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,
As not republican; and hence,
When one of these in rambling gate,
Came to a village of the state,
With badge dependant at his bosom.
It seem'd a singular rosy crorum,
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 how he got it, when and where;
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;
Videlicet, 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?

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;
But 'tis an eagle of the air,
And emblematical of power,
As having dominion of the lower,
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 sholars 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 seems to give himself a shake;
But what resemblance does it bear
To him of Roman character;
Who wore no brochet at his button;
Or a remarkable escutch'on;
But when had ended war and battle;
Return'd t' his harrow and draught 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; But quere,
Had this same Roman much to leave?
Or, would he not have laugh'd in's sleeve,
T' have had these words applied to him?
And you that are of modern time,
Were in the same predicament,
Before you to the warfare went.
So that the point is not in this,
From whence the eulogy takes rise,
The having left an ox 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:
O, some intelligible phrase,
That would bespeak the proper praise,
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,
Assum'd for the diagnosis.

To him a certain clergyman,
Did take upon him to explain,
The meaning of the badge and use,
Drawn from the hist'ry of the Jews;
Said, he 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,
That did among the sedges lurk,
In face of dictate that was given,
By decalogue the law of heaven,
Inhibiting the worshipping,
Of graven bird or beast or thing;
Or that he was a great magician,
And dangerous on this occasion;
For had a trinket of his own,
And abracadabra writ thereon,
With some infernal spell or force,
Above a common Christian's powers.

The Cincinnat enrag'd to hear
Attack upon his character,
Address'd him to the populace,
Which were assembled at the place.

Quoth he, though no great orator
Experience being more in war,
Yet sense of injury and wrong,
May give me exercise of 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,
Have got the start of me, I feard,
I would not be with candour heard.
It seems the thing has gone abroad,
That I have image of false god,
Hung at my breast: the effigy
Of bird, or beast, or fish or fly;
Which idol grav'd in bit of gold,
Like the idolater of old,
I worship, and put up a prayer;
Tho' but a wild fowl of the air.
Theologists have 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 zuks, 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,
Are persons of superior sense,
And can with others set that right
Misrepresented by this wight,
And save my hard earn'd character,
And the good name I wish to bear.

There was a citizen just by,
Attentive to the apology.
Quoth he; it may not be the shape
Of bird or beast at which you gape,
For sake of reverence or prayer;
But to distinguish what you are;
The only champions of the cause;
It being not the truth; whereas
Are many others that have fought,
And taken the Hessian 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
To the republicks of this 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
The warrior earn'd, upon the soil,
But arbitrary honour 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 honour lies,
In being distinguish'd in desert.
Are you the only that have mer't,
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 with jaws
In councils of the several states,
Or by their writings in Gazettes,
Rebuff'd the British power and fore
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 favour 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;
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 might be share of sense.
But 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't 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 honours 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 some and dignity,
By having this before the eve;
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,
In summers sun and winters soil,
Deficient in the stipend due,
We wear a thing distinct from you,
A trifling signet of our own,
Which scarcely costs us half a crown,
Is there a law against the usage,
Proscribing it as a surplusage;
So that a writ of capias corp',
Can have the virtue to disturb?
If there is neither rule of nature,
Or jurisprudence that can deter,
And hinder us, why not go on,
On the same principle begun?
For though not great the excellence,
Yet have there not been men of sense,
Among the Romans and the Greeks,
That wore such things about their necks?
A bull or button at the breast;
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)
Proud of a feather that is red,
Or blue, because they take't in head,
It does them honour with the prince;
But here behoves us to have sense,
And real 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 that there is within,
You could not otherwise divine.
Besides, why do you quote the Greeks,
Or Romans that had like dogs tricks?
There is a difference in the case;
For there, the people's suffrages,
Bestow'd the honour that was worn;
But here it would not serve your turn,
But you yourselves assum'd device.

Quoth Cincinnat, the error lies
In this; we took it up; but yet,
It may be said the gift of the state,
Because the honour 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;
And innocent in name and nature;
Nor works a harm to single creature,
T' offend a layman or divine.

At this the clergyman hark'd in
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,
Is some false prophet come to light
As is laid down in sacred writ,
That fell deceivers would arise,
In the last days to blind our eyes,
And draw us from the truth we hold;
For as to that same bit of gold,
What use? unless symbolical,
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 you can find a clue;
Or with the infidel, about,
The devil's horn and cloven foot.
Is this the knowledge that you gather,
From every old and long dead father,
As Chrystostom or Polycarp,
Who on a different string did harp;
Not medling with 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,
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 saunt'ring,
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 firstlys, and so-forths at will,
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 the reversion of the phrase;
Or cloathing pristine nakedness,
With commentaries of the brain,
Which no man else can 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,
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?
Where 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
And cannot give offence to Moses,
Or hurt the decalogu's-proboscis,
Or you that are conservators,
Of all that in religion stirs

Theologist—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 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 carnal sins 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 Asbtaroths, and Dagons
And worship'd bulls, and goats and heifers;
And were your oracle believers;
Which brought the curse of God upon them:
And hence it is that there is no man,
Who sees affection that you have
For that which workmen did engrave,
But fears a judgment for the sin,
And wickedness that is therein;
Deserving every punishment,
That on the guilty can be sent.

The Cincinnat was very wroth,
At matter and the manner both,
Of this retort; nor could restrain
Repulsive motions of his brain,
And choler; but essay'd to draw
his hanger contrary to law
And civil authority; when one
Of cooler judgment looking on
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,
At what has been thrown out; whereas,
It is a general allegation,
And turns upon the whole profession
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 word 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 a 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,
Laughs at the matter, as a jest.
Why, then enrag'd, at any one,
For obloquy, that he has thrown,
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 clergy, 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.
And 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;
The cudgeling an adversary,
Especially a clergyman,
Who has his priviledge: again;
Inglorious to make war with such,
Not having honour 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'th' lurch,
To stand the back side of the porch,
And though, were also at the must'ring;
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 Talmudist, 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 parson had some reason,
And others, to find fault, and blame,
The Cincinnat that left no fame,
To th' common soldier, and the serg'ant,
But of your own accord, take charge on't,
And wear this honour as your own,
Appropriate to yourselves alone.

Quoth Cincinnat; an officer,
Alone can have a right to wear,
The emblem of the victory;
Because there must be low and high;
And what is better born and bred,
'Tis reas'nable should be the head.
For what our nature makes the foot,
Doth, in the inferior station, trot.
As, in this very body of ours,
Wo do not go, upon all fours;
So, it is reas'nable, 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.

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 in 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 danger was.
What would you think to see a ribbon
Or badge, hung at his tail, or hip-bone?
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 often made a common butt,
Of those that were his officers,
Who had as little sense as bears—
And yet forsooth poor soldier Dick,
May wish for honour, till he's sick,
And get no knob, or bit of ribbon,
Hung at his bosom, or his hip-bone,
As many of the cod-heads 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,
Who forming front advanc'd his centre,
As if he would the onset endure;
Hence 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 parley, and a speech,
To know each other, which is which,
And, of what origin, they were;
And, how the devil, they came there:
Because, who knows, 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 proper to be said,
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 goose,
Than smell its picture at his nose;
I take a part in his defence,
Because he speaks the better sense;
The undervaluing, you throw out
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 the common people;
As not of the state church or steeple;
Calling them all scrubs and bodkins,
And haberdashers, and such odd things:
How that they ran away at York,
And left the regulars at the work:
And fled at Germantown and broke,
From those left 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 colonels that was nigher,
Became the spokesman of the rest;
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 such 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 fame.

Quoth Cincinnat, the charge is false,
And of the nature of all tales,
Which contradicted, shew by proof,
Intrinsical, what they are of.
What? an American, by birth,
Degrade the military worth,
And lessen the deserv'd applause,
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 honour 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 humour was with bat,
And brick, t' attack the Cincinnat,
his words could not restrain the mob,
Or check the violence of hubbub.
For when 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 a dead 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.
Now, shall we here describe a battle,
And if they encounter him at all,
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,
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 among the Oxydracæ?
Or represent him as expert,
The various wiles of war t' exert;
Now giving way, and now advance,
To 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,
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, sent 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 show 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,
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 chivalry'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 traduc'd, and badge they wear
Is greatly undervalu'd here;
For instance that same pedagogue,
And clergyman that is in vogue,
And other cavillers, 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 degradation,
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,
To encounter with, and make a stir;
Or damsels ravish'd in a wood;
Or giants 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,
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.

Adventure, quoth the Cincinnat,
Not much less perilous than that
La Mancha's knight attempted when,
Somewhat unstable in his brain,
He took a wind-mill for a giant;
For like catastrophe is nigh hand
To him that combats with opinion
That is once fixed and has dominion;
Whether the monster of the hour,
Be anarchy or other power
In shape of mob, or demagogue
Which is another name for rogue;
As just now with a rabble rout
I did experience in the crowd,
In an adventure that was hot,
And where no credit could be got;
So that I deem it preferable
To joust with you than with the rabble
Of mankind in their prejudices,
Which no man ever did who wise is;
And so escaping I am here
To enter lists, and break a spear.

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 been 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 head,
With these; but walks among the dead,
The Romans, or obscurer Greeks;
That wore no pendle at their necks.
So much for vision of the dream,
That came into the head of him.

But now the Cincinnat below,
Awaking as some one came through,
Saw nothing but the standing chairs,
And landlord coming down the stairs.