The Rhode Island American, And General Advertiser

Poetry!
From A Late London Paper
THE COSSACK: SONG
Moscow, thou saw'st the insulting foe
In fancied triumph crown'd,
Thou heard'st their frantick Leader throw
These galling taunts around:—
"Make now your choice—the terms I give;
Desponding victims hear:
These fetters on your hands receive
"Or in your hearts the spear.
"And is the contest o'er," we cried;
"And lie we at your feet,
"And dare you vauntingly decide
"The conflict we will meet?
"A brighter day we soon shall see,
"Tho' now the prospect low'rs,
"And Conquest, Peace and Liberty
"Shall gild our future hours."
The foe advanc'd—in firm array
We rush'd o'er Arasnor's sands,
And the red sabre mark'd our way
Amidst their yielding bands.
There as they writh'd in death's cold grasp
We cried "Our choice is made!—
"These hands our sabre's hilt shall grasp.
"Your hearts shall have the blade."
Of late the "Cossacks," have been the
topick of warm applause and sharp reproach.
While the friends of European Independence
have eulogized their persevering feats in arms,
the French bulletins have omitted no opportu-
nity to brand them as "savages." "plundering
Arabs," and even as "contemptible cavalry, who
do nothing but make a noise." Their deeds
have indeed made a noise in the world; and
the reader will probably be pleased in perusing
some sketches of them. The word Cossack,
means a horseman—they never fight on foot.—
They inhabit one of the most fertile districts in
Europe—the country situated between the
great rivers the Dnieper and the Don, and
which the Poles used to call the "land of milk
and honey." It is interspersed with towns and
villages, well stockaded; and though they are
principally husbandmen, many of them are
merchants and some of them are wealthy
They are hospitable, hardy, vigorous and brave,
and extremely jealous of their liberty. They
acknowledge the supremacy of Russia, but pay
no taxes.— By agreement they always keep
large body, of cavalry for her service, when
called for. and act as allies, though—their Het-
man, the renowned Platoff, bears also a Russian
General's commission. Their horses are
small, but extremely hardy, docile, and full of
courage and perfectly trained to their business.
The Cossacks do not use bridles, but guide
their horses by the touch of their spears, which
are about nine feet long, one half of which is
steel. In their persons they are tall, well made,
of fine mien, with hawk-bill noses. They were
known as a well governed nation many centu-
ries ago, and hold the Tartars and Calmucs
in as much abhorrence as we do the Indians.
They are formed into pulks (battalions) and are
denominated by the Russians as irregulars.—
The French found them very formidable foes
in their late route from Moscow. Bost. Cent.