Verse 1
Why do our factious Tyrants boast
Of colonies for ever lost,
As by their machinations They
Had thrown America away?
What coud the Instruments alone
Sh[elburne] or B[ur]k[e], or F[ox] have done
If God the evil had not will’d,
And his own high Decree fulfil’d?
Verse 2
Resolv’d our nation to chastise,
He let the storms of discord rise,
While wickedness and folly join
To execute his dread design,
While Faction’s raging flouds o’rewhelm,
The men who shoud direct the helm,
But sunk, unequal to the weight,
Weak pillars of a tottering State.
Verse 3
Did they not trust the Cause to Those
They knew woud all their plans oppose
Foes to their King and Country’s good,
Who boldly for Rebellion stood,
Who sacrific’d our loyal bands
Gave all into the Rebels’ hands
Forc’d us the sovereign States to own
And greet th’ Usurpers on their throne?
Verse 4
Did not our feeble Ministers
Embrace the Authors of their fears,
Conceal them from the public view,
And screen the Villainies they knew?
They thought it prudent to connive,
And let the daring Traitors live,
And suffer F[ox] his crimes t’ avow,
Triumphant with a front like H[owe].90
Verse 5
When those on whom our hopes were stay’d,
Thro’ cowardise their trust betray’d,
When those who our destruction sought,
For, not against, the Rebels fought,
When Traitors here with France conspir’d
And did whate’er the Foe requir’d,
What wonder, in our evil day,
That Britain lost America?
Verse 6
Whose wrath our evil day decreed,
And justly sentenc’d us to bleed,
The Lord hath cut us short—his hand
Extended o’re our guilty land
We still behold with conscious fear
We tremble still the Rod to hear,
And own, whoe’er fulfils the word
Of threaten’d ills—It is the Lord!