Front matter
Reading edition
Original
CONTENTS
YE BOOK OF COPPERHEADS
GOTHAM-MITES.
CHECKER-BOARDERS AND KEYSTONERS
MODERN HEATHEN-IANS
SHAKSPEARE ON THE COPPERHEADS.
"THOSE DEVOTED COPPERHEADS."
Original
YE BOOK OF COPPERHEADS
" Continue this united League."—Richard the Third, III. 1.
|There once was a Copperhead snake tried to Bite Uncle Sam by mistake;
But the Seven League Boot on old Uncle Sam's foot
Soon crushed this pestiferous snake.
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A soldier came back from the war, with many an honorable scar;
But the Copperheads cried, "Served you right if you'd died
In this curst Abolitionist war!"
Original
The old Tory dragon is dead, but she left us some eggs in her stead;
Two were smashed in the yolk, but the third hatched and broke,
And out came a vile Copperhead.
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There was once a young giant asleep, and round him two serpents did creep;
But he stopped their vile breath, and squeezed them to death,
This giant aroused from his sleep.
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There once was a Copperhead vile, who attempted to damage a file,
So he tried it in truth, but soon broke every tooth
On that rusty and crusty Old File.
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"Nor doth this Wood lack Worlds."—Midsummer Night's Dream, II. 2.
There was an old Snake in New York said for peace all the people should work;
"But if war must come, let us fight here at home!!"
Quoth sanguiloquent Ben of New York.
Original
"One of those who worship dirty gods."—Cymbeline, III. 8.
There once was a chap named Vallandigham, whom the Copperheads chose for commanding 'em;
But a trip to the South soon silenced his mouth,
And the world as a Tory is branding him.
Original
With War Democrats Seymour's for war; with Peace cowards for peace he'll hurrah;
Let him get in the way of the mower some day,
And He'll find there's no quibbling with war.
Original
The Copperhead lotterie hath a curious policie;
For a man of low rank can draw naught save a blank,
Unless an accomplice he be.
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There once was a twistified Reed who took for his pattern Snake-Weed;
Till the Copperheads all, great, middling, and small
Seemed straight by the side of this Reed.
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There's a character very well known, Who bubbles for ages has blown;
But the best he has made since at bubbling he played,
From a Copperhead pipe have been thrown.
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"And what Stock he springs of!!"—Coriolan, II. 3.
Copper stocks are uncertain to buy, though this Copperhead's stock's very high;
But we still might improve this stock of his love,
By adding the right sort of tie.
Original
There was an old War Horse, a clerical, who thought our Republic chimerical;
"For the Union," he said, "he never had prayed,"
This mordacious old War Horse cholerical.
Original
" There is no goodness in the worm,"—Antony and Cleopatra, V. 2.
The abominable Copperhead worms! With their wriggles, and twists, and their squirms!
But the gardener, they say, will soon find out a way
To kill the vile Copperhead worms.
Original
"There are many complaints, Davy, about that."—King Henry IV., V. 1.
There was a Stern Statesman astute, who so often went in to recruit,
That a Rattlesnake fat revolved in his hat,
While a Copperhead squirmed in his boot.
Original
"So much dishonor my fair stars."—King Richard 111., IV. 1.
The traitor our Common Cents mars, And on Liberty plainly he wars,
Taking Freedom away from the Union, I say,
When he cuts out her head from the stars.
Original
"And so the lion vanished."—Midsummer Night's Dream, V. 1.
While it did us great harm, Abolition was the height of the Lion's ambition;
Now with Copperhead tale he stings himself pale.
And furaciously scorns Abolition.
Original
"Will this Wood take fire?"—Merry Wives of Windsor, V. 5.
Union, a fagot we take; But 'twould be a tremendous mistake,
To use rotten old Wood which never was good,
And then bind it up with a Snake.
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There once was a Patriot whose rigor reached such a remarkable figure,
That he'd rather go down in the water and drown
Than be saved by the help of a nigger.
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There once were some rascals near Reading thought fighting was easy as wedding;
But being well kicked, and most terribly licked,
They mournfully mizzled from Reading.
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"O wicked Wall!"—Midsummer Night's Dream, V. 1.
There once was an old party-Wall, quite cracked and just ready to fall;
The Copperheads came and completed its shame
By sticking their Bills on this Wall.
Original
There once was a bottle of Porter, which the Copperheads thought was all water;
But when the cork popped, the Copperheads dropped,
And were stunned by the vim of the Porter!
Original
There once was a Snake who said "Hey! There's an Eagle I'll take for my prey!"
But the bird with his bill did the Copperhead kill,
And bore him in triumph away.
Original
"Exit shall be strangling a snake."—Love's Labor's Lost, V. 1.
The Copperhead traitors all, our army "base hirelings" call
But some fine summer day The "boys," just for play,
Will settle the Copperheads all.
Amen!