| Citation |
RNYG.782.013
5 Jan 1782:21,22,23 (550)
Mr. Rivington, Philadelphia, Dec. 26, 1781
I send you some of our late newspapers, in which you will
see that our writers are in high spirits, and have made very
free with your Worship, as well as with others of superior
station. Mr. H___a, one of our first rate geniuses, has
done you the favour to advertise all your property for sale,
and to propose the making your whole carcass into Portable
Soup for the use of the Ladies and Gentlemen Tories who may
be bound to England. These kinds of squibs and crackers,
which they are continually throwing at the poor Tories, are,
perhaps, scarcely noticed by those who are up to the ears
and eyes in Concerts, Plays, Balls, and Charades; but I can
assure you they are not a littly mortifying to the Loyalists
without the British lines.
A grand entertainment, however, given by the French
Minister to General Washington and his Lady, and many other
of the principal people here, has been unexpectedly the
means of affording some merriment to the Tories. Mr. H---n
had the direction of the Minister's Concert, in which he
introduced what he called an Oratorio, composed by himself,
full of fulsome flattery and adulation to the French and
Washington. Copies of the Oratorio being given to the
company, a gentleman present made, with his pencil, many
alterations in it, during the time of its performance, which
he handed to me and some others of his acquaintance in whom
he could confide. I took a copy of it with his permission,
and now send it,together with a copy of the Oratorio. You
will observe the Parody is complete as far as the first
Scene, but only notices a part of the Chorus in the second,
which was owing to his being interrupted at the time, and to
his having wrote it (in more senses of the words than one)
in uno pede. You are not only at liberty to print it, but
you will thereby oblige some friends whom I need not
mention; --nor can any persons here blame you, considering
the illiberal treatment you have so frequently and recently
received at the hands of their party-writers.
THE TEMPLE OF MINERVA:
An Oratorial Entertainment.
Persons----
Minerva. The Genius of France. The Genius of America. The
High Priest of Minerva.
Scene I.
In the Temple of Minerva
The Doors of the Sanctuary shut.
Overture
The Genius of France; The Genius Priest of Minerva
Trio
Arise! arise! your voices raise
And swell the solemn hymn of praise;
At great Minerva's awful shrine.
Bow down and own the Pow'r divine.
Genius of America
Oh, wise Minerva! hear my prayr,
And tell great Jove's decree;
Celestial Goddess! now declare
What Fate has fix'd for me.
[continues for 1/2 column]
[In second column:]
THE TEMPLE OF CLOACINA:
An Ora-Whig-ial Entertainment.
The Genius of France. The Genius of America. The High Priest
of Cloacina.
Scene I. In the Temple of Cloacina.
The Doors of the Little-House shut.
Overturd.
The Genius of France; The Genius of America, and the High
Priest of Cloacina.
Tri--oh!
Strain hard! strain hard! your voices raise,
And swell your croaking throats with praise,
At Cloacina's stinking shrine.
Squat down, and own you grunt like swine.
Genius of America
Oh, Cloacina! hear my prayr,
An easy stool decree,
And do, my Goddess! do declare,
What Hole is left for me.
. . . [in each text, 1/2 column more, with 2 more verses by
the Genius of America. 1 by the Genius of France, 1 of
Duetto, 1 by the High Priest, 1 by a Trio. Following is
Scene II. by the Chorus. It ends with the A Foul Air, seen
below]
A Foul Air,
To the Tune of Whiston and Ditton, from Dean Swift
Sing Hopkinson, Sing Washington,
For Pi---ing on, For Sh---ing on,
And Sh---ing on And Pi---ing on
Great Washington. Frank Hopkinson.
Da Capo.
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