And Wayne descending steers shall know And tauntingly deride, And call to mind in every low The tanning of his hide. Yet Bergen cows still ruminate Unconscious in the stall, What mighty means were used to get And loose them after all. For many heroes bold and brave From New-bridge and Tappan, And those that drink Passaic’s wave, And those that eat supaun; And sons of distant Delaware And still remoter Shannon, And Major Lee with horses rare And Proctor with his cannon. All wond’rous proud in arms they came, What hero could refuse, To tread the rugged path to fame, Who had a pair of shoes? At six, the host with sweating buff Arrived at Freedom’s pole, When Wayne, who thought he’d time enough, Thus speechified the whole— “O ye whom glory doth unite, Who Freedom’s cause espouse, Whether the wing that’s doomed to fight Or that to drive the cows, “Ere yet you tempt your further way Or into action come, Hear, Soldiers, what I have to say, And take a pint of rum. “Intemp’rate valor then will string Each nervous arm the better, So all the land shall IO sing, And read the General’s letter. “Know that some paltry refugees, Whom I’ve a mind to fight, Are playing h—l amongst the trees, That grow on yonder height. “Their fort and block houses we’ll level, And deal a horrid slaughter, We’ll drive the scoundrels to the devil, And ravish wife and daughter. “I under cover of the attack, Whilst you are all at blows, From English Neighb’rhood and Nyack Will drive away the cows; “For well you know the latter is The serious operation, And fighting with the refugees Is only demonstration.” His daring words from all the crowd, Such great applause did gain, That every man declar’d aloud For serious work with Wayne. Then from the cask of rum once more They look a heady gill,[12] When one and all they loudly swore, They’d fight upon the hill. But here the muse hath not a strain Befitting such great deeds, Huzza! they cried, huzzah for Wayne, And shouting——. . . . . ----- [11] Alluding to Wayne’s early occupation. [12] It was a favorite idea with the Tories that the Whig party “embraced none of the temperate and respectable portion of the community.” PART II. Near his meridian pomp, the sun Had journey’d from the horizon, When fierce the dusky tribe moved on, Of heroes drunk as pison. The sounds confus’d of boasting oaths, Re-echoed through the wood, Some vow’d to sleep in dead men’s clothes, And some to swim in blood. At Irving’s nod ’twas fine to see, The left prepare to fight, The while the drovers, Wayne and Lee, Drew off upon the right.