Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, HELTER SKELTER; OR, THE HUE AND CRY AFTER THE ATTORNEYS, by JONATHAN SWIFT


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

HELTER SKELTER; OR, THE HUE AND CRY AFTER THE ATTORNEYS, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Now the active young attornies
Last Line: Hey for dublin town again!
Subject(s): Law & Lawyers; Attorneys


Now the active young attornies
Briskly travel on their journeys,
Looking big as any giants,
On the horses of their clients;
Like so many little Mars's,
With their tilters at their arses,
Brazen hilted, lately burnished,
And with harness-buckles furnished;
And with whips and spurs so neat,
And with jockey-coats complete;
And with boots so very greasy,
And with saddles eke so easy,
And with bridles fine and gay,
Bridles borrowed for a day,
Bridles destined far to roam,
Ah! never to return to home;
And with hats so very big, sir,
And with powdered caps and wigs, sir;
And with ruffles to be shown,
Cambric ruffles not their own;
And with holland shirts so white,
Shirts becoming to the sight,
Shirts bewrought with different letters,
As belonging to their betters:
With their pretty tinselled boxes,
Gotten from their dainty doxies,
And with rings so very trim,
Lately taken out of lim --
And with very little pence,
And as very little sense:
With some law but little justice,
Having stolen from my hostess,
From the barber and the cutler,
Like the soldier from the sutler;
From the vintner and the tailor,
Like the felon from the gaoler,
Into this and t'other county,
Living on the public bounty;
Thorough town and thorough village,
All to plunder, all to pillage;
Thorough mountains, thorough valleys,
Thorough stinking lanes and alleys;
Some to cuckold farmers' spouses,
And make merry in their houses;
Some to tumble country wenches
On their rushy beds and benches,
And, if they begin a fray,
Draw their swords and run away:
All to murder equity,
And to take a double fee;
Till the people all are quiet
And forget to broil and riot,
Low in pocket, cowed in courage,
Safely glad to sup their porridge,
And vacation's over -- then
Hey for Dublin town again!





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