Camps and Firesides of the Revolution

WHILE I relate my story,
Americans give ear;
Of Britain's fading glory
You presently shall hear;
I'll give a true relation,
Attend to what I say
Concerning the taxation
Of North America.[142]

The cruel lords of Britain,
Who glory in their shame,
The project they have hit on
They joyfully proclaim;
'Tis what they're striving after
Our right to take away,
And rob us of our charter
In North America.

There are two mighty speakers,
Who rule in Parliament,[143]
Who ever have been seeking
Some mischief to invent:
'Twas North, and Bute his father
The horrid plan did lay
A mighty tax to gather
In North America.

175

These subtle arch-combiners
Addressed the British court,
And both were undersigners
Of this obscure report—[144]
There is a pleasant landscape
That lieth far away
Beyond the wide Atlantic,
In North America.

There is a wealthy people,
Who sojourn in that land,
Their churches all with steeples
Most delicately stand;
Their houses like the gilly,[145]
Are painted red and gay:
They flourish like the lily
In North America.

Their land with milk and honey
Continually doth flow,
The want of food or money
They seldom ever know:
They heap up golden treasure,
They have no debts to pay,
They spend their time in pleasure
In North America.

On turkeys, fowls and fishes,
Most frequently they dine,
With gold and silver dishes
Their tables always shine.
They crown their feasts with butter,
They eat, and rise to play;
In silks their ladies flutter,
In North America.

176

With gold and silver laces
They do themselves adorn,
The rubies deck their faces,
Refulgent as the morn!
Wine sparkles in their glasses,
They spend each happy day
In merriment and dances
In North America.

Let not our suit affront you,
When we address your throne;
O King, this wealthy country
And subjects are your own,
And you, their rightful sovereign,
They truly must obey,
You have a right to govern
This North America.

O King, you've heard the sequel
Of what we now subscribe:
Is it not just and equal
To tax this wealthy tribe?
This question being asked,
His majesty did say,[146]
My subjects shall be taxed
In North America.

The laws I have enacted
I never will revoke,
Although they are neglected,
My fury to provoke.
I will forbear to flatter,
I'll rule the mighty sway,
I'll take away the charter
From North America.

178

O George! you are distracted,[147]
You'll by experience find
The laws you have enacted
Are of the blackest kind.
I'll make a short digression,
And tell you by the way,
We fear not your oppression
In North America.

Our fathers were distressed,
While in their native land;
By tyrants were oppressed
As we do understand;
For freedom and religion
They were resolved to stray,
And trace the desert regions
Of North America.

We are their bold descendants,
For liberty we'll fight,
The claim to independence
We challenge as our right;
'Tis what kind Heaven gave us,
Who can take it away?
O, Heaven sure will save us
In North America.

We never will knock under,
O, George! we do not fear
The rattling of your thunder,
Nor lightning of your spear:
Though rebels you declare us,
We're strangers to dismay;
Therefore you cannot scare us
In North America.

179

To what you have commanded
We never will consent,
Although your troops are landed
Upon our continent;
We'll take our swords and muskets,
And march in dread array,
And drive the British red-coats
From North America.

We have a bold commander,
Who fears not sword or gun,
The second Alexander,
His name is Washington.
His men are all collected,
And ready for the fray,
To fight they are directed
For North America.

We've Greene and Gates and Putnam
To manage in the field,
A gallant train of footmen,
Who'd rather die than yield;
A stately troop of horsemen
Trained in a martial way,
For to augment our forces[148]
In North America.

A health to our brave footmen,
Who handle sword and gun,
To Greene and Gates and Putnam
And conquering Washington;
Their names be wrote[149] in letters
Which never will decay,
While sun and moon do glitter
On North America.

180

Success unto our allies
In Holland, France and Spain,
Who man their ships and galleys,
Our freedom to maintain;
May they subdue the rangers
Of proud Britannia,
And drive them from their anchors
In North America.

Success unto the Congress
Of these United States,
Who glory in the conquests
Of Washington and Gates;
To all, both land and seamen,
Who glory in the day
When we shall all be free
In North America.

Success to legislation,
That rules with gentle hand,
To trade and navigation
By water and by land.
May all with one opinion
Our wholesome laws obey,
Throughout this vast dominion
Of North America.

[[142]]

Here again people seem to have said "Amerikay."

[[143]]

The Earl of Bute and Lord North were in succession the prime ministers of George IV., and advised coërcion of America.

[[144]]

From this point the poet is supposed to quote North and Bute.

[[145]]

Gilliflower.

[[146]]

Here the King speaks.

[[147]]

The poet now returns to the statement of his own opinions.

[[148]]

He puts in an ungrammatical "for" to make out his line.

[[149]]

"Wrote," then often used for "written."

183

University of Virginia Library

54. A Ballad on Taxation BY PETER ST. JOHN (1778)

54. A Ballad on Taxation
BY PETER ST. JOHN (1778)