History & Politics
The Soldier's Friend
From The Anti-Jacobin (1797)
Come, little Drummer Boy, lay down your knapsack here:
I am the Soldier's Friend—here are some books for you;
Nice clever books by Tom Paine, the philanthropist.
Here's half-a-crown for you—here are some handbills too—
Go to the Barracks, and give all the Soldiers some.
Tell them the Sailors are all in a Mutiny.
[Exit Drummer Boy, with Handbills, and Half-a-crown.—Manet Soldier's Friend.]
Liberty's friends thus all learn to amalgamate,
Freedom's volcanic explosion prepares itself,
Despots shall bow to the Fasces of Liberty,
Reason, philosophy, "fiddledum, diddledum,"
Peace and Fraternity, higgledy, piggledy,
Higgledy, piggledy, "fiddledum, diddledum."
Et cætera, et cætera, et cætera.
Cite this poem
MLA
Canning, George. “The Soldier's Friend.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/canning/5/.
Chicago
Canning, George. “The Soldier's Friend.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/canning/5/.
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