1. ۱TO get betimes in Boston town, I rose this morning early;
2. ۲Here’s a good place at the corner—I must stand and see the show.
3. ۳
4. ۴Clear the way there, Jonathan!
5. ۵Way for the President’s marshal! Way for the government cannon!
6. ۶Way for the Federal foot and dragoons—and the apparitions copiously tumbling.
7. ۷
8. ۸I love to look on the stars and stripes—I hope the fifes will play Yankee Doodle.
9. ۹
10. ۱۰How bright shine the cutlasses of the foremost troops!
11. ۱۱Every man holds his revolver, marching stiff through Boston town.
12. ۱۲
13. ۱۳A fog follows—antiques of the same come limping,
14. ۱۴Some appear wooden-legged, and some appear bandaged and bloodless.
15. ۱۵
16. ۱۶Why this is indeed a show! It has called the dead out of the earth!
17. ۱۷The old grave-yards of the hills have hurried to see!
18. ۱۸Phantoms! phantoms countless by flank and rear!
19. ۱۹...’d hats of mothy mould! crutches made of mist!
20. ۲۰Arms in slings! old men leaning on young men’s shoulders!
21. ۲۱
22. ۲۲What troubles you, Yankee phantoms? What is all this chattering of bare gums?
23. ۲۳Does the ague convulse your limbs? Do you mistake your crutches for fire-locks, and level
24. ۲۴ them?
25. ۲۵
26. ۲۶
27. ۲۷If you blind your eyes with tears, you will not see the President’s marshal;
28. ۲۸If you groan such groans, you might balk the government cannon.
29. ۲۹
30. ۳۰For shame, old maniacs! Bring down those toss’d arms, and let your white hair be;
31. ۳۱Here gape your great grand-sons—their wives gaze at them from the windows,
32. ۳۲See how well dress’d—see how orderly they conduct themselves.
33. ۳۳
34. ۳۴Worse and worse! Can’t you stand it? Are you retreating?
35. ۳۵Is this hour with the living too dead for you?
36. ۳۶
37. ۳۷Retreat then! Pell-mell!
38. ۳۸To your graves! Back! back to the hills, old limpers!
39. ۳۹I do not think you belong here, anyhow.
40. ۴۰
41. ۴۱But there is one thing that belongs here—shall I tell you what it is, gentlemen of
42. ۴۲ Boston?
43. ۴۳
44. ۴۴I will whisper it to the Mayor—he shall send a committee to England;
45. ۴۵They shall get a grant from the Parliament, go with a cart to the royal vault—haste!
46. ۴۶
47. ۴۷Dig out King George’s coffin, unwrap him quick from the grave-clothes, box up his
48. ۴۸ bones
49. ۴۹ for a
50. ۵۰ journey;
51. ۵۱Find a swift Yankee clipper—here is freight for you, black-bellied clipper,
52. ۵۲Up with your anchor! shake out your sails! steer straight toward Boston bay.
53. ۵۳
54. ۵۴Now call for the President’s marshal again, bring out the government cannon,
55. ۵۵Fetch home the roarers from Congress, make another procession, guard it with foot and
56. ۵۶ dragoons.
57. ۵۷
58. ۵۸This centre-piece for them:
59. ۵۹Look! all orderly citizens—look from the windows, women!
60. ۶۰
61. ۶۱The committee open the box, set up the regal ribs, glue those that will not stay,
62. ۶۲Clap the skull on top of the ribs, and clap a crown on top of the skull.
63. ۶۳
64. ۶۴You have got your revenge, old buster! The crown is come to its own, and more than its
65. ۶۵ own.
66. ۶۶
67. ۶۷Stick your hands in your pockets, Jonathan—you are a made man from this day;
68. ۶۸You are mighty cute—and here is one of your bargains.