The Works of John Hookham Frere In Verse and Prose Now First Collected with a Prefatory Memoir by his Nephews W. E. and Sir Bartle Frere |
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 | The Works of John Hookham Frere In Verse and Prose |  |
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January 8, 1798.
You have heard of Rewbell,
That demon of hell,
And of Barras, his brother Director;
Of the canting Lepaux,
And that scoundrel Moreau,
Who betray'd his old friend and protector.
That demon of hell,
And of Barras, his brother Director;
Of the canting Lepaux,
And that scoundrel Moreau,
Who betray'd his old friend and protector.
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Would you know how these friends,
For their own private ends,
Would subvert our religion and throne?—
Do you doubt of their skill
To change laws at their will?—
You shall hear how they treated their own.
For their own private ends,
Would subvert our religion and throne?—
Do you doubt of their skill
To change laws at their will?—
You shall hear how they treated their own.
'Twas their pleasure to look,
In a little blue book,
At the code of their famed legislation,
That with truth they might say,
In the space of one day
They had broke every law of the nation.
In a little blue book,
At the code of their famed legislation,
That with truth they might say,
In the space of one day
They had broke every law of the nation.
The first law that they see,
Is “the press shall be free!”
The next is “the trial by jury:”
Then, “the people's free choice;”
Then, “the members' free voice”—
When Rewbell exclaim'd in a fury—
Is “the press shall be free!”
The next is “the trial by jury:”
Then, “the people's free choice;”
Then, “the members' free voice”—
When Rewbell exclaim'd in a fury—
“On a method we'll fall
For infringing them all—
We'll seize on each printer and member:
No period so fit
For a desperate hit,
As our old bloody month of September.
For infringing them all—
We'll seize on each printer and member:
No period so fit
For a desperate hit,
As our old bloody month of September.
“We'll annul each election
Which wants our correction,
And name our own creatures instead.
When once we've our will,
No blood we will spill,
(Let Carnot be knock'd on the head).
Which wants our correction,
And name our own creatures instead.
When once we've our will,
No blood we will spill,
(Let Carnot be knock'd on the head).
“To Rochefort we'll drive
Our victims alive,
And as soon as on board we have got 'em,
Since we destine the ship
For no more than one trip,
We can just make a hole in the bottom.
Our victims alive,
And as soon as on board we have got 'em,
Since we destine the ship
For no more than one trip,
We can just make a hole in the bottom.
“By this excellent plan,
On the true Rights of Man,
When we've founded our fifth Revolution,
Thou England's our foe,
An army shall go
To improve her corrupt Constitution.
On the true Rights of Man,
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Thou England's our foe,
An army shall go
To improve her corrupt Constitution.
“We'll address to the nation
A fine proclamation,
With offers of friendship so warm:
Who can give Buonaparté
A welcome so hearty
As the friends of a thorough reform?”
A fine proclamation,
With offers of friendship so warm:
Who can give Buonaparté
A welcome so hearty
As the friends of a thorough reform?”
Canning, Ellis, and Frere.
| The Works of John Hookham Frere In Verse and Prose | |