Quarter ?-Foul fall your whining noise, No quarter! Think on Strafford, boys. What ho! The craven slaves retire. On! Trample them to mud, No quarter!-Charge.-No quarter!—Fire. No quarter!-Blood!-Blood!--Blood! Where next? In sooth there lacks no witch, Brave lads, to tell us where, Sure London's sons be passing rich, Her daughters wondrous fair: Who quails for sermon, cuff, or scream Their lean divines, of solemn brow, Sworn foes to throne and steeple, From an unwonted pulpit now Shall edify the people: Till the tir'd hangman, in despair, Shall curse his blunted shears, And vainly pinch, and scrape, and tear, We'll hang, above his own Guildhall, And on the den of thieves we'll fall, In vain shall Lenthall trembling cry Of bench and woolsack, tub and chair, And tons of rebel parchment there Shall crackle in the fire. With them shall perish, cheek by jowl, Petition, psalm, and libel, The Colonel's canting muster-roll, The Chaplain's dog-ear'd bible. We'll tread a measure round the blaze The beauties of the friars : Then smiles in every face shall shine, And joy in every soul. Bring forth, bring forth the oldest wine, And as with nod and laugh ye sip Drink to those names,-those glorious names, Drink, in a draught as deep as Thames, Our Church and King for ever! SERMON IN A CHURCHYARD. (1825.) LET pious Damon take his seat, With mincing step, and languid smile, And smile round all the parish beauties, Let the thronged audience press and stare, And whisper "What a good young man!" I'll stay, and read my sermon here; And skulls, and bones, shall be the text. Art thou the jilted dupe of fame ? Dost thou with jealous anger pine Dost thou revere, or praise, or trust Some clod like those that here we spurn; Some thing that sprang like thee from dust, And shall like thee to dust return? Dost thou rate statesmen, heroes, wits, At one sear leaf or wandering feather? Behold the black, damp, narrow pits, Where they and thou must lie together. Dost thou beneath the smile or frown Of some vain woman bend thy knee? Whate'er thy losses or thy gains, Whate'er thy projects or thy fears, That prompt thy baby smiles and tears, Than ever Zeno's porch hath taught. The plots and feats of those that press Devised to pass a tedious hour. We check, and take; exult and fret; Till in our ardour we forget How worthless is the victor's prize. Dost thou among these hillocks stray, Of hearts once wretched as thy own. Here for the living, and the dead, The weepers and the friends they weep, Hath been ordained the same cold bed, The same dark night, the same long sleep Why shouldest thou writhe, and sob, and rave O'er those, with whom thon soon must be? Death his own sting shall cure the grave Shall vanquish its own victory. Here learn that all the griefs and joys, Here learn that glory and disgrace, That all we hope, and all we fear, |