William McCarty, comp. The American National Song Book. 1842.
Sir Peter PetrifiedPhilip Freneau (17521832)
S
To persecute the men of Kent,
His flag aloft display’d:
He came to see their pleasant farms,
But ventured not without his arms
To talk with man or maid.
Said, “We must see the man, indeed;
He comes, perhaps, in want—
Who knows but that his stores are out:
’Tis hard to dine on mere sour-krout,
His water may be scant.”
Discover’d what the errand meant,
And some discouraged, said,
“Sir Peter comes to petrify,
He points his guns, his colours fly,
His men for war array’d!”
Advanced this daring naval band,
As if in days of peace;
Along the shore they prowling went,
And often ask’d some friends in Kent
Where dwelt the fattest geese?
But some there were with Colonel Reed,
Who would not yield assent;
And said, before the geese they take,
Sir Peter must a bargain make
With us, the boys of Kent.
Two hundred men, or somewhat more;
Next, through the woods they stray’d:
The geese, still watchful, as they went,
To save the capitol of Kent
Their every step betray’d.
To seize the geese that gabbling run
About the isle of Kent;
But, what could hardly be believed,
Sir Peter was of life bereaved
Before he pitch’d his tent.
And make their noisy gabbling cease
Had took a deadly aim:
By Kentish hands Sir Peter fell,
His men retreated with a yell,
And lost both geese and game!
That such a knight, or such a chief,
On such an errand died!
When men of worth their lives expose
For little things, where little grows,
They make the very geese their foes;
The geese his fall deride:
To see a star and garter’d man
For life of goose expose his own,
And bite the dust with many a groan;
“Alas!” a gander cried,
“Behold, (said he,) a man of fame
Who all the way from England came
No more than just to get the name
Of P