PASSIVE PARTICIPLE'S PETITION by JOHN BYROM

URBAN, or Sylvan, or whatever name
Delights thee best, thou foremost in the fame
Of Magazining chiefs! whose rival page
With monthly medley courts the curious age,
Hear a poor Passive Participle's case,
And, if thou canst, restore me to my place.

Till just of late good English has thought fit
To call me @3written,@1 or to call me @3writ;@1
But what is @3writ@1 or @3written@1 by the vote
Of writers now, hereafter must be @3wrote;@1
And what is @3spoken@1 too, hereafter @3spoke;@1
And measures, never to be @3broken, broke.@1

I never could be @3driven;@1 but, in spite
Of Grammar, they have @3drove@1 me from my right.
None could have @3risen@1 to become my foes;
But what a world of enemies have @3rose!@1
Who have not @3gone,@1 but they have @3went@1 about,
And, @3torn@1 as I have been, have @3tore@1 me out.

Passive I am and would be; and implore
That such abuse may be henceforth @3forbore,@1
If not @3forborn;@1 for by each spelling book
If not @3mistaken,@1 they are all @3mistook;@1
And in plain English it had been as well
If what has @3fall'n@1 upon me, had not @3fell.@1

Since this attack upon me has @3began,@1
Who knows what length in language may be @3ran?@1
For if it once be @3grew@1 into a law,
You'll see such work as never has been @3saw;@1
Part of our speech, and sense, perhaps, beside,
Shakes when I'm @3shook,@1 and dies when I am @3died.@1

Then let the Preter and Imperfect Tense
Of my own words to me remit the sense;
Or, since we two are oft enough agreed,
Let all the learned take some better heed,
And leave the vulgar to confound the due
Of Preter tense, and Participle too.

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