You had known by his looks he was telling a lie. Thus life ran away, so smooth and serene-- Ah! these were the happiest days I had seen! But the saying of Jacob I found to be true, "The days of thy servant are evil and few!" The days that to me were joyous and glad, Are nothing to those which are dreary and sad! The feuds of the Stamp Act foreboded foul weather, And war and vexation all coming together: Those days were the days of riots and mobs, Tar, feathers, and tories, and troublesome jobs-- Priests preaching up war for the good of our souls, And libels, and lying, and Liberty poles, From which, when some whimsical colours you waved, We had nothing to do, but look up and be saved-- (You thought, by resolving, to terrify Britain-- Indeed, if you did, you were damnably bitten) I knew it would bring an eternal reproach, When I saw you a-burning Cadwallader's[F] coach; I knew you would suffer for what you had done, When I saw you lampooning poor Sawney his son, And bringing him down to so wretched a level, As to ride him about in a cart with the devil. [D] A cynical and very eccentric Physician.--_Freneau's note._ [E] New York Printers, many years before the Revolution.--_Ib._ Parker and Weyman were in partnership in the printing business between the years 1753 and 1759, during which time they were the leading printers of New York. [F] Lieutenant-Governor Cadwallader Colden.--_Ib._ * * * * *