No bug these warlike hearts appalls;
They better know the sound of balls.
I hear the din of battle bray;

The trump of horror marks its way.
I see afar the sack of cities,

The gallows strung with Whig-committees ;
Your moderators triced, like vermin,

And gate-posts graced with heads of chairmen ;
Your Congress for wave-off'rings hanging,
And ladders throng'd with priests haranguing.
What pillories glad the Tories' eyes
With patriot ears for sacrifice!

What whipping-posts your chosen race
Admit successive in embrace,

While each bears off his sins, alack!
Like Bunyan's pilgrim, on his back!*

rible accounts to England of being shot at with air-guns; as appears by their letters, extracts from which were soon after published in the London papers. Indeed, for some time they seriously believed, that the Americans were possessed of a kind of magic white powder, which exploded and killed without report.

* Bunyan represents his pilgrim, as setting forth burdened with a very heavy pack, containing all his sins, original and actual.

Where then, when Tories scarce get clear,
Shall Whigs and Congresses appear ?
What rocks and mountains will you call
To wrap you over with their fall,

And save your heads, in these sad weathers,
From fire and sword, and tar and feathers?
For lo! with British troops tar-bright,

Again our Nesbitt heaves in sight;

He comes, he comes, your lines to storm,
And rig your troops in uniform.*
To meet such heroes will ye brag,
With fury arm'd, and feather-bag,
Who wield their missile pitch and tar
With engines new in British war?

"Lo! where our mighty navy brings
Destruction on her canvass wings,†
While through the deep the British thunder
Shall sound th' alarm, to rob and plunder!

* The want of uniform dresses in the American army was a constant theme of ridicule with the British, at the beginning of the war.

+ Where'er our navy spreads her canvas wings, Honor to thee and peace to all she brings.

Waller.

As Phoebus first, so Homer speaks,

When he march'd out t' attack the Greeks,
'Gainst mules sent forth his arrows fatal,
And slew th' auxiliaries, their cattle:
So where our ships* shall stretch the keel,
What vanquish'd oxen shall they steal!
What heroes, rising from the deep,
Invade your marshall'd hosts of sheep;

Disperse whole troops of horse, and pressing,
Make cows surrender at discretion;

Attack your hens, like Alexanders,

And regiments rout of

geese

and ganders;

Or where united arms combine,

Lead captive many a herd of swine!
Then rush in dreadful fury down

To fire on every seaport town;
Display their glory and their wits,
Fright helpless children into fits;

* The British navy was at first employed in plundering our seacoasts, to obtain fresh provisions.