The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-11-09

Mounted their chariots and with flaming shield,
Led on the Gods into the ,hickest fight.
But whoe'er heard or read
OF mighty heroes bred ~.
To acts mechanical Nevertheless Pm right
Said 10, and il you're open to conviction
I'll demonstrate il TO your satisfaction,
No doubt you'll set il down as merely fiction
But recollect, suffer no detraction,
What say. Well, heave ahead my hearty,
Said one, then we can test it
And carefully digest it
With other good things at our dinner party.
Well, opend 10, you no doubt have heard tell
OF Mercury, jovial imp OF He'll,
A regular hnilt Pirate by profession,
Who held the right Of secular possession, e.
To be paramount 10 other means or ways,
And he was on cruize
To gather up the news
And hereabou,s TO make midnight raise
When CHANGING to drop in Gas he was passing)
To the Parthsnon he heard a long debate, s
And great number secretly canvassing g..
On building Temples to adorn the State,
To Neptune, Theseus and Jove Olympus,
On the Acropolis
And the Catapolis .... ~.
But some there thought it rather impious,
To decide upon this high wrought measure
Sans first consulting the good will and pleasure
Ofthe Gods omnipotent, especially those
To whom these Temples were to be erected,
For, argued they, who among us knows
But they may think this fattery i'll directed;
And the mighty Gods are no believers
In fancy soap
Or fine spun trope,
And hold in great contempt would-be deceivers.
Besides, we need their aid in The erection
Of the columns, and likewise their direction
As to the order; for assuredly no plan
Would suit celestial fancies drawn by man.
But finally they came to the decision
To construct this pile
In the Ionic style,
Subject to grand Jupiter's revision;
Now Mercury had listend all attention
Tothese grand projects and being well aware,
That he Justly merited Jove's apprehension
For his rascalilies here and every where;
Thought this an excellent opportunity
To make his peace
With injured Greece
And claim from Jove fresh immunity;
With what the Romans call dissolution,
Which they imagine cleanseth from pollution.
So of he started like an arrows flight
And reachd the Court Of Jove e'er close of night,
Where sat the King Of Gods in royal state,
Around his Throne
Floods Of light shone -..a.
Refulgent from each Godike potentate,
He came into the presence unannouncd,
Nodding familiar 10 each God of glory,
March'd tothe throne when on his knees he pounc'd
And looking up at Jove commenced his story.
Great God, said he, in Athens down below
Yonr Grecian vassas all ,."
In humble prayer do call
Upon your Majesty your gracious will to know;
As they have recently by reclamation,
Determined to immortalize the nation,
With grand Temple, which will bear your name
Bah said his Majesty your news is tame,
We knew ii yestcr eve and sent for thee
Thou knavish varlet
Thou son Of harot
To bear message TO the Caspian sea,
To our brother Neptune, with orders TO appear
AT this our Royal Court without delay;
AT his arrival he will find us here
So get the off before the break Of day, "
Nor linger on the road or by ourself
On hopeless Ixion's wheel
With whip Of supple steel
Well bind thee for NOR h thou wicked Elf.
Then Mercury took the parchment bowling low,
And LEFT the presence glad to get off so;
Nor did he linger with his light wingd mates,
For well he knew what were the sorry fates
or those who the great Jupiter offended.
But as quick as thought
With his wings stretchd taut
| He go, underweigh and downward wendell,