 | The Poems of St. George Tucker of Williamsburg, Virginia 1752-1827 |  |
92
Ode V
To a Truly Great Man
“Justum et tenacem propositi virum.”
Hor.
Hor.
George—on thy virtues often have I dwelt,
And still the theme is grateful to mine ear:
Thy gold let chemists ten times over melt,
From dross and base alloy they'll find it clear.
And still the theme is grateful to mine ear:
Thy gold let chemists ten times over melt,
From dross and base alloy they'll find it clear.
Yet thou'rt a man—although perhaps the first;
But man, at best, is but a being frail;
And since with error human nature's curst,
I marvel not that thou should'st sometimes fail.
But man, at best, is but a being frail;
And since with error human nature's curst,
I marvel not that thou should'st sometimes fail.
That thou hast long, and nobly served the State,
The nation owns, and freely gives thee thanks:
But, sir! whatever speculators prate,
She gave thee not the power t'establish banks.
The nation owns, and freely gives thee thanks:
But, sir! whatever speculators prate,
She gave thee not the power t'establish banks.
No doubt, thou thought'st it was a phoenix nest,
Which Congress were so busy to build up,
But there a crocodile had fixed his rest,
And snapped the nation's bowels at a sup.
Which Congress were so busy to build up,
But there a crocodile had fixed his rest,
And snapped the nation's bowels at a sup.
The greedy monster is not yet half cloyed,
Nor will he, whilst a leg or arm remains;
These parts the last of all should be destroyed;
The delicious morsel is her brains.
Nor will he, whilst a leg or arm remains;
These parts the last of all should be destroyed;
The delicious morsel is her brains.
I trust thou'st seen the monster by this time,
And hast prepared thy knife to cut his throat;
His scales are so damned hard, that in thy prime,
'Twould take thee twenty years to make it out.
And hast prepared thy knife to cut his throat;
His scales are so damned hard, that in thy prime,
'Twould take thee twenty years to make it out.
93
God grant thee life to do it! Fare thee well!
Another time examine well the nest,
Though of Arabia's spices it should smell,
It may produce some foul, infernal pest.
Another time examine well the nest,
Though of Arabia's spices it should smell,
It may produce some foul, infernal pest.
June 22, 1793
| The Poems of St. George Tucker of Williamsburg, Virginia 1752-1827 | |