Social Commentaries
On Noisy Tom
If Noisy Tom should in the senate prate,
"That he would answer both for church and state;
And, farther, to demonstrate his affection,
Would take the kingdom into his protection;"
All mortals must be curious to inquire,
Who could this coxcomb be, and who his sire?
"What! thou, the spawn of him who shamed our isle,
Traitor, assassin, and informer vile!
Though by the female side, you proudly bring,
To mend your breed, the murderer of a king:
What was thy grandsire, but a mountaineer,
Who held a cabin for ten groats a-year:
Whose master Moore preserved him from the halter,
For stealing cows! nor could he read the Psalter!
Durst thou, ungrateful, from the senate chase
Thy founder's grandson, and usurp his place?
Just Heaven! to see the dunghill bastard brood
Survive in thee, and make the proverb good?
Then vote a worthy citizen to jail,
In spite of justice, and refuse his bail!"
Cite this poem
MLA
Swift, Jonathan. “On Noisy Tom.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/swift/279/.
Chicago
Swift, Jonathan. “On Noisy Tom.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/swift/279/.
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