Classic Poem

THE VILE TRAITOR

Arnold! the name, as heretofore,
Shall now be Benedict no more:
Since, instigated by the devil,
Thy ways are turned from good to evil.

'T is fit we brand thee with a name
To suit thy infamy and shame;
And, since of treason thou 'rt convicted,
Thy name shall be maledicted.
Unless, by way of contradiction,
We style thee Britain's Benediction.
Such blessings she, with lavish hand,
Confers on this devoted land.

For instance, only let us mention
Some proof of her benign intention:
The slaves she sends us o'er the deep,
And bribes to cut our throats in sleep.
To take our lives and scalps away,
The savage Indians keeps in pay,
And Tories worse, by half, than they.

Then, in this class of Britain's heroes, —
The Tories, savage Indians, negroes, —
Recorded Arnold's name shall stand,
While Freedom's blessings crown our land,
And odious for the blackest crimes,
Arnold shall stink to latest times.