Читать книгу Terrible Tractoration, and Other Poems онлайн

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You, who don’t value being hung,

Perhaps the readiest mode would be

To kill the conjuring patentee.

But still I have some hesitation

To recommend assassination;

Although I’m sure ’twould not be cruel,

To pop off Perkins in a DUEL.

For this you’ve precedents quite ample,

Full many a glorious example,

From Goths and Vandals, out of temper, or

A certain crazy Russian emperor.[74]

For if the conjurer were shot dead,

By some rude harum-scarum hot-head;

Then might we quickly crush the flummery

Of tract’ring mischief-making mummery.

Perkins destroy’d, the INSTITUTION

Will be o’erwhelm’d in dire confusion;

And we shall easily be able

To overturn this modern Babel.

So, if a wolf should silent creep

T’ attack by night a flock of sheep,

He’d not attempt the whole together,

But first invade the old bell-wether.[75]

Let not the thought of Jack Ketch scare ye,

But at him like brave Mac Namara,

Avenge our wrongs in mode as summary

As he adopted with Montgomery.

For if said Mac be crown’d with laurel,