Alexandria Advertiser And Commercial Intelligencer

From the Gazette of the United States

TO TOM PAINE

Detected reptile! wherefore hast thou come,
To add new evils to our groaning land?
To some wild desert let thy carcass roam,
Where naught can wither by thy blasting hand.

Has Europe, weary of thy daily crimes,
Disgorged thee wretch! corrupting and corrupt?
Art thou so vile e'en for her blood stained times?
That thus you leave her sudden and abrupt.

When the high billows raised thee towards thy
God,
Didst thou not tremble at his awful frown?
And when again you sunk unto the flood,
Did Hell not gape terrific and profound?

In that dread hour thy soul no comfort knew;
No pleasing hope was found within thy breast.
For there a storm of terrors loudly blew,
Compared with which the Ocean was at rest.

Thy friend with all his power who called thee
here,
Could then no joy, no moment's ease impart;
You e'en forgot the rapture, now so dear,
To meet in him a kind congenial heart.

Now safe on shore again your spirits rise?
Again your power of blasphemy employ:
Hurl bold defiance both to earth and skies,
And church and state with frantic zeal destroy.

But first to Monticello bend your way;
Drink wise instruction from the best of men;
Then to thy goddess Reason with him pray;
And rush forth from his philosophic den.

But still to bear the curses that pursue,
And shut thine ears against the hissing crowd.
Use thy good friend, so often tried, so true:
Here Rum is cheap and Drunkenness allow'd.

In the dark hour that brought thee to our shore,
The shade of Washington did awful scowl-
Hence, gloomy monster! curse mankind no more,
Thy person fit as thy soul is foul.

When life's electric spark shall quit thy frame,
Myriads of devils wait to seize their prey.
With shouts and yell they loudly call thy name,
Then bear thee to thy destined doom away.