Classic Poem

A CURSE upon the ill-wishers
Who were telling lies to me,
That my cronie was not living —
Were he lost, a loss 'twould be.
When I took me to hand-wringing
And unrestrained emotion,
Wha the deil should we behold
But thyself approaching.

I see a hero valorous,
That arms will well adorn,
Lord pity him who'd face thee
When i' strife thine ire would burn;
A big man valiant in dispeace,
Laying about thee furiously,
Hero strong as Britain boasts of,
'Fore whom the red hosts flee.

'Tis no wonder I'm elated,
Since related I'm to thee,
Great soldier of the banners
And the lances lopping free,
With stern command unfaltering,
Ranging in battle scouth;
Hilarious joy would break on us,
To hear thy word of mouth.

What time thou wast the general
In that affair o'er sea
Upon the Day of Fontenoy
Lionlike thy mien would be.
Their batteries, when they opened,
At once thou took them then,
And the cannon thou didst turn on them
To take the town again.

In ill-plight were the Frenchmen,
And headlong in retreat,
Their long coats casting from them,
Giving thee wide-berth with their feet.
The infantry and cavalry,
And their troops of every kind
Went hutherum and tutherum,
And never looked behind.

Not long wert thou in conquering
The East Indies all the way,
When thou visited that country
Hyder Alidh owned thy sway —
Were it not for the white letter
Which Parliament did thee profer,
That hot land that thou abandon
Before thy health should suffer.

At Gibraltar I was with thee,
A green and pithless lad,
Attending to thy horses,
And seeing them groomed and fed;
Thou raised me from a sixpence
To half-a-guinea in gold,
And got me the rank of captain
By order of the Board.

The king he made no Knight of thee,
For his own ill-luck, of course;
But now I'll put this right for thee
Briefly with valid force —
Ha, ha, brave Knight and splendid
Piece of dagger, worn-out targe,
Coat of harness, and notched claymore,
Helm the worse of many a charge.