But he whose humours spurn law's awful yoke

Must herd with those by whom law's bonds are

broke;

The common dread of justice soon allies

The clown who robs the warren or excise
With sterner felons trained to act more dread,
Even with the wretch by whom his fellow bled.
Then, as in plagues the foul contagions pass,
Leavening and festering the corrupted mass,

Guilt leagues with guilt while mutual motives draw,
Their hope impunity, their fear the law;

Their foes, their friends, their rendezvous the same, Till the revenue balked or pilfered game

Flesh the young culprit, and example leads

To darker villany and direr deeds.

Wild howled the wind the forest glades along, And oft the owl renewed her dismal song; Around the spot where erst he felt the wound, Red William's spectre walked his midnight round. When o'er the swamp he cast his blighting look, From the green marshes of the stagnant brook The bittern's sullen shout the sedges shook! The waning moon with storm-presaging gleam Now gave and now withheld her doubtful beam; The old Oak stooped his arms, then flung them high, Bellowing and groaning to the troubled sky.

'T was then that, couched amid the brushwood sere, In Malwood-walk young Mansell watched the deer: The fattest buck received his deadly shot

The watchful keeper heard and sought the spot.
Stout were their hearts, and stubborn was their strife;
O'erpowered at length the Outlaw drew his knife.
Next morn a corpse was found upon the fell
The rest his waking agony may tell!

THE BOLD DRAGOON

OR, THE PLAIN OF BADAJOS

1812

'T WAS a Maréchal of France, and he fain would hon

our gain,

And he longed to take a passing glance at Portugal from

Spain;

With his flying guns this gallant gay,

And boasted corps d'armée

O, he feared not our dragoons with their long swords boldly riding,

Whack, fal de ral, etc.

To Campo Mayor come, he had quietly sat down,

Just a fricassee to pick while his soldiers sacked the

town,

When, 't was peste! morbleu! mon Général,

Hear the English bugle-call!

And behold the light dragoons with their long swords

boldly riding,

Whack, fal de ral, etc.

Right about went horse and foot, artillery and all,

And, as the devil leaves a house, they tumbled through

the wall; 1

1 See Note 17.

They took no time to seek the door,

But, best foot set before

O, they ran from our dragoons with their long swords boldly riding,

Whack, fal de ral, etc.

Those valiant men of France they had scarcely fled a

mile,

When on their flank there soused at once the British

rank and file;

For Long, De Grey, and Otway then

Ne'er minded one to ten,

But came on like light dragoons with their long swords boldly riding,

Whack, fal de ral, etc.

Three hundred British lads they made three thousand

reel,

Their hearts were made of English oak, their swords of

Sheffield steel,

Their horses were in Yorkshire bred,

And Beresford them led;

So huzza for brave dragoons with their long swords

boldly riding,

Whack, fal de ral, etc.

Then here's a health to Wellington, to Beresford, to

Long,

And a single word of Bonaparte before I close my song: The eagles that to fight he brings

Should serve his men with wings,

When they meet the bold dragoons with their long swords boldly riding,

Whack, fal de ral, etc.