Our poet has never as yet Esteemed it proper or fit To detain you with a long Encomiastic song On his own superior wit; But being abused and accused, And attacked of late As a foe of the State, He makes an appeal in his proper defense, To your voluble humor and temper and sense, With the following plea: Namely, that he Never attempted or ever meant To scandalize In any wise Your mighty imperial government. Moreover he says, That in various ways He presumes to have merited honor and praise; Exhorting you still to stick to your rights, And no more to be fooled with rhetorical flights; Such as of late each envoy tries On the behalf of your allies, That come to plead their cause before ye, With fulsome phrase, and a foolish story Of "violet crowns" and "Athenian glory," With "sumptuous Athens" at every word: "Sumptuous Athens" is always heard; "Sumptuous" ever, a suitable phrase For a dish of meat or a beast at graze. He therefore affirms In confident terms, That his active courage and earnest zeal Have usefully served your common weal: He has openly shown The style and tone Of your democracy ruling abroad, He has placed its practices on record; The tyrannical arts, the knavish tricks, That poison all your politics. Therefore shall we see, this year, The allies with tribute arriving here, Eager and anxious all to behold Their steady protector, the bard so bold; The bard, they say, that has dared to speak, To attack the strong, to defend the weak. His fame in foreign climes is heard, And a singular instance lately occurred. It occurred in the case of the Persian king, Sifting and cross-examining The Spartan envoys. He demanded Which of the rival States commanded The Grecian seas? He asked them next (Wishing to see them more perplexed) Which of the two contending powers Was chiefly abused by this bard of ours? For he said, "Such a bold, so profound an adviser By dint of abuse would render them wiser, More active and able; and briefly that they Must finally prosper and carry the day." Now mark the Lacedæmonian guile! Demanding an insignificant isle! "Ægina," they say, "for a pledge of peace, As a means to make all jealousy cease." Meanwhile their privy design and plan Is solely to gain this marvelous man-- Knowing his influence on your fate-- By obtaining a hold on his estate Situate in the isle aforesaid. Therefore there needs to be no more said. You know their intention, and know that you know it: