 | The poetical writings of Fitz-Greene Halleck, with extracts from those of Joseph Rodman Drake |  |
A VERY MODEST LETTER FROM ONE GREAT MAN TO ANOTHER.
“To be a well-favored man is the gift of fortune, but to write and read comes by nature.”
Dogberry.
How dare you, Sir, presume to say,
And write and print the paltry thing,
That I did wrong the other day
To give my vote for Mr. King?
And write and print the paltry thing,
That I did wrong the other day
To give my vote for Mr. King?
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'Twas natural that I should take a
Particular interest in it, Sir,
For I've been agent at Jamaica,
And he a foreign minister.
Particular interest in it, Sir,
For I've been agent at Jamaica,
And he a foreign minister.
You say you've marked my course of late,
And mean to make what I've been doing
A means of breaking up the State,
And bringing on our party's ruin.
And mean to make what I've been doing
A means of breaking up the State,
And bringing on our party's ruin.
With all who've known your scoundrel tricks,
Since first you came to curse the nation,
The Lucifer of politics,
“You disappoint no expectation.”
Since first you came to curse the nation,
The Lucifer of politics,
“You disappoint no expectation.”
It suits your mean and grovelling spirit
Thus to attack great men like me;
You slander only chiefs of merit,
Stars in our country's galaxy!
Thus to attack great men like me;
You slander only chiefs of merit,
Stars in our country's galaxy!
Elijah, when his task was done,
His mantle o'er Elisha threw;
Now I'm my father's eldest son,
And heir to all his talents too.
His mantle o'er Elisha threw;
Now I'm my father's eldest son,
And heir to all his talents too.
We're proud to say, the world well knows
You never liked our family;
We, “one and all,” have been your foes,
My brother Jim, and John, and I.
You never liked our family;
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My brother Jim, and John, and I.
For my own sake, you well may wonder
That I these lines to you have sent;
It is to lay the public under
An “obligation permanent.”
That I these lines to you have sent;
It is to lay the public under
An “obligation permanent.”
Assembly Chamber, March 8th.
Done into English and verse by H.
| The poetical writings of Fitz-Greene Halleck, with extracts from those of Joseph Rodman Drake | |