 | Poems of Freneau |  |
On the CONFLAGRATIONS AT WASHINGTON;
August 24, 1814
—Jam deiphobi dedit ampla ruinam,
Vulcano superante, domus; jam proximus ardet
Ucalegon.—
Virgil.
Vulcano superante, domus; jam proximus ardet
Ucalegon.—
Virgil.
Now, George the third rules not alone,
For George the vandal shares the throne,
True flesh of flesh and bone of bone.
For George the vandal shares the throne,
True flesh of flesh and bone of bone.
God save us from the fangs of both;
Or, one a vandal, one a goth,
May roast or boil us into froth.
Or, one a vandal, one a goth,
May roast or boil us into froth.
Likes danes, of old, their fleet they man
And rove from Beersheba to Dan,
To burn, and beard us—where they can.
And rove from Beersheba to Dan,
To burn, and beard us—where they can.
They say, at George the fourth's command
This vagrant host was sent, to land
And leave in every house—a brand.
This vagrant host was sent, to land
And leave in every house—a brand.
An idiot only would require
Such war—the worst they could desire—
The felon's war—the war of fire.
Such war—the worst they could desire—
The felon's war—the war of fire.
The warfare, now, th' invaders make
Must surely keep us all awake,
Or life is lost for freedom's sake.
Must surely keep us all awake,
Or life is lost for freedom's sake.
184
They said to Cockburn, “honest Cock!
To make a noise and give a shock
Push off, and burn their navy dock:
To make a noise and give a shock
Push off, and burn their navy dock:
“Their capitol shall be emblazed!
How will the buckskins stand amazed,
And curse the day its walls were raised!”
How will the buckskins stand amazed,
And curse the day its walls were raised!”
Six thousand heroes disembark—
Each left at night his floating ark
And Washington was made their mark.
Each left at night his floating ark
And Washington was made their mark.
That few would fight them—few or none—
Was by their leaders clearly shown—
And “down,” they said, “with Madison!”
Was by their leaders clearly shown—
And “down,” they said, “with Madison!”
How close they crept along the shore!
As closely as if Rodgers saw her—
A frigate to a seventy-four.
As closely as if Rodgers saw her—
A frigate to a seventy-four.
A veteran host, by veterans led,
With Ross and Cockburn at their head—
They came—they saw—they burnt—and fled.
With Ross and Cockburn at their head—
They came—they saw—they burnt—and fled.
But not unpunish'd they retired;
They something paid, for all they fired,
In soldiers kill'd, and chiefs expired.
They something paid, for all they fired,
In soldiers kill'd, and chiefs expired.
Five hundred veterans bit the dust,
Who came, inflamed with lucre's lust—
And so they waste—and so they must.
Who came, inflamed with lucre's lust—
And so they waste—and so they must.
They left our congress naked walls—
Farewell to towers and capitols!
To lofty roofs and splendid halls!
Farewell to towers and capitols!
To lofty roofs and splendid halls!
To courtly domes and glittering things,
To folly, that too near us clings,
To courtiers who—'tis well—had wings.
To folly, that too near us clings,
To courtiers who—'tis well—had wings.
185
Farewell to all but glorious war,
Which yet shall guard Potomac's shore,
And honor lost, and fame restore.
Which yet shall guard Potomac's shore,
And honor lost, and fame restore.
To conquer armies in the field
Was, once, the surest method held
To make a hostile country yield.
Was, once, the surest method held
To make a hostile country yield.
The mode is this, now acted on;
In conflagrating Washington,
They held our independence gone!
In conflagrating Washington,
They held our independence gone!
Supposing George's house at Kew,
Were burnt, (as we intend to do,)
Would that be burning England too?
Were burnt, (as we intend to do,)
Would that be burning England too?
Supposing, near the silver Thames
We laid in ashes their saint James,
Or Blenheim palace wrapt in flames;
We laid in ashes their saint James,
Or Blenheim palace wrapt in flames;
Made Hampton Court to fire a prey,
And meanly, then, to sneak away,
And never ask them, what's to pay?
And meanly, then, to sneak away,
And never ask them, what's to pay?
Would that be conquering London town?
Would that subvert the english throne,
Or bring the royal system down?
Would that subvert the english throne,
Or bring the royal system down?
With all their glare of guards or guns,
How would they look like simpletons,
And not at all the lion's sons!
How would they look like simpletons,
And not at all the lion's sons!
Supposing, then, we take our turn
And make it public law, to burn,
Would not old english honor spurn
And make it public law, to burn,
Would not old english honor spurn
At such a mean insidious plan
Which only suits some savage clan—
And surely not—the english man!
Which only suits some savage clan—
And surely not—the english man!
186
A doctrine has prevail'd too long;
A king, they hold, can do no wrong—
Merely a pitch-fork, without prong:
A king, they hold, can do no wrong—
Merely a pitch-fork, without prong:
But de'il may trust such doctrines, more,—
One king, that wrong'd us, long before,
Has wrongs, by hundreds, yet in store.
One king, that wrong'd us, long before,
Has wrongs, by hundreds, yet in store.
He wrong'd us forty years ago;
He wrongs us yet, we surely know;
He'll wrong us till he gets a blow
He wrongs us yet, we surely know;
He'll wrong us till he gets a blow
That, with a vengeance, will repay
The mischiefs we lament this day,
This burning, damn'd, infernal play;
The mischiefs we lament this day,
This burning, damn'd, infernal play;
Will send one city to the sky,
Its buildings low and buildings high,
And buildings—built the lord knows why;
Its buildings low and buildings high,
And buildings—built the lord knows why;
Will give him an eternal check
That breaks his heart or breaks his neck,
And plants our standard on QUEBEC.
That breaks his heart or breaks his neck,
And plants our standard on QUEBEC.
1815
| Poems of Freneau | |