 | Terrible tractoration, and other poems |  |
243
A SONG.
SUNG AT AN AGRICULTURAL DINNER, AT CONCORD, MASS.
Since time in the primer first sharpen'd his scythe,
And the sands in his glass were beginning to flow,
There never was spectacle bonny and blithe,
Which came fairly up to our Grand Cattle Show.
Derry down, down, down, derry down.
And the sands in his glass were beginning to flow,
There never was spectacle bonny and blithe,
Which came fairly up to our Grand Cattle Show.
Derry down, down, down, derry down.
Here 's bulls, hogs, and horses, and sheep not a few,
Respectable animals, worthy a prize,
Like good go-to-meeting folks, each in his pew,
All sober as deacons—if not quite so wise.
Respectable animals, worthy a prize,
Like good go-to-meeting folks, each in his pew,
All sober as deacons—if not quite so wise.
Master Pig is the Chorister, just twist his tail,
And he'll give you altissimo trills in high style,
The fine diatonics which run through the scale
Of his exquisite gamut will ring for a mile.
And he'll give you altissimo trills in high style,
The fine diatonics which run through the scale
Of his exquisite gamut will ring for a mile.
Our roots have run down to gravity's centre,
Some went on to China, and thieves pulled them through—
But that 's a tough story, and I should n't venture,
In a high court of Justice to swear it is true.
Some went on to China, and thieves pulled them through—
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In a high court of Justice to swear it is true.
And here we have oxen, stout animals, which
Might well go to Congress, representing their race,
Round gravity's centre just give them a hitch,
And I guess they would twitch the great globe out of place.
Might well go to Congress, representing their race,
Round gravity's centre just give them a hitch,
And I guess they would twitch the great globe out of place.
The match of our Ploughmen was ne'er matched before,
Save when a lorn lover is matched to his fair;
They turned the earth over as flat as this floor,
Such chaps the great globe, like an apple can pare.
Save when a lorn lover is matched to his fair;
They turned the earth over as flat as this floor,
Such chaps the great globe, like an apple can pare.
In troth, all the world's nothing more than a show
Of animals, shut up, or running at large,
You meet with queer creatures wherever you go,
And pity their keepers, who have them in charge.
Of animals, shut up, or running at large,
You meet with queer creatures wherever you go,
And pity their keepers, who have them in charge.
A calf sent to college comes out a great bore,
An odd metamorphosis that, it is true,
But one which has taken place over and o'er;—
Now I do not mean you, sir, nor you, sir, nor you.
An odd metamorphosis that, it is true,
But one which has taken place over and o'er;—
Now I do not mean you, sir, nor you, sir, nor you.
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I hate personalities, therefore won't say,
How a jackass conducts when made just ass of Peace,
Such animals now and then come in my way,
But I never shear hogs for the sake of their fleece.
How a jackass conducts when made just ass of Peace,
Such animals now and then come in my way,
But I never shear hogs for the sake of their fleece.
A vile pettifogger, all quibble and jaw,
Is ninetynine thousand times worse than a brute,
In a sunbeam he'll pick an indictable flaw,
And against his own shadow show cause for a suit.
Is ninetynine thousand times worse than a brute,
In a sunbeam he'll pick an indictable flaw,
And against his own shadow show cause for a suit.
Here 's health to our orator,
one who can boast
That he practises well what he preaches about;
But gentlemen please not to butter my toast,
For we like him so well we can take him without.
That he practises well what he preaches about;
But gentlemen please not to butter my toast,
For we like him so well we can take him without.
Here 's “Middlesex Husbandmen,” doing more good
Than all the political clubs ever known,
Unless a man's head is the essence of wood,
He ranks them above any king on his throne.
Derry down, down, down, derry down.
Than all the political clubs ever known,
Unless a man's head is the essence of wood,
He ranks them above any king on his throne.
Derry down, down, down, derry down.
| Terrible tractoration, and other poems | |