Digital Tradition Mirror

Wat'ry God 2 (A Parody)

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Wat'ry God 2 (A Parody)

As Mars, great god of battles! lay
In dalliance soft and amorous play,
On fair Bellona' s breast;
Surprised he reared his hoary head,
The conscious goddess shook with dread,
And all her fears confessed.

Loud thunder rolled through Heaven' s domain,
The ethereal world was wrapt in flame,
The god amazed spoke:
Go forth, ye powers, and make it known,
Who dares thus boldly shake my throne,
And fill my realms with smoke.

The gods, obsequious to his word,
Sprang swiftly forth t'obey their lord,
And saw two hosts away;
The one, great Washington, was thine;
The other, Howe' s disordered line,
In sorrow and dismay.

Appalled they viewed Columbia's sons,
Deal death and slaughter from their guns,
And strike a dreadful blow,
Which made ill-fated British slaves,
On distant shores to find their graves,
And sink to shades below.

Amazed they tell of battles won,
That Britain's ruined; Washington
Alone triumphant rode;
Ha! cries fair, pray who is he
That dares reverse e'en Jove's decree
And thus insult a god7

The gods reply, In yonder lands,
Great Liberty alone commands,
And gives the hero force;
And when his thundering cannon roar,
And strike with dread earth's distant shore,
'Tis she directs their course.

And when her winged bullets fly,
To check a tyrant's treachery,
And lay his glories low;
Then Washington serenely great,
Tho' death and carnage round him wait,
Performs the dreadful blow.

The god with wonder heard the story,
Astonished viewed Columbia's glory,
Which time can ne'er subdue,
Great Warren's deed, and Gates's fame,
Joined to great Lee's immortal name;
And cried, Can this be true?

Britain shall cease to plague mankind,
With sister tyrants strive to bind,
And check the free-born soul;
To Washington her trophies yield,
Freedom shall triumph in the field,
And rule from pole to pole.


Note: An American revolutionary's parody of Wat'ry God.
From Songbook of the American Revolution, Rabson
RG
Apr98

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!