A Character, Panegyric, And Description Of The Legion Club Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCDEFFGGHHIIJJKKLLMM NNOOPPLLGGQQRRSSTTUU VVLLWKWWXXYYCCZZA2A2 A2A2A2A2A2A2A2A2B2B2 C2C2D2D2LLD2D2C2C2CC D2D2LLLLA2A2JJ A2D2D2A2A2E2E2A2A2F2 F2A2A2CCA2A2A2A2G2G2 A2A2D2D2A2A2H2H2LLLL A2A2NNI2I2J2J2ZZK2G2 I2I2A2A2I2I2NNA2A2G2 G2I2I2A2A2I2I2CCL2L2 M2M2G2G2N2N2CCD2D2A2 A2D2D2G2G2B2B2I2I2I2 I2O2O2I2I2LLA2A2A2A2 G2G2CCG2G2G2G2LLI2I2 CCA2A2G2G2A2A2A2A2A2 A2I2I2A2A2A2A2P2CCCA 2A2L2L2LI2A2A2I2I2CC CCI2I2Q2Q2L2L2

The immediate provocation to this fierce satire upon the Irish Parliament was the introduction of a Bill to put an end to the tithe on pasturage called agistment and thus to free the landlords from a legal payment with severe loss to the ChurchA
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As I stroll the city oft IB
See a building large and loftyC
Not a bow shot from the collegeD
Half the globe from sense and knowledgeE
By the prudent architectF
Placed against the church directF
Making good my grandam's jestG
Near the church you know the restG
Tell us what the pile containsH
Many a head that has no brainsH
These demoniacs let me dubI
With the name of Legion ClubI
Such assemblies you might swearJ
Meet when butchers bait a bearJ
Such a noise and such haranguingK
When a brother thief's a hangingK
Such a rout and such a rabbleL
Run to hear Jackpudding gabbleL
Such a crowd their ordure throwsM
On a far less villain's noseM
Could I from the building's topN
Hear the rattling thunder dropN
While the devil upon the roofO
If the devil be thunder proofO
Should with poker fiery redP
Crack the stones and melt the leadP
Drive them down on every skullL
When the den of thieves is fullL
Quite destroy that harpies' nestG
How might then our isle be blestG
For divines allow that GodQ
Sometimes makes the devil his rodQ
And the gospel will inform usR
He can punish sins enormousR
Yet should Swift endow the schoolsS
For his lunatics and foolsS
With a rood or two of landT
I allow the pile may standT
You perhaps will ask me Why soU
But it is with this provisoU
Since the house is like to lastV
Let the royal grant be pass'dV
That the club have right to dwellL
Each within his proper cellL
With a passage left to creep inW
And a hole above for peepingK
Let them when they once get inW
Sell the nation for a pinW
While they sit a picking strawsX
Let them rave of making lawsX
While they never hold their tongueY
Let them dabble in their dungY
Let them form a grand committeeC
How to plague and starve the cityC
Let them stare and storm and frownZ
When they see a clergy gownZ
Let them ere they crack a louseA2
Call for th'orders of the houseA2
Let them with their gosling quillsA2
Scribble senseless heads of billsA2
We may while they strain their throatsA2
Wipe our a s with their votesA2
Let Sir Tom that rampant assA2
Stuff his guts with flax and grassA2
But before the priest he fleecesA2
Tear the Bible all to piecesA2
At the parsons Tom halloo boyB2
Worthy offspring of a shoeboyB2
Footman traitor vile seducerC2
Perjured rebel bribed accuserC2
Lay thy privilege asideD2
From Papist sprung and regicideD2
Fall a working like a moleL
Raise the dirt about thy holeL
Come assist me Muse obedientD2
Let us try some new expedientD2
Shift the scene for half an hourC2
Time and place are in thy powerC2
Thither gentle Muse conduct meC
I shall ask and you instruct meC
See the Muse unbars the gateD2
Hark the monkeys how they prateD2
All ye gods who rule the soulL
Styx through Hell whose waters rollL
Let me be allow'd to tellL
What I heard in yonder HellL
Near the door an entrance gapesA2
Crowded round with antic shapesA2
Poverty and Grief and CareJ
Causeless Joy and true DespairJ
Discord periwigg'd with snakes '-
See the dreadful strides she takesA2
By this odious crew besetD2
I began to rage and fretD2
And resolved to break their patesA2
Ere we enter'd at the gatesA2
Had not Clio in the nickE2
Whisper'd me Lay down your stickE2
What said I is this a mad houseA2
These she answer'd are but shadowsA2
Phantoms bodiless and vainF2
Empty visions of the brainF2
In the porch Briareus standsA2
Shows a bribe in all his handsA2
Briareus the secretaryC
But we mortals call him CareyC
When the rogues their country fleeceA2
They may hope for pence a pieceA2
Clio who had been so wiseA2
To put on a fool's disguiseA2
To bespeak some approbationG2
And be thought a near relationG2
When she saw three hundred brutesA2
All involved in wild disputesA2
Roaring till their lungs were spentD2
PRIVILEGE OF PARLIAMENTD2
Now a new misfortune feelsA2
Dreading to be laid by th' heelsA2
Never durst a Muse beforeH2
Enter that infernal doorH2
Clio stifled with the smellL
Into spleen and vapours fellL
By the Stygian steams that flewL
From the dire infectious crewL
Not the stench of Lake AvernusA2
Could have more offended her noseA2
Had she flown but o'er the topN
She had felt her pinions dropN
And by exhalations direI2
Though a goddess must expireI2
In a fright she crept awayJ2
Bravely I resolved to stayJ2
When I saw the keeper frownZ
Tipping him with half a crownZ
Now said I we are aloneK2
Name your heroes one by oneG2
Who is that hell featured brawlerI2
Is it Satan No 'tis WallerI2
In what figure can a bard dressA2
Jack the grandson of Sir HardressA2
Honest keeper drive him furtherI2
In his looks are Hell and murtherI2
See the scowling visage dropN
Just as when he murder'd ThropN
Keeper show me where to fixA2
On the puppy pair of DicksA2
By their lantern jaws and leathernG2
You might swear they both are brethrenG2
Dick Fitzbaker Dick the playerI2
Old acquaintance are you thereI2
Dear companions hug and kissA2
Toast Old Glorious in your pissA2
Tie them keeper in a tetherI2
Let them starve and stink togetherI2
Both are apt to be unrulyC
Lash them daily lash them dulyC
Though 'tis hopeless to reclaim themL2
Scorpion's rods perhaps may tame themL2
Keeper yon old dotard smokeM2
Sweetly snoring in his cloakM2
Who is he 'Tis humdrum WynneG2
Half encompass'd by his kinG2
There observe the tribe of BinghamN2
For he never fails to bring 'emN2
And that base apostate VeseyC
With Bishop's scraps grown fat and greasyC
While Wynne sleeps the whole debateD2
They submissive round him waitD2
Yet would gladly see the hunksA2
In his grave and search his trunksA2
See they gently twitch his coatD2
Just to yawn and give his voteD2
Always firm in his vocationG2
For the court against the nationG2
Those are Allens Jack and BobB2
First in every wicked jobB2
Son and brother to a queerI2
Brain sick brute they call a peerI2
We must give them better quarterI2
For their ancestor trod mortarI2
And at Hoath to boast his fameO2
On a chimney cut his nameO2
There sit Clements Dilks and CarterI2
Who for Hell would die a martyrI2
Such a triplet could you tellL
Where to find on this side HellL
Gallows Carter Dilks and ClementsA2
Souse them in their own excrementsA2
Every mischief's in their heartsA2
If they fail 'tis want of partsA2
Bless us Morgan art thou there manG2
Bless mine eyes art thou the chairmanG2
Chairman to yon damn'd committeeC
Yet I look on thee with pityC
Dreadful sight what learned MorganG2
Metamorphosed to a GorgonG2
For thy horrid looks I ownG2
Half convert me to a stoneG2
Hast thou been so long at schoolL
Now to turn a factious toolL
Alma Mater was thy motherI2
Every young divine thy brotherI2
Thou a disobedient varletC
Treat thy mother like a harlotC
Thou ungrateful to thy teachersA2
Who are all grown reverend preachersA2
Morgan would it not surprise oneG2
To turn thy nourishment to poisonG2
When you walk among your booksA2
They reproach you with their looksA2
Bind them fast or from their shelvesA2
They'll come down to right themselvesA2
Homer Plutarch Virgil FlaccusA2
All in arms prepare to back usA2
Soon repent or put to slaughterI2
Every Greek and Roman authorI2
Will you in your faction's phraseA2
Send the clergy all to grazeA2
And to make your project passA2
Leave them not a blade of grassA2
How I want thee humorous HogarthP2
Thou I hear a pleasant rogue artC
Were but you and I acquaintedC
Every monster should be paintedC
You should try your graving toolsA2
On this odious group of foolsA2
Draw the beasts as I describe themL2
Form their features while I gibe themL2
Draw them like for I assure youL
You will need no car'caturaI2
Draw them so that we may traceA2
All the soul in every faceA2
Keeper I must now retireI2
You have done what I desireI2
But I feel my spirits spentC
With the noise the sight the scentC
Pray be patient you shall findC
Half the best are still behindC
You have hardly seen a scoreI2
I can show two hundred moreI2
Keeper I have seen enoughQ2
Taking then a pinch of snuffQ2
I concluded looking round themL2
May their god the devil confound themL2

Jonathan Swift



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