University of Virginia Library

“A message!—Ay the old shake-hands,
The game of questions and commands;
A drive to take a morning whet,
Then déjeûner à la fourchette.”
“No, faith! a genuine thing—they fought:
I rode just now to see the spot.
The whole in form—Sir Bob, a surgeon;
Sir R*n*ld, and a—‘Major Sturgeon!’
Six rounds! six paces—action hot!”
“I'll eat whichever one was shot.”
“The battle early; quite a by-way;”
“Yes: noon, upon the Hounslow highway.”
“'Tis true—the thing was rather known.”
“Right! public men are not their own:
And, whether give or take their wounds,
Should war alone on public grounds.”
“Spring-Soup had caught”—Or, got a hint—
That patriot who but lives in print;—
That meteor of the Irish Whigs,—
That gentleman, who deals in figs;
Who, now that N*w*p*rt gets the quinsy,
With “Emerald Isle,” and so forth, dins ye;
Gives you at second-hand the tropes
Of her incarcerated hopes,
And looks the look, and groans the groan,
Of her much-injured, long-hang'd Tone!
“Spring-Soup, the best man at a rub,—”
“Established runner of the club,—”
“Flew off full speed to bring the bows;—”
“The rest the world of laughers knows.”