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Carlisle Patriot - 18 May 1844
POETRY.
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SONG

Composed in the room by Mr. JAS. BURTON, and sung by him at the Twenty-fourth Anniversary Dinner of
the Cumberland Benevolent Institution, on the 24th May, 1844, at the London Tavern, - H. A.
AGLIONBY, Esq., in the Chair, in the absence of the Right Hon. the LORD MAYOR, who was to have
presided.

A stranger poet now appears
Before this goodly throng,
Hoping you will kindly lend your ears
To this, his simple song.

I have not studied what to say,
Therefore, forgive the rhyme
That flows in such a careless way,
And cheats the passing time.

The only object I've in view
Is driving sorrow hence;
Wisdom I have no claim to,
Small wit, and little sense.

By words, or looks, or thoughts I'd never,
Call forth a single frown;
A smile will cheer me on my way,
And my ambition crown.

A goodly set, to-day we've met
To celebrate a cause
That must command, throughout the land,
Approval and applause.

For merriment, about this Board,
I may pick up some crumbs;
I cannot promise you as much,
But take it as it comes.

To justice do a cause like yours,
A WORDSWORTH e'en it takes -
For he who sings of Cumberland
Should know something of Lakes.

No lake or water poet I
The grateful task to do;
If I'm a water poet, I
Am milk and water, too.

How shall I dare approach the chair
That here our Board doth grace;
On us to-night, he sheds the light
Of his most welcome face.

I would not for the world offend,
But if he'll pardon me;
To you I need not tell his name,
For you know it's AGLIONBY.

Oh, much do we regret that we
Have not within the chair,
To glad us with his presence here,
Old London's mighty Mayor.

Although we grieve that he's away,
Yet we should not dispute,
For we have here, his loss to cheer,
Our friend - a substitute.

Our Chairman well supported is
With friends on both sides showing;
Upon his right, perhaps I'm wrong,
Is sitting friend George COWEN.

How much we are obliged to him,
To glad us with his smiles
>From Carlisle he comes here to dine -
About three hundred miles.

Of Chairman's left who'd be bereft,
To have him from our sight;
For such a man our notice claims,
As well as he on the right.

I can't attempt to sing of him,
As "Sir Walter" has done:
Who can forget bold MARMION's
Last words, "On, STANLEY, on!"?

The fifth from me on my right hand
My muse to mention prompts on;
Your institution's good, true friend,
And all know it is THOMPSON.

THOMPSON has no indolence
Like that his namesake sings,
May he have many "seasons" and
All of them be springs.

I spoke about our Chairman's worth -
I hope it quite suffices:
We love his virtues very much
And we also like the Vices.

Humanity we know too oft
>From crime and sin's not free.
Our Chairman has three deputies,
And the Vices are the three.

A trio occupy these seats,
Each in your cause a brother,
If you will list I'll tell the names
Of that this and the other.

The farthest one that sits from me
Of course he plays first fiddle -
It's DONALDSON, then PEASCOD here,
And Tom FOSTER in the middle.

In the centre table at the top
Which is a right good quarter,
Is sitting one who great deeds has done,
As friend and firm supporter.

Your battles he has nobly fought,
Though not with loss of gore;
A good true-hearted man he is,
And his name it is George MOORE.

There is a patron in the room,
Whom I don't mean to quiz,
And if I am not good myself,
I'm next to one that is.

A better man than's on my right
No one finds where he roams;
The poor outcasts of Cumberland
In him find a friend, HOLMES.

A duo rare are near the chair,
Who friendship do inspire;
And happy we are all to see
The offspring and the sire.

In daylight I have of't observed -
As you yourselves have done,
That the sun it gives the rays,
But John REAY brings the son.

I'll now give o'er, I'll sing no more,
If you have been amused,
Or you will say this is the way
Good nature is abused.

Do you I pray, forgive this lay,
For it's shocking execution;
Though bad the skill good is the will,
To serve your Institution.
 
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