The Duellist - Book I Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJ KKLLMMNNCCGGEEOOPPCC QRSSTTUUFFVVWWXXYYZZ A2A2B2B2OOC2C2MD2E2E 2B2B2F2G2H2H2JJB2B2K KI2I2J2J2K2K2FFCCBBW WL2L2M2M2GGN2N2PPO2O 2P2P2Q2Q2KKR2R2UUS2S 2KKIIT2T2U2U2A2V2L2L 2W2W2X2Y2WWEEJ2J2IIZ 2Z2A3A3XXP2P2FFB3B3C 3C3W2W2D3D3E3E3FFF3F 3J2J2G3G3H3H3I3I3J3J 3L2L2K3K3OOB2L3M3M3N 3N3O3O3P3P3Q3Q3MMUUR 3R3C3C3B2L3S3T3FFU3U 3L3L3V3V3W3W3UUL2O

The clock struck twelve o'er half the globeA
Darkness had spread her pitchy robeA
Morpheus his feet with velvet shodB
Treading as if in fear he trodB
Gentle as dews at even tideC
Distill'd his poppies far and wideC
Ambition who when waking dreamsD
Of mighty but fantastic schemesD
Who when asleep ne'er knows that restE
With which the humbler soul is blestE
Was building castles in the airF
Goodly to look upon and fairF
But on a bad foundation laidG
Doom'd at return of morn to fadeG
Pale Study by the taper's lightH
Wearing away the watch of nightH
Sat reading but with o'ercharged headI
Remember'd nothing that he readI
Starving 'midst plenty with a faceJ
Which might the court of Famine graceJ
Ragged and filthy to beholdK
Gray Avarice nodded o'er his goldK
Jealousy his quick eye half closedL
With watchings worn reluctant dozedL
And mean Distrust not quite forgotM
Slumber'd as if he slumber'd notM
Stretch'd at his length on the bare groundN
His hardy offspring sleeping roundN
Snored restless Labour by his sideC
Lay Health a coarse but comely brideC
Virtue without the doctor's aidG
In the soft arms of Sleep was laidG
Whilst Vice within the guilty breastE
Could not be physic'd into restE
Thou bloody man whose ruffian knifeO
Is drawn against thy neighbour's lifeO
And never scruples to descendP
Into the bosom of a friendP
A firm fast friend by vice alliedC
And to thy secret service tiedC
In whom ten murders breed no aweQ
If properly secured from lawR
Thou man of lust whom passion firesS
To foulest deeds whose hot desiresS
O'er honest bars with ease make wayT
Whilst idiot beauty falls a preyT
And to indulge thy brutal flameU
A Lucrece must be brought to shameU
Who dost a brave bold sinner bearF
Rank incest to the open airF
And rapes full blown upon thy crownV
Enough to weigh a nation downV
Thou simular of lust vain manW
Whose restless thoughts still form the planW
Of guilt which wither'd to the rootX
Thy lifeless nerves can't executeX
Whilst in thy marrowless dry bonesY
Desire without enjoyment groansY
Thou perjured wretch whom falsehood clothesZ
E'en like a garment who with oathsZ
Dost trifle as with brokers meantA2
To serve thy every vile intentA2
In the day's broad and searching eyeB2
Making God witness to a lieB2
Blaspheming heaven and earth for pelfO
And hanging friends to save thyselfO
Thou son of Chance whose glorious soulC2
On the four aces doom'd to rollC2
Was never yet with Honour caughtM
Nor on poor Virtue lost one thoughtD2
Who dost thy wife thy children setE2
Thy all upon a single betE2
Risking the desperate stake to tryB2
Here and hereafter on a dieB2
Who thy own private fortune lostF2
Dost game on at thy country's costG2
And grown expert in sharping rulesH2
First fool'd thyself now prey'st on foolsH2
Thou noble gamester whose high placeJ
Gives too much credit to disgraceJ
Who with the motion of a dieB2
Dost make a mighty island flyB2
The sums I mean of good French goldK
For which a mighty island soldK
Who dost betray intelligenceI2
Abuse the dearest confidenceI2
And private fortune to createJ2
Most falsely play the game of stateJ2
Who dost within the Alley sportK2
Sums which might beggar a whole courtK2
And make us bankrupts all if CareF
With good Earl Talbot was not thereF
Thou daring infidel whom prideC
And sin have drawn from Reason's sideC
Who fearing his avengeful rodB
Dost wish not to believe a GodB
Whose hope is founded on a planW
Which should distract the soul of manW
And make him curse his abject birthL2
Whose hope is once return'd to earthL2
There to lie down for worms a feastM2
To rot and perish like a beastM2
Who dost of punishment afraidG
And by thy crimes a coward madeG
To every generous soul a curseN2
Than Hell and all her torments worseN2
When crawling to thy latter endP
Call on Destruction as a friendP
Choosing to crumble into dustO2
Rather than rise though rise you mustO2
Thou hypocrite who dost profaneP2
And take the patriot's name in vainP2
Then most thy country's foe when mostQ2
Of love and loyalty you boastQ2
Who for the love of filthy goldK
Thy friend thy king thy God hast soldK
And mocking the just claim of HellR2
Were bidders found thyself wouldst sellR2
Ye villains of whatever nameU
Whatever rank to whom the claimU
Of Hell is certain on whose lidsS2
That worm which never dies forbidsS2
Sweet sleep to fall come and beholdK
Whilst envy makes your blood run coldK
Behold by pitiless Conscience ledI
So Justice wills that holy bedI
Where Peace her full dominion keepsT2
And Innocence with Holland sleepsT2
Bid Terror posting on the windU2
Affray the spirits of mankindU2
Bid Earthquakes heaving for a ventA2
Rive their concealing continentV2
And forcing an untimely birthL2
Through the vast bowels of the earthL2
Endeavour in her monstrous wombW2
At once all Nature to entombW2
Bid all that's horrible and direX2
All that man hates and fears conspireY2
To make night hideous as they canW
Still is thy sleep thou virtuous manW
Pure as the thoughts which in thy breastE
Inhabit and insure thy restE
Still shall thy Ayliffe taught though lateJ2
Thy friendly justice in his fateJ2
Turn'd to a guardian angel spreadI
Sweet dreams of comfort round thy headI
Dark was the night by Fate decreedZ2
For the contrivance of a deedZ2
More black than common which might makeA3
This land from her foundations shakeA3
Might tear up Freedom by the rootX
Destroy a Wilkes and fix a ButeX
Deep Horror held her wide domainP2
The sky in sullen drops of rainP2
Forewept the morn and through the airF
Which opening laid its bosom bareF
Loud thunders roll'd and lightning stream'dB3
The owl at Freedom's window scream'dB3
The screech owl prophet dire whose breathC3
Brings sickness and whose note is deathC3
The churchyard teem'd and from the tombW2
All sad and silent through the gloomW2
The ghosts of men in former timesD3
Whose public virtues were their crimesD3
Indignant stalk'd sorrow and rageE3
Blank'd their pale cheeks in his own ageE3
The prop of Freedom Hampden thereF
Felt after death the generous careF
Sidney by grief from heaven was keptF3
And for his brother patriot weptF3
All friends of Liberty when FateJ2
Prepared to shorten Wilkes's dateJ2
Heaved deeply hurt the heartfelt groanG3
And knew that wound to be their ownG3
Hail Liberty a glorious wordH3
In other countries scarcely heardH3
Or heard but as a thing of courseI3
Without or energy or forceI3
Here felt enjoy'd adored she springsJ3
Far far beyond the reach of kingsJ3
Fresh blooming from our mother EarthL2
With pride and joy she owns her birthL2
Derived from us and in returnK3
Bids in our breasts her genius burnK3
Bids us with all those blessings liveO
Which Liberty alone can giveO
Or nobly with that spirit dieB2
Which makes death more than victoryL3
Hail those old patriots on whose tongueM3
Persuasion in the senate hungM3
Whilst they the sacred cause maintain'dN3
Hail those old chiefs to honour train'dN3
Who spread when other methods fail'dO3
War's bloody banner and prevail'dO3
Shall men like these unmention'd sleepP3
Promiscuous with the common heapP3
And Gratitude forbid the crimeQ3
Be carried down the stream of timeQ3
In shoals unnoticed and forgotM
On Lethe's stream like flags to rotM
No they shall live and each fair nameU
Recorded in the book of FameU
Founded on Honour's basis fastR3
As the round earth to ages lastR3
Some virtues vanish with our breathC3
Virtue like this lives after deathC3
Old Time himself his scythe thrown byB2
Himself lost in eternityL3
An everlasting crown shall twineS3
To make a Wilkes and Sidney joinT3
But should some slave got villain dareF
Chains for his country to prepareF
And by his birth to slavery brokeU3
Make her too feel the galling yokeU3
May he be evermore accursedL3
Amongst bad men be rank'd the worstL3
May he be still himself and stillV3
Go on in vice and perfect illV3
May his broad crimes each day increaseW3
Till he can't live nor die in peaceW3
May he be plunged so deep in shameU
That Satan mayn't endure his nameU
And hear scarce crawling on the earthL2
His children curse him foO

Charles Churchill



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