  On the Flight of the young Crows, from Newcastle Exchange; with their Address to the Corporation. The young brood fairly fledg’d, we may fairly suppose, Half the world must have heard of our Newcastle CROWS? How their daddy, bold bird! from a rabble got free, And was fully determin’d a freeman to be! On the vane of the steeple, upon the Exchange, Completed his nest, which beholders thought strange: His bright jetty consort accomplish’d her part, Nor foes, nor foul weather could alter her heart. Their younglings, quite able to take distant flight, Were told, by their parents, “Good manners are right.” To their freedom admitted—they could do no less, Than approach their kind patrons, with humble ADDRESS; To thank them politely, without wanton joke, For, so learned in swallow, they must learn to croak.— In a trice——as if Æsop himself had inspir’d, They began their address, whilst their hearers admir’d. “Ye wise men, and good men, of Newcastle guild, Who suffer’d our father and mother to build—— High, upon the high pinnacle of your Exchange, And here see their offspring just ready to range; To range with sweet freedom, o’er land, and o’er seas, To eat and to drink, and to croak as we please—— Accept our plain thanks, while the reasons we clear, Why some Merlin, or Shipton, hath sure sent us here. “One thousand seven hundred, eighty and three, For this town, a remarkable Æra will be! All folks will think right, from grave age to smart youth, Nor priests, nor disciples, e’er wander from TRUTH; Your rulers be loyal to great George the third, Each rich man prove honest, and just to his word: No fair-trading merchant will smuggle, or cheat, No foul gorging glutton waste poor people’s meat. “Your fine Sandhill maidens be merry and wise, From their crying of lemons, to selling of pies; Your green, and rare fish-women, civil enough, Your milliners spruce, not so apt to take huff. Up the Side, you’ll hear compliments, happy and free, Where hot puddings, and haggishes, plenty shall be: The silver-smiths, coopers, and tinmen will join To sound the reforms now produc’d on the Tyne. “Your Sandgate smart girls, the gay world will surprise, Grown cleanly, and decent, and modest, and wise; The keelmen, in manners, become quite polite, No cursing at morn, nor much drunk over night! Refining in language, improving in notes, Letter R run far smoother, and glib through their throats: Their Andrews, these sirnames, bear better degrees, Ralphs, Richardsons, Rogersons, uttered with ease. “No tailor will cabbage, no draper will pinch, No shoemaker squeeze a full nail from an inch; No baker, or flourman, be short of his weight, No forestaller breed low designs in his pate; No butcher, on Bank, keep prices too high, No hatter, no baker, deceive with a lie!—— But what will stand foremost in public parade, Newcastle shall furnish a cheaper COAL TRADE! “In politics, surely, such changes will be, The people and magistrates mutual agree; No bribery, no menace, no little whit self, No pride overbearing, or impudent wealth; But each voter prove honest to old England’s laws, Still prudently guarding fair liberty’s cause! And so, brother freemen, God bless ye, adieu! We fly to sage Franklin, and Washington now.” |
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