The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1865-11-15
Alllteratlye Acroxtics.

One of the best specimens of ALTERATION,
on an extended scale, is the famouo poetical
account Of the Siege Of Belgrade. The an-
thor is unknown. Belgrade was often be-
sieged and taken-eleven times between the
years Of AL (when Huns captured itJ and
1889 when it was taken by Laudohn). The
siege commcmorated by the poet probably
was the last, when the famous fortress fell.
There is ALTERATION AGAIN.
THE SIEGE Of BELGRADE.
An Austrian army, awfully arrayed
Boldly by battery besieged Belgrade.
Cossack commanders cannonading come,
Dealing distinctions devastating doom.
Every endeavor engineers essay
For fame, for fortune, fighting, furious fray.
Gaunt gunners grapple giving gast es good,
neaves Ligh his head heroic hardihood 4
Ibrahan, Islam, I-mael-inps ID Ills
Jostle John Jaryolitz, Jem, Joe Jack, Jill.
Kick kindling kutusoff, kings kinsmen kill,
Labor low levels loftiest, longest lives; (ines,)
Men march mid mounds, mid moles, mid murderous
Now nightfairs near, now needfnl nature mods,
Opposed, opposing overcoming odds.
Quite pqassns Parry quickly quest.
Reason returps, recalls redundant rage,
Saves sinking soldiers, softens seigniors sage.
Truce Turkey, truce! truce, treacherous Tartar
train,
Cnjnst, unwise, unmerciful Ukraine
Vanish, vile vesgeancel vanish victory vain!
Wisdom walls war walls warring words What were
xerxes, xantippe, ximenes, Xavier.
Yet yany's youth, ye yield your youthful vest.
Zealously, zanies, zealously, xears zest.
This is the text, as given in Henry South
gates " Many Thoughts on Many Things"
and adopted by Chambers. But there are
rarie lectiones, in another copy, supplied by
literary friend in Philadelphia, which
especially the closing lines-are worthy OF
being recorded for comparison. Here are
the different readings:
Generals 'gainst generals grapple, gracious God
How honors Heaven heroic hardihood.
Infurate, indiscrminats in i'll.
Kindred ki kinsmen, kinsm.n kin i1ed kill
Now, noisy noxious numbers notice naught
Of outward obstacles opposing aught-
Poor patriots!
Reason returns; religious light redounds
True to thee, Turkey, Triumph to ,ly train.
why wish we warsarey Wherefore welcome were
Xerxes, Ximenes, Xanthes Xavier?
Yield yield We, youths! Yeyeomen, yield your yell!
Zenos, Zarpater's Zoroaster's zeal
Attracting all, arms against acts appeal
We throw the various readings down before
curious scholars-a hard nut for them to
crack Which is the accurate version!
A correspondent sends US another speci-
men, about which he writes thus
:" 1t is, perhaps. literally, the most accur-
ate alphabetical acrostic that has appeared
Without at all entering into competition with
the wonderfully spirited Siege Of Belgrade
on the score Of expressive force, it would be
easy to point out several particulars in
which it has an accuracy over that admirable
composition. None Of the peculiar difficult
ties of the task are shirked-the lines follow
the exact order Of the alphabet No one
without trial would conceive the difficulty
Of finishing in fair Alexandrine on the let
ter u. which becomes, in its place. the most
intractable Of all.
& There is no rhyme, that am aware Of,
between the words beginning with y and z !;
this may cause the illegitimate zealed' to
pass muster, while similar reason may ex-
cuse the manufacture of the bobtail 'un-
won't
We now subjoin the alliterative acrostic
sent us by our correspondent. 1t certainly
is spirited and surprisingly speci-
men:
PRINCE CHARLES PROTECTED BIT FLORA NpoNALp.
All ardent acts alright an age abased
By brutal broils, by braggart bravery braced.
Crafts cankered courage changed Culleden's cry;
Deal deer" deposed IDEAL death !" -"d ecoy:'
dely.s
Enough Ere envy enters Englands eyes,
fancy's false future faace for Fortune flies.
Gannt, gloomy, guarded, graphing giant griefs,
Here hunted hard, his harrassed heart he heaves;
In impious ire incessaut ills invests,
Judging Jove's jealous judgment, jaundiced jssts
Kneel, kirted knight. keep keener kingcraft known
Let larger lore life's leveling lessons loan;
Msranders must meet male fac tors needs;
No nation noisy nonconformists needs.
Oracles of old our orb ordain
Peace's possession-Plenty's palmy plain
Quiet, Quixotc quests; quell Quarre ling;
Rebuke red riots resonant rhe-ring.
Slumber seems strangely sweet since silence smote
The threatening thnnders throbbng through theil
throat.
Csurper under uniform unwont
Vail valors vaguest venture-vainest vaunt.
Well wot we which we're wise. Wars v idfre won
ximenes, Xerxes, Xavier Xenophon:
Yet you We yearling youth, your young years yield
Zuinglius' zealot zest-Zinzndorfs Zion-xealed
Still, we think it deficient in the spirit which
characterizes the "Siege Of Belgrade"