Opening the text

The Poems of Philip Freneau, Poet of the American Revolution. Volume 2 (of 3)Freneau, Philip Morin

General

The Poems of Philip Freneau, Poet of the American Revolution. Volume 2 (of 3)

Name: The Poems of Philip Freneau, Poet of the American Revolution. Volume 2 (of 3)
Author: Freneau, Philip Morin

Freneau, Philip Morin

American poetry

There I scarcely got fuel to keep myself warm,
  And scarcely found spirits to weather the storm;
  And was quickly convinced I had little to do,
  (The Whigs were in arms, and my readers were few)
  So after remaining one cold winter season,
  And stuffing my papers with something like treason,
  And meeting misfortunes and endless disasters,
  And forced to submit to a hundred new masters,
  I thought it more prudent to hold to the one--
  And (after repenting of what I had done,
  And cursing my folly and idle pursuits)
  Returned to the city, and hung up my boots.

      [G] Captain of the Asia man of war, who cannonaded the
          city.--_Freneau's note._

      [H] August, 1775.--_Ib._

      [I] A cant phrase among privateers men.--_Freneau's note._

      [J] A noted Inn-holder in New-York.--_Ib._
          "Black Sam."--_Ed. 1786._

      [K] From Long-Island.--_Freneau's note._

       *       *       *       *       *

    As matters have gone, it was plainly a blunder,
  But then I expected the Whigs must knock under,
  And I always adhere to the sword that is longest,
  And stick to the party that's like to be strongest:
  That you have succeeded is merely a chance,
  I never once dreamt of the conduct of France!--
  If alliance with her you were promised--at least
  You ought to have showed me your Star in the East,
  Nor let me go off uninformed as a beast.
  When your army I saw without stockings or shoes,
  Or victuals--or money, to pay them their dues,
  (Excepting your wretched Congressional paper,
  That stunk in my nose like the smoke of a taper,
  A cart load of which for a dram might be spent all,
  That damnable bubble the old Continental,
  That took people in at this wonderful crisis,
  With its mottoes and emblems, and cunning devices;
  Which, bad as it was, you were forced to admire,
  And which was, in fact, the pillar of fire,
  To which you directed your wandering noses,
  Like the Jews in the desert conducted by Moses)
  When I saw them attended with famine and fear,
  Distress in their front, and Howe in their rear;
  When I saw them for debt incessantly dunned,
  Not a shilling to pay them laid up in your fund;
  Your ploughs at a stand, and your ships run ashore--
  When this was apparent (and need I say more?)
  I handled my cane, and I looked at my hat,
  And cryed--"God have mercy on armies like that!"
  I took up my bottle, disdaining to stay,
  And said--"Here's a health to the Vicar of Bray,"
  And cocked up my beaver, and--strutted away.

       *       *       *       *       *

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

The Poems of Philip Freneau, Poet of the American Revolution. Volume 2 (of 3)Freneau, Philip Morin

General

The Poems of Philip Freneau, Poet of the American Revolution. Volume 2 (of 3)

Freneau, Philip Morin

American poetry

There I scarcely got fuel to keep myself warm,
  And scarcely found spirits to weather the storm;
  And was quickly convinced I had little to do,
  (The Whigs were in arms, and my readers were few)
  So after remaining one cold winter season,
  And stuffing my papers with something like treason,
  And meeting misfortunes and endless disasters,
  And forced to submit to a hundred new masters,
  I thought it more prudent to hold to the one--
  And (after repenting of what I had done,
  And cursing my folly and idle pursuits)
  Returned to the city, and hung up my boots.

      [G] Captain of the Asia man of war, who cannonaded the
          city.--_Freneau's note._

      [H] August, 1775.--_Ib._

      [I] A cant phrase among privateers men.--_Freneau's note._

      [J] A noted Inn-holder in New-York.--_Ib._
          "Black Sam."--_Ed. 1786._

      [K] From Long-Island.--_Freneau's note._

       *       *       *       *       *

    As matters have gone, it was plainly a blunder,
  But then I expected the Whigs must knock under,
  And I always adhere to the sword that is longest,
  And stick to the party that's like to be strongest:
  That you have succeeded is merely a chance,
  I never once dreamt of the conduct of France!--
  If alliance with her you were promised--at least
  You ought to have showed me your Star in the East,
  Nor let me go off uninformed as a beast.
  When your army I saw without stockings or shoes,
  Or victuals--or money, to pay them their dues,
  (Excepting your wretched Congressional paper,
  That stunk in my nose like the smoke of a taper,
  A cart load of which for a dram might be spent all,
  That damnable bubble the old Continental,
  That took people in at this wonderful crisis,
  With its mottoes and emblems, and cunning devices;
  Which, bad as it was, you were forced to admire,
  And which was, in fact, the pillar of fire,
  To which you directed your wandering noses,
  Like the Jews in the desert conducted by Moses)
  When I saw them attended with famine and fear,
  Distress in their front, and Howe in their rear;
  When I saw them for debt incessantly dunned,
  Not a shilling to pay them laid up in your fund;
  Your ploughs at a stand, and your ships run ashore--
  When this was apparent (and need I say more?)
  I handled my cane, and I looked at my hat,
  And cryed--"God have mercy on armies like that!"
  I took up my bottle, disdaining to stay,
  And said--"Here's a health to the Vicar of Bray,"
  And cocked up my beaver, and--strutted away.

       *       *       *       *       *

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Poems of Philip Freneau, Poet of the American Revolution. Volume 2 (of 3)

The Poems of Philip Freneau, Poet of the American Revolution. Volume 2 (of 3)

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