THE DOGS. TO THE ABUSERS OF THE LIBERAL. "GENTLEMEN," THIS little poem is dedicated to you. It is not the wish of the Liberal to write satire and personal politics; but if you insist upon our earning a right to be heard with the sword, it must be so. Some persons, it seems, must either do this, or consent to be trampled into silence, let them be as forbearing as they may. That we can forbear, we know well, and so do you:-that we can make you cry out again with non-forbearance, we know also:-but we fight, like the Greeks and Spaniards, to obtain the right and the tranquillity of speech, and not to trample on every body in turn. The satire in the first number of the Liberal was produced by those who attacked us before-hand:-the satire in the second is the result of the attacks on the first. It will be for yourselves to judge how soon we are to leave off this boy's-play and cutting of knuckles. The moment we can turn our swords into ploughshares and our spears into pruninghooks, we shall be happy to cultivate those calmer fields of knowledge, which (with your leave be it spoken) you are a set of prodigious fools for not knowing how to look to at once. THE DOGS. "I at this time got a post, being for fatigue, with other four. We were sent to break biscuit, and make a mess for Lord Wellington's Hounds. I was very hungry, and thought it a good job at the time; as we got our own fill, while we broke the biscuit—a thing I had not got for some days. When thus engaged, the Prodigal Son was never once out of my mind; and I sighed, as I fed the Dogs, over my humble situation and my ruined hopes."—Journal of a Soldier of the 71st Regt. during the War in Spain. 1. I SING a matter of some sixty dogs, That dined in the Peninsula on biscuit. Under the old regime the French eat frogs; Under the new some Englishmen would frisk it If they had any thing besides their fogs. I'd thank Apollo therefore to touch his kit, 2. Attend then to me, puppies of all sorts, All by whom hangs a tale; including you, The blacker kind, who practise in the courts, And from the back of whose strange curls hang two: In these great times, ye poor inferior crew, 3. And you, red-coated dogs, not commonly As Sallust has it,-hear what your Bard says, 4. And thou, thou other lucky dog, and diner, 5. Nor thou, great Duke of Wellington, disdain 6. Many a jolly dog has been renown'd, E'en men have merit when like them they're found (2) 7. Herodotus says only that there were Four villages alloted for their dogs-meat; (3) Warriors stand by, wanting, like proper rogues, meat, While the Duke's hounds to their respective progs meet. 8. Yes, "Heav'n be prais'd! Thanks to our lucky stars! 9. "Good God!" says one, "I fancy the bread here! I think it's one o'clock-I think it's two I think I see my company appear— Ah! Jowler, boy-and Towler, how dy'e do?— 10. "A word, Sir, in your ear-The other day, 11. "We are but human beings,-common men; They are his ornaments, his dogs, his dulce, More fit to pat than our poor linsey-woolsey. |