools that are propense to evil,
And lay the fault upon the devil,
As if he were a Jack o' lantern,
In every whole and corner sauntering,
Who never yet was out of hell,
Or knew a single syllable,
About the matter laid t' his charge,
In pulpit oratory at large?
I'st not enough to split your text:
(Till every hearer's heart is vex'd)
In forks and branches multiple,
And firstlies, and so-forths at ill,
With heads and horns of Daniel's ram,
That in the prophet's vision came;
Or bring a sermon out of what
Has scarce the semblance of a thought,
By twisting, turning, proper phrase;
Or cloathing pristine nakedness,
With commentaries of the brain,
Which no man else could find therein?
And have you not interminable,
Career to run as fast as able,
Through all the systems of the faith,
And variations that it hath,
Drawn from theology of schools,
Or self-born of the preachers skulls,
And built upon the abstract base;
Which was originally much less:
For so extensive is the flood,

xlv

Of knowledge that is bad or good,
A man may souse therein and toss,
Just as in ocean would a goose,
And find no shore or bottom out
Of doctrines that are set on foot?
Why then necessity to stretch,
Your legs upon us at a fetch,
As if you had not room at home
To canter on your hypodrome,
But must inveigh against what is
But a mere symbol and device,
And has no moral turpitude;
Or meaning that is bad or good,
Save just to shew the club we're of?
Quoth preacher, it is well enough
To put that face upon the matter,
To keep the world from knowing better,
Lest it should do your club a damage.
But is it not an molten image
Which the commandment hath forbidden?
Quoth Cincinnat, are so priest-ridden
That common sense has little place.
It may be molten, to use phrase,
But what of that, if not the use
Is a new god to introduce,
And worship semblance of a beast,
Or bird that is upon the crest?
It cannot give offence to Moses,
Or hurt the decalogu's-proboscis,
Or you that are conservators,

xlvi

Of all that in religion stirs.
So that it is unnecessary,
To make our club your adversary
By thus misconstruing the badge,
By inuendoes that engage
The rabble to have prejudice.
Quoth clergyman the matter lies
Just here; the pagan deities,
False gods in Egypt or elsewhere
Did under some such shape appear;
And even we read amongst the Jews
They fell sometimes to this abuse;
But chiefly worship'd calves and stocks;
For which were given them sore rebukes.
But paganism worship'd fowls,
Eagles and pigeons and vile owls,
Which you would imitate by this
A sample of idolatries, ---
And whoredom people did commit,
And sins of the flesh in holy writ;
And hence were banish'd from the earth
Which gave the several nations birth.
Of Canaanites and after them,
The Philistines that err'd the same;
The Romans, Greeks, and other pagans,
That had their astharoths, and dagons
And worship'd bulls, and goats and heifers;
And were your oracle believers;
Whichbrought the curse of God upon them:
And hence it is that there is no man,

xlvii

Who sees affection that you have
For that which workmen did engrave,
But fears a judgment for the sin,
And wickedness that is there in;
So that I preach and pray and fast---
Quoth Cincinat, not much of the last;
At least may spare it, and take food,
As prayers can do but little good;
And all your exhortation, is
A rhapsode of absurdities,
To make the simple people stare,
About this wild fowl of the air.
But as you seem to be a fool,
The best way is to crack your skull
And let in light to give you sense
And make your soul like other mens;
Removing this enthusiasm,
That turns your brain to Jewishism.
With that he drew as if to strike;
But one among the people, quick,
Who was a great philosoper,
Though yet had made but little stir,
Put by the blow, and thus bespoke;
Quoth he, your hot-born rage revoke,
Nor draw your sword upon the cloth,
Because you are a little wroth;
And without reason or just cause,
what has been thrown out; whereas,
It is a general allegation,
And turns upon the whole profession

xlviii

Of club, which has so broad a base
It easily bears it, in this case,
And is not personal alone,
To you on whom the thing is thrown;
And when a number are to bear
The ignominy of the affair,
It is as nothing to the whole.
Have you Don Quixotte in your skull,
And yet not recollect the speech,
He made t' a town within his reach,
Which had conceiv'd offence, because
His Sancho braying like an ass;
At which he was not any slouch;
Did seem to say they were just such?
He tells them that no words can strike
Or hurt a body politic,
Because the offence has no just base
Of individual in the case.
Are not the learn'd professions known
To be just string to harp upon?
We say that lawyers are all rogues,
And preacher, that he but humbugs;
And of physician, that he kills;
More than he cures, with his damn'd pills,
And yet we have not on our backs,
The whole of these like pedlars packs;
For the physician, lawyer, priest,
I aughs at the matter, as a jest.
Why, then enrag'd, at any one,
For obloquy, that he has thrown,

xlix

Just for a theme of his discourse,
To raise a laugh among the boors'
Do they who write your worst of satires,
And ironies and all such matters,
Possess a temper worse than others,
Drawn from the nature of their mothers;
Or just to shew their wit, at times,
They scratch out paragraphs and rhymes;
Attack the elergy, or the bar;
Or with hypocrates make war;
Or chuse a country, or a town
To be the subject of lampoon;
Who laugh and read the ridicule;
And only but a natural fool,
Would take in head to fight or fence;
Or 'gainst the slander break his shins.
But where there may be some just base,
Of obloquy, in any case,
It more behooves to bear, as here,
Where though the matter may be clear,
You have a right to wear what badge,
You choose; yet, there are who alledge,
It is a trespass to break heads;
For though the man is pleas'd who reads,
The history of atchievment, yet,
Not him who feels the blow on's pate.
Unseasonable chivalry,
Does not with modern times agree;
Where law takes place of ancient prow'ss,
puts a stop to the abuse,

Nor troubles knights to knock down cows;
Or giants that have broke a house;
So that it is unnecessary;
To eudgel any adversary,
Especially a clergyman,
Who has his priviledge: again,----
Inglorious to make war with such,
Not having honor very much,
Of victory, when it is obtain'd.----
There was a corporal by, hot-brain'd;
Who had been in the war, and fought;
But no bald eagle, yet had got;
Or was a partner of the club,
Which military had set up;
And took it much amiss that those,
Who equally had fac'd the foes,
Unworthily, were left i' the lurch,
To stand the back side of the porch,
And though, were also at the mustering;
Yet had not at the breast, or postern,
A thing, significant of this----
For his part, he was wounded thrice,
While that same officer that spoke,
Had scarcely ever seen the smoke.
But since he was so hot to fight,
With clergyman, no man of might,
Had better turn to him a soldier,
Would make his blood a little colder;
And ease him of intemperate passion;
Because the clergyman had reason,

And others, to find fault, and blame,
The Cincinnat that left no fame,
To th' common soldier, and the sergeant,
But of their own accord, took charge on't;
And wore this honor as their own,
Appropriate to themselves alone.
The Cincinnat, who heard this, spoke.
Quoth he, whether, in, or, out of smoke;
Or where, the bullets flew, or fell;
And men, and muskets, fought like hell;
No matter, to an officer,
Who only has a right to wear,
The emblem of the victory;
Because there must be low and high;
And what is better born and bread,
'Tis reasonable should be the head.
For what our nature makes the foot,
Doth, in the inferior station trot.
As, in this very body of ours,
We do not go, upon all fours;
So, it is reasonable, there should,
Be a distinction of the brood;
And those who have but little sense
And lower quality of brains,
Should occupy a sphere beneath.
Is not the officer the head?
When we gave orders you obey'd,
So that 'tis proper you possess
But the inferior grade and place;
And have no badge or institution.

lii

The corporal felt his passion rushing.---
Quoth he, have just as good a right,
As you, though thus you did come by't
To take to ourselves and wear a badge.
The Cincinnat felt greater rage.
Quoth he, forsooth, because you fought,
Where battle was a little hot,
You claim the privilege with us,
To be o' th' inside of the house,
To have insignia at your breast!
As well might an irrational beast,
The horse that draws artillery gun,
Or soldier had to ride upon,
Put in for heraldry, because,
Has sometimes been where dancer was.
What would you think to see a ribbon
Or badge, hung at his tail, or hipbone!
A burlesque on your appetite,
To have this matter made so light,
Which were a proper ridicule
When such a Teague O'Regan fool
As you, would claim the establishment.
The corporal's anger which was pent
Broke out.---It was not proof of sense,
Or other quality of brains,
Quoth he, that fabricated one,
An officer, and let alone,
The other, that was just as good;
But Congress, that was in the mood;
For, had a comrade, in my hut,

That would have made a perfect butt,
Of many that were officers,
Who had as little sense as bears---
And yet forsooth poor soldier dick,
May wish for honor, till he's sick,
And get no knob, or bit of ribbon,
Hung at his bosom, or his hipbone,
As many of the codheads have,
Who did not shew themselves so brave,
In any battle that was fought.
At this, the Cincinnat, red hot,
Drew out his hanger, to shed blood,
And hew down corporal, as he stood:
But thought it best, t' accost him first,
Before the matter came to th' worst.
As Homer, when he wages battle,
Between two of heroic cattle,
He has a parly, and a speech,
To know each other, which is which;
And, of what origin, they were;
And, how the devil, they came there:
Because, whoknows, but they were cousins?
So should not cut each others weazons;
But, turn to other combatants:
And even in the time of giants,
And champions, throughout christendom,
Before they, hand to hand, did come,
And actual clashing of the swords,
'Twas not unusual to have words;
Though what was usual to be said,

liv

Have not at present in my head:
But do, remember, very well,---
What from our Cincinnatus fell,
“Quoth he, if, so preposterous,
T' have also what they call a goose,
Is your ambition, why not take,
God's name, and hang it at your neck;
Or at your breech, or back, or bosom;
Or like a turkey-cock, at nose o' 'im?
Some wooden peg, or pewter noggin,
To wear it as you are a joging;
Or copper ball, or piece of metal
Inferior, for the common cattle;
With something on it like a bird
Or sign of poultry; whence infer'd,
That you have rob'd hen-roosts, you rogue
Or stole a duck or drake incog;
When rations were a little scarce,
This seem'd to make the thing a farce;
And a militia man just by,
Who listen'd t' him attentively,
Was angry, and began to frown,
To see the soldier so run down.
Quoth he, though but a common rat,
I am, and you a Cincinnat.
Great captain, that have spoke so loud,
In your haranguing to the croud;
And, though I know the soldier would
Much rather have a fowl for food,
And eat the wing or rib of a goose,

Than smell its picture at his nose;
Yet take a part in his defence,
Because he speaks the better sense;
And undervaluing, you throughout
Hits me, and others in the croud,
Who being but militia persons,
Who in the war have made exertions
Yet have no right to wear the badge,
As indirectly you alledge,
By title and the club assum'd---
By this time common fame had drum'd
The like ideas every where,
Amongst the people that were there,
With such exaggeration, as---
Is natural in the like case;
Videlicet, that the prognatus
Who then was there of Cincinnatus
Had ridicul'd all common people;
And blackguarded them like the devil,
Calling them all scrubs and bodkins,
And habberdashers, and such odd things:
How, that they ran away at York,
And left the regulars at the work;
And fled at Germantown and broke,
Whilst they were busy in the smoke:
At other places turn'd about,
And scarcely ever shew'd their snout,
Where there was danger, or hot fire.
One of the people that was nigher,
Became the spokesman of the rest;

lvi

And rage now boiling in his breast;
Quoth he, no doubt, we are but goats
And scarce above the beast that trots,
Compar'd with you, in what was done,
And services, you son of a gun;
Tag-rag and bob-tail, doubtless, are
Compar'd with vet'ran officer:
Because we have not at our bosom
That thing of yours, a rosy crozum;
Are not embellish'd with a broach,
At head or neck, or breast, or crotch;
A Latin motto or an ensign,
Our toils, or services evincing;
Being but a vulgar sort of whigs,
That in the marches danc'd our jigs;
Nor help'd at Trenton to take Hessians;
Or fought like you, on other occasions;
Or at the Cowpens, made good battle;
And so are but a common cattle;
And you alone sustain'd the cause,
While we like bears at home suck'd paws;
And cannot now advance a claim,
To hieroglyphic of your same.
Quoth Cincinnat, the charge is false,
And of the nature of all tales,
Which contradict, and shew by proof,
Intrinsical, what they are of.
What? an American, by birth,
Degrade the military worth,
And lessen the applause,

lvii

Of my compatriots, in the cause,
Of those who fought, in front, or flank,
In regular, or militia rank.
My sentiments are the reverse;
And never had in view t' asperse
The signal honor you have won,
In order to advance my own.
These words had reason, but his voice
Was wholly buried in the noise;
And as the clamour was, to beat
And chastise, this our Cincinnat,
His words could not restrain the mob,
Or check the violence of hubbub.
For where a multitude convenes
To carry on some hot designs,
They must do something, or seem slack,
Of skill and courage, for the attack.
So rushing discompos'd, the throng,
Brought violence, and blows along:
Here one uprais'd a ponderous stone;
Another got an old horse bone;
Elsewhere, was seen, a block of wood,
Portending to the knight no good;
And all around, the face of war
Appear'd, just gathering, in the air.
Say, shall he wage an equal fight;
And wound whole ranks, and kill outright;
Like val'rous Hector, at the siege,
Of Troy, compose a perfect bridge,
Of bodies, upon which to tread,

lviii

And swell the rivers with the dead;
Or mow a whole battalion down,
Like Ajax, son of Telamon;
Construct a rampart of the slain;
And strew with carcases the plain?
Or shall I bid him jump among,
The individuals of the throng;
Like Alexander when half crazy
He leapt the walls of Oxcydracy?
Or shall I render him expert
The various wiles of war t' exert;
And now give way, and now advance,
And spit a parcel on his lance?
Shall I describe a various fray,
And change the fortune of the day;
Now on the verge of a defeat;
And now, in turn, advantage get;
One while broke down, like very stubble;
Now rise, and give the foe more trouble?
What wounds shall specify; what heart,
Oppress with javelin or dart?
What names relate, and characters
Of those who rag'd this day like bears?
I wave the arduous task of this;
Because narration would be lies;
For, just the naked truth express'd,
In history, is always best.
Hence shall relate what came to pass;
And how the issue really was;
Videlicet---but here again,

lix

I feel the rushing epic vein,
To bring Minerva, from the clouds,
Down sliding through aerial shrouds;
To make her vet'ran champion wise,
And teach him that no honor lies
In waging battle, where the chance,
Of war, between the combatants,
Is so unequal, as this was;
For, had no head piece, made of brass;
Or iron, adamant, or wood;
And let him do the best he could;
Yet still, the number, and the weight,
Of blows, that must assail the pate,
Would overpower his best defence,
And wound him, or knock out his brains.
'Twas no Minerva, or a God,
From dome celestial, or abode,
But, his own reason, play'd the part,
And put discretion in his heart.
For, seeing that the wild misrule,
Of mob, as raging to the full,
As pedlars at an Ulster fair,
With their shilelahs, swung in air,
Left him no hope of victory,
He thought the best way was to fly,
And without waiting for the blows,
He turn'd the corner of a house;
Escaping from the rioters:
As when a morning shadow stirs,
And hides itself behind a wood,

Before the sun that would suck blood,
Pursuing, with his rising heat,
The thing that is not adequate,
To give him battle, and withstand
The numerous beams he has at hand:
To overpower it on the plains,
And maul it, and knock out its brains.
Retir'd, and to a tavern got,
Where such disturbance there was not;
Fatigu'd with what had sung and said,
Now on a sofa laid his head;
Because he did not wish to trudge.
God Morpheus who does not begrudge
A dream, lent one to keep him quiet.
He saw a plain, and there espied,
The champions of the former period,
And airy coursers, on which they rode:
The cavalcade of ancient knight-hood?
A shew would do the very sight good;
Such, as the monsters, had knock'd down;
And dwarfs, and giants, overthrown;
And fiery dragons of the air;
And pale-fac'd virgins that were there;
Whom they had rescued from the grasp,
Of ravishers that did enclasp
Their snowy bodies, in their arms;
And drank the lustre of their charms;
Or knights themselves, who had been freed,
From oaken durance, where were tree'd;
Or bound in rocks, where by a spell,

lxi

They had remained invisible,
The Cincinnat approach'd the throng,
Who beckon'd him to come along;
As recognizing his advance,
To be that of no common man's;
But one who came to join the squad,
By that same baublet that he had;
With ensign of the eagle's beak,
And motto in th' original Greek
Or Latin, knew not which it was:
For things had come to such a pass,
When these knights flourish'd, devil a one,
Had such a thing as learning known;
But all depended on their slashing,
For fame, and for diurnal ration;
And cut and carv'd their sustenance,
By force of vig'rous arm and lance.
The Cincinnat address'd as ought,
With chosen words and select thought.
Quoth he, my seniors, in the art,
Of chevalry's great master part;
You see me, of a junior breed;
A germ, sprung from the self same seed,
Of predecessors in romance,
And orders that did flourish once;
Profession now degenerate,
Reduc'd to the very lowest state;
For even the Cincinnati club
Which imitative is set up,
Is much traduce'd, and badge do wear

lxii

Is greatly undervalu'd here;
Particularly a pedagogue,
And clergyman that is in vogue,
And other cavilers, just now
I met with in a town came through;
Do lead astray the populace,
Who have no judgment in the case.
A senior from the squad step'd forth,
Of a superior mein, and worth:
Quoth he, the more the degration,
Of chivalry, the more occasion,
For an exertion of the brain,
To kindle up the thing again;
And doubtless this same club of yours,
Has, as't were added boots and spurs,
To bring it to a trot once more
And restorate the days of yore.
And, if discouragements arise,
In this the greater honor lies,
To overcome and persevere.
'Tis true, no dragons of the air,
Or fiery vultures do occur,
T' encounter with, and make a stir;
Or damsels ravish'd in a wood;
Or giant to let out his blood:
Or an inchanter with his spell;
But yet there is the devil in hell
To pay with other villainies,
That in your modern days take rise
Such as false notions of the right,

lxiii

Which it behooves a valourous knight
T' arraign with free born thought and speech
And tell the people which is which;
And no less courage is requir'd,
To speak the truth with which are fir'd;
Than to knock down a cow at grass,
Or monster that did come to pass.
Meantime a message had been sent
By Charlemagne to call from tent,
By trumpeter, the several orders,
That lay upon th' enchanted borders,
Our hero look'd to see where was,
Old Cincinnatus in the case.
In vain, for, in elysium hous'd,
His mettle had not yet be rous'd;
But mixed, with the ignoble shades,
Did wander, idly in the glades;
And as in life, had been a plowman,
And wore no badge, or dress uncommon;
So now he troubles not his herd,
With these; but walks among the dead,
The Romans, or obscurer Greeks;
That wore no pendle at their necks.
At this the Cincinnat below,
Awaking as some one came through,
Saw nothing but the standing chairs,
And landlord coming down the stairs.

lxiv

It would seem a little strange, what
could have induced this bard, to have made
choice of the preceding subject for his poem,
as not being an American; or at least,
long in America; and could not be much
interested, one would think, in the institution
of the Cincinnati Society. But it is
to be observed, that poets, chuse a subject,
and ridicule, or praise, not because they
care any thing about the matter; but because
there may be some novelty or originality
in the subject; and, so, what they
write, not altogether beaten and common.

It may be also just to observe, that foreigners
were more alarmed at the institution
of the society than Americans, and
for this reason, because, they saw at home
the orders of nobility with stars, garters,
crosses, &c. and felt the weight of superior
rank, of which these were sometimes
the badges: and transferring the idea to
the Cincinnati, they considered them in
the same point of view. Hence, it was,
that Mirabeau, in France, was led to
compose a treatise against the institution,
shewing it to be, as he conceived, unfavorable
to equality, and dangerous to the
liberty of these states. Burke has been
the only American that has written, professedly,
on the tendency of this club:

lxv

but, as his name imports, I take it he
must have been, originally, an Irishman;
and had conceived, in that country, an
unfavorable idea of titled persons, Sir
this, and Sir that one, &c. Probably
he has been of the Hearts of Oak, or
White Boys, who were of a levelling
principle, and opposed to all elevation
from the common mass.

For my part, I could never see that it
was of any consequence whether this institution
existed or not. For it must naturally
evaporate in a few years, the spirit
of the times being wholly changed, from
what it was in the days of chivalry, and
not capable of supporting an excrescene
which has no natural root, or foundation
in the opinion of the people.

The public may think what it will of
this little work of the unfortunate Scotchman;
but it appears to me, to have the
vivida vis, animi, in a very great degree;
and the versification, though careless, is
spirited. The brokenness and disjointings
of the verses, one line running into, and
interlaced with another, carries it beyond
the monotous, though perhaps, more musical
imitators of Butler: amongst whom,
Trumbull, of Connecticut, easily deserves
the first place; yet though in his similies,

lxvi

and other excellencies of his composition,
he may surpass the Cincinnatus of M`Comas;
nevertheless I must give the Scotch
bard the praise of greater variety in the
structure of his verses. I should have been
glad to have seen him before his exit. I
have no doubt, that want of food, reducing
him to great weakness, together with pain of
mind from his desolate situation, in a new
country, where there were but few in the
same line with himself, with whom he
could share his joys, or communicate his
griefs, might hasten the dissolution of his
frame, prematurely. For, from what I
have collected of the mode of life and private
history, in general, of bards, and
those who live by their wits, in old countries,
I can easily conceive the pleasure
which they have with each other, when,
after a fortunate paragraph with one, or
a copy of verses with another, they collect
a few shillings, and after starving several
days in the garrets while they had
been writing these, they now come together,
in an evening, to break their fast,
with a few tripes, and a little ale, to exhilirate
their hearts.

Peace to the manes of M`Comas. He lies
buried in the Potter's-field; with a single
stone at his head, which I myself, though

lxvii

I do not wish to boast of it, have put there,
with this inscription on it, and nothing
more, Sanders M`Comas. I hope there
will be no mistake, in future times, reading
it M`Comus, instead of M`Comas:
because, it might be thought, to be a composition
of the name of the god of wit
among the Romans, which was Comus,
with the word Mac, put to it, which is a
Scoth adjective, which would puzzle antiquarians,
and be unintelligible: for the
fact is, he was a Scotchman, and his name
spelled, as I have written it.